Images Magazine Digital Edition February 2019

Two base coats are followed by two coats of HD ink; note the off-contact distances www.images-magazine.com 66 images FEBRUARY 2019 I n the endless search for that something different to show clients, we often attempt to showcase ‘tactile’ prints. These can include a myriad of special effects that ranges from expanding ink to ink that feels like suede or leather – there is even ink that looks and feels like it was printed 25 years ago and cured with a heat gun. To achieve a raised effect we have a couple of options: we can add a chemical to the ink that when activated by heat will expand and puff up in the same way baking powder lifts a cake, or we can lay down an extra thick layer of sturdy high build ink. Expanding ink can be manipulated by altering the strength ratios to give either a matte appearance or a full-blown sponge effect; these are fantastic ways to achieve differing fashion looks, but the drawback is they leave a slightly rounded edge to the graphic because as the ink expands upwards, it also expands outwards. High build ink has no expanding qualities, however the high density of the ink enables it to retain a sharp edge after it has left the mesh. Pushing ink Printing is the art (or witchcraft) of pushing ink through holes in a set pattern. If the hole we push the ink through is only 1mm deep, then we leave behind a 1mm thick deposit of ink. If we increase the depth of the hole to 3mm, we can leave behind a 3mm thick (tall) deposit of ink. The first step in the process is to make a screen with a deeper hole; we can do this either by using multiple coats of emulsion to build up a thick layer, or by using a sheet of capillary film, which is basically a sheet of unexposed emulsion manufactured to a specific and constant thickness. We used a 300 micron film in this step-by-step; if an even higher lift is needed, we can use two screens set at different off-contact distances. Design is important here as large, open areas of high-density (HD) ink can be uncomfortable to wear, so try and use the Tony Palmer, production director at Essential Workwear, explains how to create a perfect high build print with sharp edges Build ‘emup O ff co ntact