# Matsui Ink Curing



## Prefect (Jan 28, 2008)

I've read dozens of posts on this subject but haven't really found any definitive answers.

I'm starting my own Company soon, and plan to focus on small print runs (no more than 50 shirts at a time.) I'm not a novice to screen printing (worked for a large company averaging 800-1000 prints in a day on a manual press)

I fully intend to use water based inks for the soft hand. 
Luckily, I found this forum and discovered Matsui inks. I read up on them, and they are exactly what I want out of my ink. However I'm still a bit befuddled on what my curing process should be. 
In the past when I got my first screen printing kit I had Dick Blick inks that I could cure with a heat gun, and those prints have endured hundreds of washes over the past 4 years.

But as I've discovered Matsui requires a higher curing temperature, acting like plastisol. 
People have been debating about conveyor dryers, tunnel dryers, flash units, and heat presses. 

So here is my question: I want to use Matsui inks, I don't want to buy a conveyor dryer if possible. ( I won't really have the room for it.)
What should my curing process consist of? 

I've already concluded based on several posts that a heat gun is futile as it won't get to temperature very well. A household dryer won't get to temperature at all, missing by nearly 200 degrees. 

So my options are heat press and flash, or maybe both. 
I'm curious to hear from those who actually print with Matsui 301 ( i think it's 301) 
Would I be able to entirely flash cure it on the platten? Would I suffer from the shirt shrinking? How long would a full cure take? How long will the plattens survive with this treatment? 

Does a heat press alone get the job done?
Would it be preferable to flash the shirt so that it's no longer wet to the touch, and then heat press it to get the final cure? (this would be ideal in terms of getting the print run finished quickly, and being able to stack shirts with out the ink spreading to other shirts.)
Also, how long will the heat press curing take? 

Any help would be very much appreciated. Sorry for the length, but hopefully it inspires those who reply to ramble on as well. Every bit of information I can get from those of you who actually print with Matsui will be amazing.


----------



## sink (Jun 20, 2007)

I usually let the prints air dry for a bit and then have had no problems curing just with a heat gun. westix guys said if you are using a flash cure, go for 90 seconds - 2 minutes at 6", but I would just get an IR temp gun and test. all the shirts i've cured with a heat gun are still good after 6 months of washing. (printing matsui waterbased)


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

I really depends on exactly which ink you are going to be printing with....

The Matsui 301 RC series is their soft, "eco-friendly" line. It's easy to print with, comes in 14 base Pantone colors for Pantone color matching and will not clog your screen (in any mesh count). The downfall is that it is somewhat transparent and has virtually no coverage on dark garments. As long as the ink color is darker than the color of the fabric you are printing on...you're good.

With that said, we have customers who print with the 301 RC series and let it air dry. It's true that the ink is not intended to be cure this way...and the customer who did this let his shirts dry on a clothes line, here in Southern California for about 4-5 days! The ink held up great to multiple washings according to this customer and I saw some examples that looked great.

While I don't officially recommend air drying these inks, you may want to experiment with using a flash cure unit to dry the inks to the touch and then let them sit for a couple of days before you wash or wear them.

*About darks.....*
Matsui's current solution for printing on darks is discharge ink(the process of removing the color pigment from the shirt before printing a color in it's place). If you are interested in this process then a conveyor dryer is essential....especially one with a high amount of hot air circulation.

*On another note....
*I know of several instances of people printing Matsui's 301 RC series on cardboard, paper stock, and other poster like materials. This opens up a whole new possibility for smaller printers especially. This means these inks can be used as textile and poster inks! They should be air-dried and from a few tests I did, they held up when exposed to water after the ink had dried! I would really like to test them with vinyl sticker material and see if they worked equally as well. Maybe I'll contact StickerGuy.com and have them run some tests.


----------



## Prefect (Jan 28, 2008)

Thanks for the info! I guess I'll invest in a high quality heat gun, an infra read temp gun, and probably a flash cure so I can eventually work with 2-4 color prints. (3-4 color prints is not my goal right now, focusing on designs that are 1-2 colors with low to no registration required.) 

I intend to print on "high quality" "trendy" t shirt blanks. (AA, Royal Apparel) As this will make up a majority of my printing, will the high percentage of cotton have any effect on my curing times or my curing methods?

I'm actually interested in Discharge ink, is it just preferable to use a conveyor dryer or is an absolute requirement? What problems would I encounter if I used the curing methods I've mentioned?

