Reflective Ink Instructions

Mixing Instructions:

a.Choose neutral transparent printing inks

b.Choose glass bead with small particle size like 20~40um, 30-45um,40-60um , 60-80um

c.Add about 30~50% of glass bead, by weight, into the clear printing ink.

d.You could add more if brighter ink is required. Adding more powder thickens the solution.

e.Do not grind the glass bead 

f.Use any containers and stir the mixture at high speed.

g.To avoid deposits, you should use high viscosity resins or anti-settling agents.

h.Select a printing ink that is suitable for the surface it is to be printed on. For example, use metal abrasive oil if the surface to be printed on is metal

Usage Instructions:

a.Viscosity of mixed inks should be between 3000-5000 poise.

b.Viscosity can be adjusted during the printing process with a diluting agent.

c.A base coat of grey or very light color is preferred, especial for uncoated glass bead. . Applying reflective bead paint on dark colors reduces the reflective effect by as much as 50%. 

d.For good retro reflective, the reflective layer should be between  30-50um.

e.If the fastness is not well, little polyurethane can be put in.

f.Ideal mesh size for silkscreen printing screens is 60-80 mesh. Smaller screen mesh size are okay as these create a thicker printed layer.

g.One kilogram of glass bead can be mixed to produce up to 2 litres of reflective ink

h.One litre of ink can cover an area of about 6 square meters.

i.After painting, roll to roll press and dry 3 minute under 150℃

Solution of getting strong retro reflective:

a. Ink must be clear and transparent, Grey. Yellow. Red will be better.

b. Firstly ,print aluminum powder as foundation. Then print with the mixture of ink and glass bead.(Aluminum coated glass bead need not)

c. Make the glass bead on the paint surface as more as possible.(ND2.2 glass bead need not)