Couple questions about mixing ink
So when the pantone book says trans white what do I use? Do I use opaque white or mixing white?
The two columns of numbers next the the color is the right column the amount in grams, and how o you measure points, does a point equal a gram?
Does anyone have hints on mixing and measuring the ink. The ink seems really tacky and hard to separate out the right amount.
Thank you all for your help
Jamie
Of course the right side is % im pretty slow today
Transparent white actually looks kinda like caramel and is not actually white. It’s more of a thinning agent.
As far as mixing - the ratio of the colors used is what is important. It doesn’t matter if you use grams, ounces, or a fraction of a pound. If your formula says 1 part Warm Red, and 2 parts Transparent White, you can use any type of increment on your scale. You just need to use twice as much of the white as the red. A calculator is needed when you start mixing in fractions or small percentages.
Your ink may be old. There are ink additives availabel for thinning, and you might wish to try a Varn product called Ink-Ready in a spray can.
I have been getting close but it seem like every color I try and mix ends up being 2 shades darker, its kind of annoying
Are you using a scale?
You ought to be using a scale that can measure within tenths of a gram or better.
We use a triple beam scale, but there are good digital scales as well.
If you mix accurately with a scale, your color should be dead on (when properly inked).
You will also need to calculate in the added wight of whatever is holding your ink while you measure (i use little squares of wax paper). If you don’t figure it in it will throw off the ratios.
And trans white should be labeled as such. If you are using opaque white or something else, your color will come out as a pastelle, or a whitened form of the color. The trans base will not offer any pigment to yor mix, it acts as a medium for the color to hold,and as a regulator for the potency of the color. It will become a handy tool when printing solids down the line.
What brand are you using . I like Van Son Rubber based. Some people like oil based. If the ink is old rubber based, it can get really sticky, like taffy.
Good Luck.
As has been discussed before on this forum, the Pantone mixing guides were devised for mixing colors for offset-lithography. With letterpress you more than likely will be laying down a thicker film of ink on the substrate, and many folks find that they must add a good deal of the transparent white to come up with a color which matches the Pantone swatch.