Printing on Tyvek

Tyvek should print well, but you will have to use an ink which will dry on the surface as the fibers will not absorb any of the ink.

An oil based ink with driers will set up over time, or an ink designed for printing on non-absorbent stock, like Van Son Tough Tex ink.

John H.

Jess,
John is correct, use Van Son Tough Tex. it is relatively expensive, and you might find it tough (get it) to get colors other than black. You will have success with Van Son rubber based inks if you have the ability the spread the work out rather than just stacking the delivery pile. Stay away from any inks with much solvent to avoid puckering.
Good luck, how about posting a pix of the finished product.
Steve V.

Jess,
John is correct, use Van Son Tough Tex. it is relatively expensive, and you might find it tough (get it) to get colors other than black. You will have success with Van Son rubber based inks if you have the ability the spread the work out rather than just stacking the delivery pile. Stay away from any inks with much solvent to avoid puckering.
Good luck, how about posting a pix of the finished product.
Steve V.

Braden Sutphin Ink Company has it ready to ship in any color. I print on it all the time, use just enough ink to get good coverage. Call the office out of Pittsburgh.

Here is a .pdf that covers lots of the graphical applications of Tyvek, written by DuPont:

http://www2.dupont.com/Tyvek_Graphics/en_US/assets/downloads/emea/Tyvek_...

You may also wish to browse this site for a shortened/searchable version:

http://industrialpackaging.dupont.com/5techtips/#letter

…… But for those too lazy to click a link (copied directly from dupont- NOT MY WORDS!):

“Letterpress Printing
Letterpress is a technique used for short press runs involving a single color, relatively small sheet sizes and simple graphics and line art. Due to the tendency of untreated styles of Tyvek® to generate static electricity, multiple press passes should be avoided (e.g., a one-color press should not be used for multiple-color printing). As in screen printing, paper slip sheets are sometimes required, particularly when printing on Tyvek® with an adhesive coating.

To minimize the tendency of Tyvek® to curl or pucker, the least possible ink film thickness should be applied, with a goal of 0.3 mil (0.0076 mm). Because of the high compressibility of Tyvek®, more plate packing is required than for an equivalent thickness of paper. To obtain proper ink fill, deep and sharp embossing patterns should be avoided.

Inks for use in letterpress printing on Tyvek® are similar to offset/litho inks, and are typically formulated from rosin esters and long oil alkyds. These inks can be diluted with drying oils, such as tung (chinawood oil) or linseed oil. High-boiling, “quick-dry” petroleum solvents and aliphatic hydrocarbon resins, which can cause distortion and sheet swelling, should not be used. “Dry pigment grinds” should be used to avoid the residual solvent found in pigments made from flushes.”