Applications
Suitable substrates include most plastics, metals (coated or uncoated), glass, many laminates, wood, chipboard, hardboard and even printed circuit boards (for notation). PolyPak inks have such good adhesion to so many materials that it is sometimes forgotten that surface characteristics of some substrates do vary even from batch to batch of the same substrate. Users should always check that PolyPak inks are suitable for their requirements, in their conditions before committing to a print run.
Recommendations made by Kromex are to help you match the ink to a particular job, our suggestions are to assist you and do not amount to a guarantee - Never start a print run without first doing a test print and being sure that the chosen ink matches your expectations.

Mixing
PolyPak is a 2 - pack system. One part being the coloured ink/paste, the other is the catalyst. At temperatures up to about 20°C the mixture will remain printable for about 8 hours. Higher temperatures will reduce this time. If the mixed ink is kept in a refrigerator at about 5°C it will remain printable for 15 to 20 hours. The best advice is not to mix more ink than you need at any one time. When blending colours, mix the coloured pastes thoroughly before adding catalyst.

Catalysts
Always stir the catalyst thoroughly before mixing with the coloured paste. There are two catalysts available. One will give a high gloss print, the other a matt print. The mixing ratios vary according to the catalyst selected.
Mixing ratios by weight; Gloss Catalyst. Matt Catalyst. Flexible Catalyst 11632
Standard Colours & Extender base : 5 : 1 3 : 1 2 : 1
Metallic Colours : 3 : 1 1 : 1 1 : 1
Varnish 2 : 1 1 : 1
These ratios are given as guidance only and can be varied according to individual needs.

Thinning
Thinning PolyPak inks with Thinner 419 and/or Retarder 412 is important for easy printability, smoothness and lay of the printed image, economical use of the ink, drying and screen stability. Polypak inks can be thinned up to 15%. If consistency needs to be retained, we recommend using up to 5% (but no more than 10% as this may affect adhesion) of Gel Retarder 436.

Drying
To obtain the best results it is recommended that PolyPak should be stoved to achieve a hard finish. PolyPak inks will dry to a ‘touch dry’ condition in 8 - 12 hours in temperatures of approximately 20°C and free air circulation. However, full cure, hardness and resistance will not be achieved for 3 - 4 days and therefore stoving is recommended for maximum ink performance. As a guide we suggest the following drying schedules.
Metals & Glass - 10 minutes @ 130°C
Plastics - 15 minutes @ 80°C - 90°C
Take care that the product is not adversely affected by the heating. No improvement will be gained by heating above 150°C.

Coverage
With the correct thinning, through a 100T mesh, coverage of 70m2/ltr can be achieved. This figure can vary due to the absorbency of the substrate and is only meant as a guide.

Health & Safety
For further information on each product refer to separate Health & Safety sheet.