Again, thanks for the responses so far!


----------



## sink (Jun 20, 2007)

i only print on american apparel. 

discharge you have to have a real dryer to activate it.

you dont need a "high quality" heat gun, the one i have came from a screen printing supply company but it is the same brand and model i could of gotten for probably 15-20 less from a hardware store.... 
especially if you have the temp gun.. 
this is the temp gun I bought(i am in no way associated with this site, but it is $30 less than a lot of places and shipped with super fast free shipping!) they also have other models if you would rather have less range and more accuracy, but i got this one since it is the same one they were selling at the printing supply place..
Raytek MiniTemp MT4 Infrared Thermometer


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

Prefect said:


> I'm actually interested in Discharge ink, is it just preferable to use a conveyor dryer or is an absolute requirement? What problems would I encounter if I used the curing methods I've mentioned?


When it comes to discharge you really need a good quality dry to cure the ink efficiently. I have some customers who have used flash cure units before but I definitely don't recommend this. Discharge ink is usually made with formaldehyde and for this reason alone a conveyor dryer that is properly ventilated is important. If the dryer is properly ventilated there is virtually no issue with air quality in your shop.

Also, getting the chemical reaction to occur and completely discharge the color dye from the garment takes more heat and time than curring plastisol or most other inks. In the past, companies would use gas dryers for printing discharge ink. Today this is not entirely necessary because most dryer manufacturers have created more efficient dryers with a higher amount of airflow. For example, the newer HIX brand NPII 2410 is a great choice for this. It's a 24" wide, 10' long dryer with high airflow control that circulates the hot air throughout the dryer which helps cure the discharge ink.

I know some people with smaller or older (less efficient) dryers who have to run their shirts through the dryer 2X to get the garments fully cured and discharged.

*Overall, when it comes to discharge printing I highly recommend using a conveyor dryer.* Not only is it more efficient but it produces better quality results and (when the dryer is properly ventilated) it's better for the air quality of your shop.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

corradomatt said:


> The Matsui 301 RC series is their soft, "eco-friendly" line. It's easy to print with, comes in 14 base Pantone colors for Pantone color matching and will not clog your screen (in any mesh count). The downfall is that it is somewhat transparent and has virtually no coverage on dark garments. As long as the ink color is darker than the color of the fabric you are printing on...you're good.


Matt,

Did you make it to the Long Beach show? The Matsui booth had printed examples of light colored ink printed on dark fabrics. Both with and without a flashed 2nd coat. Even without a 2nd coat, the print looked good, especially if you are going after the worn look. Were those the 301's?


----------



## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

The Matsui High Opacity may look good for single colors. And the white is very good. But most of the colors are to pastel or washed out to be acceptable. And it's not very easy to print multicolored prints.

Like Matt said, the best solution is discharge if you have the dryer and proper ventilation. 

I'm still waiting for Matsui to release an underbase white to print the RC colors directly on top.


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

splathead said:


> Matt,
> 
> Did you make it to the Long Beach show? The Matsui booth had printed examples of light colored ink printed on dark fabrics. Both with and without a flashed 2nd coat. Even without a 2nd coat, the print looked good, especially if you are going after the worn look. Were those the 301's?


Yea...I was at the Long Beach show. Most of those samples were printed by our customers. Most of the darks were the clear discharge base call Binder DSPS with pigments mixed in. They were printed wet-on-wet and then run through the dryer.



neato said:


> The Matsui High Opacity may look good for single colors. And the white is very good. But most of the colors are to pastel or washed out to be acceptable. And it's not very easy to print multicolored prints.


Matsui also has a 301 HO Series ink line. This ink line was originally intended to be printed directly on darks with no underbase. It was created using the 301 White ink as the base and the colors were very pastel and never turned out quite right. We have not been selling this product because the ink mixing was never quite right and the colors seemed washout like you said.




neato said:


> I'm still waiting for Matsui to release an underbase white to print the RC colors directly on top.


There hasn't been any talk recently from Matsui about when the underbase white might be released. I don't know if they are currently working on that or another solution to printing on darks with the Matsui water based inks without using discharge. I would love to see them develop something. Discharge is great but it's not exactly 100% "eco-friendly". But from what I understand, it's still better than plastisol ink.


