Okay, we know that we would have called it something else in Canada (we say “zed” and the Americans say “zee”) but just this once let’s indulge them and go with the “EE-ZEE” thing because it really does describe this product which is “easy” to use and “easy” on the budget too. In any case, ”EE-ZED FILM” would just be wrong; like if they had won the hockey gold medal – it would just be wrong.

This film is ideal for mesh counts of 110 to 156. We recommend it for use with standard textile plastisol inks. It is not recommended for water-based inks.

Here’s a quick list of why coating a screen with EZ-FILM is a great alternative to liquid emulsion: it is fast exposing; it dries faster than emulsion; it needs very little training to do; you get perfect stencils every time; you get consistent stencil thickness; you have fewer pinholes; it is convenient; there is no mess or waste; and the trasparent magenta colour allows for easy inspection and registration. So, what can you lose by giving EZ-FILM a test? Call us for a free sample pack of 5 sheets.

 Screenflex stocks EZ-FILM in packs of 50 sheets in two sizes, 15″ x 17″ for only $78.50 (Canadian) per pack or 17″ x 24″ for only $111.50 per pack.   You do the math… it’s an offer you can’t refuse. Just call Screenflex at 1 800 661 7766 or email info@screenflex.ca  And remember that we have free 5-sheet sample packs in the 15″ x 17″ size for testing.

Some time ago Simon Clifford, president of Tekmar Technical Marketing of Santa Barbara, told a story about aerosol adhesive residue on the floor around a press in a textile print shop that he was visiting. It was so bad that the shop’s resident Golden Lab lay down to rest under the press and then could not get up because he was stuck to the floor.

We don’t know if Simon developed Tekmar’s TEKBOND line of water-based, non-aerosol pallet adhesives because of the dog-sticks-to-floor experience, but we do know that it is a cost-effective, non-messy, “greener” alternative to aerosol pallet adhesives. And we say that in spite of the fact that, as a supplier, we can make much more money from aerosol adhesives because they cost more and more is needed to do the same job.

Tekmar’s water-based pallet adhesives line has some big fans. For instance, Derry Williams of Best Cap in Calgary says that the Tekmar TB-HV adhesive lasts and lasts on the pallet and makes no mess. That probably has something to do with why Best Cap has one of the cleanest shops that we have ever seen.

Doug of Applied Graphics in Edmonton is just as enthusiastic. He says that he likes the fact that Tekmar’s water-based pallet adhesive is much more economical than aerosol. He also feels that because it is non-hazardous and non-flammable it is healthier to use. Furthermore, he doesn’t care for the airborne  particles of aerosol sprays. Doug likes the way that TEKBOND cleans up off the pallet with water and he doesn’t miss the sticky overspray on the floor that always happens with aerosol adhesives. He is adamant that he will never return to using aerosol adhesives.

Tekmar’s TEKBOND TB-HV is applied sparingly to the pallet with a small supplied squeegee. Derry says that Best Cap recently printed 1200 tee-shirts without re-applying the adhesive once. That is why Tekmar is able to claim that a 1-quart container of TEKBOND TB-HV replaces at least 3 dozen cans of aerosol adhesive. The cost saving in product price alone is significant (85% to 90% saving) but it gets even better when you factor in clean-up time of the pallets, press and floor.

TEKBOND TB 10 works on the same principle but is applied by use of a Target spray system. The difference between that and aerosol spray though is that the Target spray system can be controlled to spray sparingly on the pallet without over-spraying all over the equipment and floor. 

So do something good for your shop, your budget and for the environment and call Screenflex about trying Tekmar’s water-based pallet adhesives. The toll-free number is 1-800-661-7766 or email info@screenflex.ca

At the moment this is a U.S. issue that only affects Canadian producers of imprinted childrens’ garments destined for the U.S. But as we all know, sooner or later, what happens in the U.S. in our industry will cross the border and happen in Canada as well. Therefore, all Canadian textile screen printers need to pay attention to this issue.

Our industry sources in the U.S. tell us that as of February 10th 2009, printers of childrens’ apparel for the U.S. market are going to have to produce certification that the ink used in every delivery contains less than 100 PPM (parts per million) of lead.

One might assume that users of Wilflex ink could merely point out that it has been free of lead for about 30 years…  so what’s the problem? But apparently, in terms of the new legislation in the U.S., that is not good enough. Certification of the print has to be done by an accredited laboratory, of which there are apparently only 4 or 5 in the entire country. We understand that the cost of certifying a print “lead free” is about $300.00. This is bound to cause irritation. We have already heard of a case where a fist fight almost developed because a printer refused to certify a print on the grounds that the deadline of 10th February had not yet arrived, and the customer refused to take delivery because he would be selling the garments after the deadline at which the law would come into effect.

