01. What are different ink types you carry? • Smart water based dye ink • Smart water based pigment ink • Smart water based dye sublimation ink • Xtreme solvent based ink • Xtreme eco-solvent based ink 02. How do they differ? They differ in terms of application. Please visit out ink page under products tab for more details. 03. What are the advantages of using Smart and Xtreme Inks? You save a lot on ink costs. Using Smart Inks are practical ways to mass-print brochures or documents on desktop printers. While Xtreme Inks have been proven to be stable and have less printhead clogs than brands with cheaper inks. 04. How long is the shelf life of inks? Two years from manufacturing date or longer when kept sealed at room temperature. 05. Are inks toxic? Every chemical should be treated with extreme precaution. Avoid direct unnecessary contact with these chemicals. Provide control mechanisms such as gloves to avoid skin contact, safety glasses to prevent splashes getting into the eyes and extraction for removing solvent fumes. Use solvent inks in well-ventilated areas. 06. What causes printheads to clog? The most common cause is the use of inferior quality inks, constant switch in between inks and improper room temperature. Another is prolonged stagnancy of the printers. Proper maintenance should be done regularly to avoid printheads from clogging. 07. Can clogged printheads be unclogged? Up to some extent, it can be. But bear in mind that printheads have lifespans. 08. How much area does one liter of ink cover? It’s hard to say. Approximately 1,000 sq.ft, however, keep in mind results may vary depending on software, printer configuration settings, layout and ink coverage area. 09. How resistant are the inks to UV fading? Like any decorated products, direct sunlight will cause products to fade over time. Factors that affect fading are temperature and weather – for example an area with more direct sunlight. 10. What type of desktop printer should I use for Smart Inks? Epson printers are well-suited for the job. Epson’s Piezo electric printheads vary the size of the ink droplet. 11. Can I switch between different ink types in one desktop printer? It is not recommended to switch continuously between inks. When switching, it is important to perform cleaning maintenance between the ink changeover. 12. What maintenance procedures are recommended for printers? It is important that you protect your ink delivery system from dirt, air and other foreign objects. Keep the cover closed if you are using cartridges. Perform regular nozzle checks. We recommend setting a regular schedule. Clean paper delivery system. Check expiration dates of inks. Store your printer in a low humidity environment. We can not stress this enough. Customers have experience clogging and banding when trying to print without proper temperature controls. Recommended temperatures: Supported operating conditions: 65 to 80 degrees F with 40 to 60 % relative humidity. Optimal operating conditions: 68 to 75 degrees F with 45 to 50 % relative humidity. 13. Why are solvent inks popular in terms of outdoor printing? In simple terms solvents are present in inks for three primary reasons: Firstly, they are needed to dissolve the film former (resin) in the ink. This is the material that is required to coat the colourants in the ink. Without the resin, the ink would be like a powder and would rub off any substrate that was printed. Different solvent types are required to dissolve the film formers. Different film formers are required depending on the substrate to be printed. A 'strong' or 'active' solvent is necessary to dissolve acrylic or PVC resins, for example a ketone such as cyclohexanone. Secondly, the choice of solvent can control the speed of drying. Obviously fast evaporating solvents dry much quicker than slower evaporating solvents. Thirdly, solvents can provide the key to the substrate. Adhesion to porous substrates such as paper and board is obtained by the ink soaking into the substrate. Where a non-porous substrate such as PVC or an acrylic is printed, the solvent in the ink will take an active role by dissolving the surface of the substrate. If 'passive' solvents are used on difficult substrates the ink will 'sit' on the surface and can easily be removed by scratching or gently wiping with a weak solvent such as iso-propanol alcohol (IPA). These 'passive' or weak solvents are frequently lower in odour and often are considered as being eco-solvents.