----------



## Prefect (Jan 28, 2008)

So is there an issue if I decide to use the regular white, flash it, and then throw another color on top? Or do the two inks not bond well? Can I just mix a little white into my desired color on my own and get a decent result? I'll mostly be taking shirt color into consideration when designing shirts, so It's not a huge issue, but I just assumed I would be able to use the white as an undercoat.
...
In regards to curing, I guess I'm going to start out testing with a heat gun, perhaps a heat gun/flash combo. The heat press seems to get no votes so far.


----------



## Belt-Print-Pro (Jan 28, 2008)

The first thing I'll add to this is don't expect to air cure your ink without a catalyst. waterbased inks without an air cure catalyst will not last too long. but a catalyst will make your inks dry faster in the screen. Second, the standard cure time for waterbased inks is 3 minutes at 300 degrees in a high air volume dryer. Not an IR dryer, this would be a gas fired dryer with high air flow for proper evaporation. I have 2, 75 foot Mitex dryers for our waterbased lines. Now for your first question, curing your ink. There was an article on the SGIA site about "On Contact flashing for textiles" this is essentially using a modified heat press inline on an automatic carousel to drive out the water from your print and make it cure much much faster. that being said, you CAN use a heat press to cure water based inks. If you've ever seen a T Jet, which is printing waterbased inks they use a heat press as an option for curing. Sorry this is getting longer than I intended. Bottom line, don't air cure without catalyst and you can use a heat press to fully cure water based inks. I know because I print in high volume with waterbased inks every day.


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

Belt-Print-Pro said:


> The first thing I'll add to this is don't expect to air cure your ink without a catalyst. waterbased inks without an air cure catalyst will not last too long. but a catalyst will make your inks dry faster in the screen. Second, the standard cure time for waterbased inks is 3 minutes at 300 degrees in a high air volume dryer. Not an IR dryer, this would be a gas fired dryer with high air flow for proper evaporation. I have 2, 75 foot Mitex dryers for our waterbased lines.


These water based inks are new and different than anything you have ever printed with...

They were released about a year ago and I've personally seen prints that have held up to 10+ washings that were air dried without a catalyst. Beyond that I don't know how well they would hold up and I definitely recommend heat curing them over air drying but some people may want to experiment more with air drying them.

They are also not as hard to heat cure as other water based inks. I know several very high volume shops curing these inks through electric IR dryers without any problems with ink wash-ability and color-fastness.


----------



## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

Exactly. "These aren't your granddad's water based inks!"


----------



## Belt-Print-Pro (Jan 28, 2008)

corradomatt said:


> These water based inks are new and different than anything you have ever printed with...
> 
> They were released about a year ago and I've personally seen prints that have held up to 10+ washings that were air dried without a catalyst. Beyond that I don't know how well they would hold up and I definitely recommend heat curing them over air drying but some people may want to experiment more with air drying them.
> 
> They are also not as hard to heat cure as other water based inks. I know several very high volume shops curing these inks through electric IR dryers without any problems with ink wash-ability and color-fastness.


Hmmm, maybe the matsui reps would've mentioned that when they flew to my shop to pitch me their inks... But they didn't, so I doubt you know what your talking about there skippy.


----------



## sink (Jun 20, 2007)

Belt-Print-Pro said:


> Hmmm, maybe the matsui reps would've mentioned that when they flew to my shop to pitch me their inks... But they didn't, so I doubt you know what your talking about there skippy.


uhm, I'm guessing you havent actually printed with these inks.
"we" have. 
I also think it's great that westix would come and post on a user forum, even if it gets them business, they arent just here pimping the ink(which is awesome!) so relax "skippy"


----------



## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

Matt knows exactly what he's talking about. He and his business partner Dennis at Westix are some of the most knowledgeable, not to mention helpful, people I've ever dealt with in this industry.
I run matsui RC, opaque, and discharge prints through a hix 10' oven (electric, three IR panels) and they cure great.


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

Belt-Print-Pro said:


> Hmmm, maybe the matsui reps would've mentioned that when they flew to my shop to pitch me their inks... But they didn't, so I doubt you know what your talking about there skippy.


I'm not here to get into a "pissing contest" with anyone. I'm here to try and help people by sharing what little information and knowledge I have acquired over the years. I know how hard it can be when you are just starting out, I've been there.