And furthermore, lead is not the only sticking point in the pursuit of “safe” imprinted garments. Phthalate (pronounced “thalate”) is also black listed now as bad for the health of American children. Phthalate is the component of regular plastisol and some water-based inks that gives them flexibility. Ironically, I.V. pouches and blood storage pouches as well as a multitude of other medical supplies are made flexible with Phthalates.

The Europeans were the first to focus on making textile products Phthalate-free. The U.S.A. followed suit by setting February 2009 as the deadline, however, we have just been told that that deadline might be pushed out quite a bit. Apparently, among other issues, it has been realized that strict enforcement will put most, if not all, of the used clothing retailers and charities out of business.

Regardless of whether there is going to be a deferment of the deadline or not, certain large sporting goods and childrens’ wear suppliers are requiring certification from printers as if the legislation were already in place. There are also have a number of Canadian printers who are protecting their global childrens’ wear business by not waiting to be forced into compliance. They are preparing to switch to Wilflex’s Phthalate-free Epic line of inks.

Wilflex’s Epic Phthalate-free colours have been available for about 5 years. More recently a full range of bases, pigments, and specialty inks like Fashion Soft Base, gels, metallics and High Density Clear have been added as well.

As with all new and far-reaching developments and legislation there can be confusion, misunderstanding and misinformation in the beginning. We will keep an eye on this issue and produce updates and clarifications right here in this newsletter as they become available. In the meantime, if you need more information or technical assistance, call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 or email info@screenflex.ca

If you are going to attend the upcoming Long Beach Show, be sure to visit the Wilflex booth and quiz the experts about this topic.

You want to add foil to a print, but only part of it. And you want the convenience of doing the whole print in plastisol. You’ve seen great plastisol prints that incorporate foil in part without having to use water based ink for the non-foiled parts. You want to do them too. But how?

You can do it the slow frustrating way by carefully cutting the foil to a size just big enough to cover the area you want to foil and then positioning it very carefully on the heat press. But you are not a hobbyist with unlimited time. You are in production and at the end of the day you have to show a profit. The trouble is that this slow process might result in nice prints but it is not production friendly at all.

Well there is a quicker and easier way to do it. A small amount of an additive known as Wilflex Foil Resist added to the plastisol inks that you do not want the foil to stick to, will speed the production process up a whole lot (and give your artist much more lattitude). The foil only sticks where you want it to and you end up with prints to impress your customers with much less production hassle.

Want to know more? Call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 or email info@screenflex.ca.

As we mentioned in an earlier article, Promotional Products Plus of Calgary, are doing great things with Wilflex Oasis discharge inks. Here Kathleen is showing two of their designs. Besides being on the edge graphically, the prints have a really soft hand, something that the current apparel market is demanding.  

The ”Rib Cage” design that she is wearing has been discharged to reveal the natural colour of the garment before it was dyed.  The red and the liquid silver aspects of the design were printed stright down over the top of the Wilflex Oasis Plascharge ink in the first screen after it had been flashed. The images that we have here do not do the silver and red justice; both are bright and vibrant, much more so than the images show.

Rob Riddell says that the Wilflex Oasis Plascharge in the first screen was printed through 156 mesh. The Wilflex red in the second screen was printed through 156 mesh and the Wilflex Liquid Silver was printed through 110 mesh. All were just single hits. The image below will give you a closer look. 

We should add a quick reminder that screens used for discharge printing should be coated with Ulano’s QT Discharge emulsion.

The second shirt, the one that Kathleen is holding, is a soft white print on black. This can be achieved in a number of ways. For printers without gas dryers, we recommend a 50/50 mixture of Wilflex MX White and Wilflex Oasis Plascharge and 6% Wilflex Oasis Discharge Activator added just prior to printing. Rob says that this one was hit twice in a hit/flash/hit sequence through 110 mesh. 

Now all of this can be done without stinking the place out with a rotten egg smell and without dealing with the formaldehyde and heavy metals associated with other discharge systems.  If you want to know more about printing with Wilflex’s Oasis discharge system call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 or email info@screenflex.ca and ask for the very cool “Coloured-hair flyer” that describes the Wiflex Oasis platisol discharge system.

Want to see more of Promotional Products Plus discharge designs? Check out their web site at www.logoitplus.com If for some reason you don’t want to do discharge printing but would like to have some done (particularly large format prints in limited numbers) Rob and Riley would be happy to talk to you. Their contact information is on their web site.  

He made the point that while people asked for “green” they could seldom explain what that meant. For instance, did they mean “organic”, “non-phthalate”, “non-PVC”, all of those things, or something else entirely? He emphasised the importance of questioning anyone asking for “green” as to what exactly they meant.

California is the first state in the U.S. and, at this time, still the only state clearly defining “green” to some concrete extent by specifically prohibiting certain chemicals effective January 1, 2009. We’ll spare you the chemical names and definitions here, but we can forward the information that we have if you call us toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 or email us at info@screenflex.ca  The important point though is that Wilflex already has three ink types to deal with the various “green” demands that your customers might have.

