XG Series Pad Printing Ink

XG Series ink for pad printing is a specialized 1- or 2-component ink with excellent adhesion to foam stress reliever balls, apparel, and rubber-like materials. Additionally, this ink’s unique flexibility, high gloss, and opacity make it the ideal choice for rubberized and soft-touch items. Print on rubber, polyurethane-based materials, flexible materials, and textiles.

As a 2-component ink (with the addition of a hardener), XG Series inks have added chemical and mechanical abrasion resistance. Also, the XG Series ink for foam materials is classified as NT (non-toxic). The pigments, binders, and resin are free from heavy metals. The product label carries the main indications.

XG Series pad printing ink is available in 22 standard, 2 metallic, 7 neon, and CMYK 4-color process shades. All colors are intermixable to create new colors. Lastly, custom color matches are available within hours upon request.

INK COLORS

Below are the standard colors for the XG Series ink for printing foam balls which include metallic and neon colors. To create new shades, you can mix any two or more colors. Mixing the colors together does not affect the ink adhesion.

ADDITIVES

For abrasion resistance, this printing ink requires the i-300X hardener. Additionally, depending on the application, a thinner is required to change the viscosity of the ink.

TECH SPECS

Some of this ink’s features include high opacity, high gloss, and flexibility.

The Natron® XG Series ink boasts fast drying, high opacity, high gloss, superior resistance to abrasion resistance. This ink is safe for use in toy, textiles, industrial, and food packaging applications.

Photo credit (Langer Printing)

Ink mixing and printing instructions

Required ink mixing supplies include a scale, mixing sticks, and cups.

The mixing ratio for all ink colors is 10:1, which is 10 parts ink to 1 part hardener. Mix the ink and the hardener before adding the solvent.

Add the appropriate thinner (solvent) to change the ink viscosity.

There is no set ratio when adding the solvent/diluent/thinner; use the TDS recommendations (20% for pad printing 5% for screen printing) as your starting point. Lastly, thinner or diluent will not adversely affect the adhesion of the inks to rubber and foam materials.

Required ink mixing supplies include a scale, mixing sticks, and cups.

The mixing ratio for all ink colors is 10:1, which is 10 parts ink to 1 part hardener. Mix the ink and the hardener before adding the solvent.

Add the appropriate thinner (solvent) to change the ink viscosity.

Pad Printing Parameters
Screen printing parameters

Use any commercially available pad printing clichés made of ceramic, photopolymer, laser, or steel. For all standard prints, the recommended cliché depth is 25 – 35 μm.

Printing pads
Use silicone pad printing pads. The ink releases from the pad regardless of the hardness (durometer) of the pad.

Printing machines
The XG Series ink is suitable for both closed-cup and ink-well machines. Use slow solvent for open ink well machines.

Mesh count: Recommended mesh count for most applications, dark material and for high-opacity prints: 200–230 mesh (mesh per inch) count screens.

Fine details and light background materials: 255–305 mesh count.

Squeegee: Use 70 durometer squeegee or the 70/90/70 triple durometer which is an excellent choice for more ink lay-down.

Consider 80-durometer squeegee when using 305 – 355 mesh count. Always have and off-contact when screen printing hard goods.

How to dry and cure ink prints

This ink will air dry in minutes and cure over a period of 36 hours. For best adhesion, we recommend using heat to dry the prints, especially on foam material, plastics, and textiles.

CERTIFICATIONS

DOCUMENTS

Here are the necessary data sheets.

Safety Data Sheet

Technical bulletin

Ink mixing instructions

RoHS

XG Series color chart

Ink application chart

Ink catalog

Product information

SUSTAINABILITY

Boston Industrial Solutions, Inc. prioritizes sustainable practices that reduce waste and support the circular economy. This commitment ensures that our products meet the growing demand for environmentally responsible solutions in various industries. Our sustainability efforts also apply to the XG Series inks.

PRINTING APPLICATIONS

Many industries use this ink to print rubber parts. Industries that use this ink include promotional, medical, toys, drinkware, aerospace, automotive, and packaging.

Examples printing applications for this ink include foam squeeze ball stress relievers, bogg bags, sporting goods, skateboard wheels, soft touch surfaces, soft PVC, ID cards, binders/report covers, textiles, and much more!

Soft Touch Surfaces →

Soft PVC →

Textiles →

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the best ink to print on foam balls?

To print on foam balls, a flexible ink such as the XG Series ink is recommended. If you have a UV printer, consider a flexible UV ink.

What ink should I use to print on bogg bag?

The Bogg bag utilizes flexible EVA foam material for construction. For best adhesion, pre-treat the bag with either PP Primer or P53 Primer, then print with the XG Series ink.

This site is registered on wpml.org as a development site. Switch to a production site key to remove this banner.