Of course Matsui wouldn't tell you that you could air dry their inks. Technically you can't....or are not supposed to. The ink isn't going to hold up nearly as long if you don't heat cure it. It is design that way. BUT, I have plenty of customers who do air dry it and are very happy with the results. I feel a responsibility to share any and all knowledge about this product (or any product we rep) with those who are intersted in using/purchasing the product. 

Mr. Matsui was surprised when we told him that we have customers air drying his product. So, I'm not surprised that the rep who visited you didn't mention that.....they also may not have known very much about the product. The ink line also works great as a poster ink, but they won't tell you that either.

Besides, you really shouldn't blindly trust everything some sales guy tells you.


----------



## Quad (Aug 15, 2006)

Does the Matsui that is air dried have a catalyst?
I may have missed it in the post.
What is the softest hand air dry product?
Gonna buy ink and don't have a flash or conveyor.
May puchase a Flash soon.

Thanks,
Quad


----------



## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

I believe that Matt was talking about some of their customers air drying the RC/spot colors without a catalyst.
You should give him a call at Westix, he can tell you more about air drying Matsui, as he hears accounts of some of his customers doing it.
I personally wouldn't trust air drying anything opaque, but for spot black or something like that, if you don't have a flash or oven, I would try letting it air dry.


----------



## garrison81 (Oct 23, 2008)

I know it's not the preferred method, but I'm currently using Permaset Supercover inks and letting them air dry for about an hour and then running them through a tumble dryer for 20 minutes.

I'm considering switching to Matsui, but I can't if I have to buy a conveyor dryer (space). Does anyone have any experience with this method on Matsui 301 HO inks?


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

garrison81 said:


> I'm considering switching to Matsui, but I can't if I have to buy a conveyor dryer (space). Does anyone have any experience with this method on Matsui 301 HO inks?


You can cure matsui ink with either a flash dryer or a $30 Home Depot heat gun.

Not the preferred method, but it works.


----------



## garrison81 (Oct 23, 2008)

I have a heat gun, but I've heard you can scorch the fabric. I've never used it. I need a thermometer, I guess? Have you ever used a regular tumble dryer (like a laundromat) to cure water based inks?

I got the idea straight from the Permaset web site.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

garrison81 said:


> I have a heat gun, but I've heard you can scorch the fabric. I've never used it. I need a thermometer, I guess? Have you ever used a regular tumble dryer (like a laundromat) to cure water based inks?
> 
> I got the idea straight from the Permaset web site.


Permaset is more forgiving than matsui. A laundromat dryer does not get hot enough to properly cure Matsui.

It's interesting you are going from Permaset to Matsui. Another member here, Neato, is going the opposite way. And all he does in his shop is waterbased.


----------



## garrison81 (Oct 23, 2008)

Well, based on what you've told me, I'm probably not making the shift now. Matsui is much cheaper than Permaset, and I'd heard many good things.

I've been relatively happy with Permaset because of the ease of use, but I really would like to take advantage of the color matching system that comes with Matsui.

I guess I'll continue to weigh both sides.

How hot does one have to get the ink for it to properly cure?


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

garrison81 said:


> How hot does one have to get the ink for it to properly cure?


2.5 to 3 minutes at 300 to 320 degrees F


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

splathead said:


> 2.5 to 3 minutes at 300 to 320 degrees F


Well, that's what the technical specs read. Matsui inks should cure at about the same time and temp as standard plastisol inks. 70-95 secs @ 320-330 degrees F.


----------



## vijay Konda (Feb 24, 2009)

1.Any water based ink require curing (The Process of expelling water & Polymerizing the resin in the Ink to form a film which trap pigment color between fabric and the cloth & make bonds with substrate), to quickly expel water (Solvent) from the Ink system you need higher energy (545 Kcal-Latent heat of Vaporisation of water) and normally needs long hot air circulated curing m/c for 1-2min for garment to exhibit good washing fastness (4-5 rating on the gray scale).

2. To cut short above process in any water based inks like Matsui 301(Faster Flash) or GEN IV inks(Slower Flash) from ICC add Catalyst ( Cross Linker, Fixer) which helps the ink to dry faster than w/o this additives (2-4%). After printing dry (touch dry) hand drier then air dry(keep under sunlight) for 24hrs and wash next day for wash fastness.
This method will impart bit hand and harsh feel to the prints and reduces the self life of the ink. Add Catalyst just before printing and make sure to prepare lower amount of ink for a given job.