The Wilflex Epic Series is a non-phthalate ink. Wilflex  QuantumOne is a non-phthalate, non-PVC, acrylic-based ink. Wilflex Oasis is a complete line of water-based inks including non-formaldehyde discharge inks to inks for contemporary fashion-driven textured effects.

As far as “organic” garments are concerned, we are told that very few cottons are organically grown and that at this time the only truly “organic” cotton is grown on a limited scale in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. We suggest that next time anybody claims to have “organic” garments, you ask them where the cotton was grown and to provide proof that it was organically grown.

As we have suggested in another article in this newsletter, beware of the ill-informed or the unscrupulous who will miss-represent themselves or their products as “green”. Beware of Greenfarce.   

This is the story about a naked bucket label.

We are in an artistic, creative industry. You would never know it though from the labels on supplies like ink, emulsions and chemicals. Why do they have to be so boooooring? Where is the art? Where is the creativity? You can find more colourful and creative labels on toilet rolls than on most of the products in our industry!

Well, Screenflex decided to do something about it. We worked with the graphic design consultant that produces all our other fine graphic promotional material to produce the Expose Emulsion label from the image that you see above. We wanted an eye-catching, but also relevant, label for our private label, high-quality, one-part SBQ emulsion.

We found the solution to both criteria in the “exposed” graphic. We then selected “Xpose” as the name of this fine emulsion to go along with the graphic and because of the obvious link between emulsion and “exposure”. Well, we thought it was clever anyway.

For the most part the responses have been overwhelmingly favourable. Neat! Cool! About time! Wow! But then, as one would expect, there have a few negative responses, such as the customer who felt that the Xpose label represented a “new low” in the industry. We take criticism very seriously, but we thought that this one was a bum rap.

But at the end of the day, regardless of how you feel about the nature of the graphics on artistic labels that better match our artistic, creative industry than anything that has been produced to date, it is still a fine one-part emulsion at a fine price. To order Xpose one-part emulsion (it comes in red or blue) go online at www.screenprintcatalog.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-661-7766.

If you would like a free mouse pad of this, the first really creative supply label in the industry, give us a call toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 and we’ll happily send you one.

And yes, it is true, we are working on even more creative, interesting labels. In fact, we would welcome suggestions and be more than willing to give credit for any that we can use. Email us at info@screenflex.ca and let’s put some fun back into this industry, at least on its labels.

That’s right, only Wilflex Oasis Plascharge (plastisol) or Wilflex Oasis Discharge (waterbase) ink has none of the “nasties” that turns off a lot of printers from wanting to print with discharge. Gone are the formaldehyde and the heavy metals.

And the best part is that Oasis Plascharge can be used with the Wilflex general purpose plastisol ink colours that are already sitting on your shelf. Use it for vibrant colours and a soft hand by avoiding the under-base white; Oasis takes out the dye in the fabric. That is why Oasis Plascharge can also be used in combination with a clear base such as Wilflex Soft Hand Clear to create a single colour print that exposes the natural colour of a cotton garment. The possibilities are endless for those willing to experiment with 100% cotton shirts.

Wilflex went looking for the safest discharge system possible and found it in England. Screenflex has the exclusive for Canada and you should see what some Canadian printers are doing with it! Amazing stuff …and ever so soft!

We’ve put together a great flyer that explains the product and its application. Just call for a mail or fax copy. You can also go to our e-commerce site in the Canadian section and under “Textile Inks and Additives” you will find “Oasis” from where a detailed Wilflex Product Information Bulletin can be downloaded. Also, as always, you can call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 for direct technical assistance.

Soft hand is where it is at right now, and Wilflex’s Oasis can get you there, without the “nasties” and the “smellies” of other older and outdated discharge inks.

We went looking for a superb one-part emulsion that could be manufactured at a great price for our textile screen printers. We also wanted to be the first to introduce artistic and creative labels to our industry. If this industry is all about art and creativity, you wouldn’t know it from the deadly dull labels on screen printing supplies.

The result is another first from Screenflex… Xpose one-part emulsion.

Available in red or blue, this is an ultra-fast-exposing emulsion. It is one-part (no need to add a sensitizer) and has a shelf life of one year, which is really useful for smaller shops. Not only is it faster-exposing and priced much better than other one-part emulsions like Ulano QTX, but it is economical to use because it only needs one coat on each side of the screen.

Shops with exposure units with weaker light sources, such as the Atlas 5-Way, or units with just fluorescent tubes, love Xpose emulsion. It significantly reduces their exposure times.

Large well-equipped shops love it too. Ask Bob Paton at Kajobi Clothing. He says that in fifteen years Screenflex’s Xpose is the best emulsion that he has ever worked with.

Want to know more, want a sample, or want to order? Call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766.