Keep mister (water spray) around u in case of any clogging of screens.



Prefect said:


> I've read dozens of posts on this subject but haven't really found any definitive answers.
> 
> I'm starting my own Company soon, and plan to focus on small print runs (no more than 50 shirts at a time.) I'm not a novice to screen printing (worked for a large company averaging 800-1000 prints in a day on a manual press)
> 
> ...


----------



## LeMonstre (Mar 24, 2009)

sink said:


> i only print on american apparel.
> 
> discharge you have to have a real dryer to activate it.
> 
> ...


I got my IR Temp Gun at Harbor Freight 19.99 =) Check there. It's worked well for me so far. That's also where I got my heat gun 10.99.


----------



## Sorojchi (Nov 11, 2006)

Hello everyone, everything said here is important to me since I am buying Masui inks.
When you talk about "heat press drying", do you mean,
a. Drying the garment with pressure, direct contact?
b. Drying the garment just closing the platen whithout pressure (maybe 1" above the garment?)
Thank you in advance for your help!


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Sorojchi said:


> Hello everyone, everything said here is important to me since I am buying Masui inks.
> When you talk about "heat press drying", do you mean,
> a. Drying the garment with pressure, direct contact?
> b. Drying the garment just closing the platen whithout pressure (maybe 1" above the garment?)
> Thank you in advance for your help!


The hover method is better; it allows moisture to escape from the ink. But if your press doesn't hover, you can use on-contact. Some here have posted success by lifting the platen a couple of times to allow moisture to escape.


----------



## Ev (Mar 27, 2010)

Belt-Print-Pro said:


> The first thing I'll add to this is don't expect to air cure your ink without a catalyst. waterbased inks without an air cure catalyst will not last too long. but a catalyst will make your inks dry faster in the screen. Second, the standard cure time for waterbased inks is 3 minutes at 300 degrees in a high air volume dryer. Not an IR dryer, this would be a gas fired dryer with high air flow for proper evaporation. I have 2, 75 foot Mitex dryers for our waterbased lines. Now for your first question, curing your ink. There was an article on the SGIA site about "On Contact flashing for textiles" this is essentially using a modified heat press inline on an automatic carousel to drive out the water from your print and make it cure much much faster. that being said, you CAN use a heat press to cure water based inks. If you've ever seen a T Jet, which is printing waterbased inks they use a heat press as an option for curing. Sorry this is getting longer than I intended. Bottom line, don't air cure without catalyst and you can use a heat press to fully cure water based inks. I know because I print in high volume with waterbased inks every day.


Can you describe the process of curing the waterbased ink with your flash dryer please?


----------



## Ev (Mar 27, 2010)

Excuse me please... I meant "heat press."


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Ev said:


> Excuse me please... I meant "heat press."



See here http://www.t-shirtforums.com/heat-press-heat-transfers/t42636.html


----------



## Ev (Mar 27, 2010)

THANKS! That's very helpful!


----------



## Neon Bible (Mar 24, 2010)

First I would say the Matsui discharge sucks big time! It's viscosity is super watery and 70 % of the colors we mixed where not even close. A gold will come out dark green. The RC inks mixed close about 75% time with some difficult colors. 

We liked this ink because...
1. It is inexpensive
2. It does not dry in the screen and pretty easy to print.
3. It ca be used with high mesh counts

It is a runny ink and controlling your flood coverage it tends to spread about unevenly.

I would not recommend using a heat gun but it may be done with inconsistent results.
With these water based inks you need to have a lot of air flow when curing these inks. When using a conveyer dryer a gas dryer works best. If using an infrared dryer you need a dryer with forced air circulation, and it can be a very slow process. 

Using a flash dryer would take forever. You would need to raise your dryer up high so the water can evaporate, you will see steam where it looks like smoke, this is good. I would not full flash cure on your platen because it will get so hot the ink will dry in the screen on contact when printed. You can pre heat your platen so after printed will be close to or dry to the touch, or maybe just a quick flash. Flash cure on a separate surface.

I have over stock in Matsui Gallon mixing kit and quarts, along with videos, if anyone is interested please private message me.


----------



## Blackwater (Feb 9, 2010)

what if you used a heat gun or flash unit to flash the ink. Then put the shirt in you house hold oven for 3min at 320* would that work to cure the ink properly? And would that same process work for plastisol ink as well?


----------



## Neon Bible (Mar 24, 2010)

Let sounds like a bad idea. I know kids that have done this with hobby inks like speedball.
if anything just use a flash dryer. The oven would trap the water vapor. Also just because the oven is 320 does not mean your ink is reaching that temp.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Blackwater said:


> what if you used a heat gun or flash unit to flash the ink. Then put the shirt in you house hold oven for 3min at 320* would that work to cure the ink properly? And would that same process work for plastisol ink as well?


There are differences of opinion as to whether putting chemicals in your oven is safe if the oven is also used to bake food.

An oven can work to cure both plastisol and waterbased. You'll want the temp set to more than 320 though. The second you open the door to put the garment in, that 320 will drop. So you'll want to set it for 400 or 500 degrees.

A heat gun is a better option than an oven due to the forced air generated.


----------



## Neon Bible (Mar 24, 2010)

I don't think an oven will work with Matsui ink because their is not enough air circulation.


----------



## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

splathead said:


> There are differences of opinion as to whether putting chemicals in your oven is safe if the oven is also used to bake food.
> 
> An oven can work to cure both plastisol and waterbased. You'll want the temp set to more than 320 though. The second you open the door to put the garment in, that 320 will drop. So you'll want to set it for 400 or 500 degrees.
> 
> A heat gun is a better option than an oven due to the forced air generated.











Try this. I have suggested using this for curing but later learned that some people are actually using this turbo broiler to cure waterbased inks. Effective, cheap and relatively durable are among their comments.

Just find a way to hang it or fashion some kind of box or hood. Otherwise hold and hover it above the print.


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

Wow! What a crazy idea. I have never even seen one of those before. So you just hang the top part of it over the print area and it puts out alot of heat?


----------



## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

corradomatt said:


> Wow! What a crazy idea. I have never even seen one of those before. So you just hang the top part of it over the print area and it puts out alot of heat?


I do thought that my idea would be a little crazy - until I found out some commercial printers have already been using it. They created a box, or you can call it a hood, with the broiler on top and place the box on top of the shirt. The settings on the thermostat may be inaccurate as it is not designed or set for a DIY box but you can adjust the temp up or down.

This is DIY and you do have to check to ensure that the heat is evenly distributed or move the box or the shirt once or twice to ensure even heat. You also need to do simple test to get the right time. As some manufacturers of commercial grade conveyor dryers would say- their dryers won't be all the same. A 40 second dwell time on one may mean 45 seconds on a different unit of the same model even if all other the settings are the same. Even the design of your drying area(and the particular circumstances surrounding your area) may affect time and heat settings.

And DIYs can sometimes look funny but it works at a much cheaper price. There is a commercial printer here who never seems to run out of printing jobs but he uses an ordinary oven toaster to dry inks. And yes, he has a more than 50 platens setup and I think it is more than 100 now. The oven door is removed and that side is placed above the print. He moves the toaster oven once or twice depending on the print size.

Here is the picture of the toaster-dryer








source: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/asia/t106129-3.html#post645178


----------



## Neon Bible (Mar 24, 2010)

[QUOTE
And DIYs can sometimes look funny but it works at a much cheaper price. There is a commercial printer here who never seems to run out of printing jobs but he uses an ordinary oven toaster to dry inks. And yes, he has a more than 50 platens setup and I think it is more than 100 now. The oven door is removed and that side is placed above the print. He moves the toaster oven once or twice depending on the print size.
[/QUOTE]

Wow, never underestimate human ingenuity. We have an inside joke in our shop for this. We call it Phillippino Style.


----------



## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

Neon Bible said:


> [QUOTE
> And DIYs can sometimes look funny but it works at a much cheaper price. There is a commercial printer here who never seems to run out of printing jobs but he uses an ordinary oven toaster to dry inks. And yes, he has a more than 50 platens setup and I think it is more than 100 now. The oven door is removed and that side is placed above the print. He moves the toaster oven once or twice depending on the print size.


Wow, never underestimate human ingenuity. We have an inside joke in our shop for this. We call it Phillippino Style.[/quote]

I wouldn't be surprised. Many of us also laughed when that picture was first posted but compared to most of his colleagues here, he is the one laughing all the way to the bank. 

He seems to never run out of printing jobs and have the money to buy a flashcure if that's what he wants. I think it is a question of why buy a $350-400 flashcure that cost almost $1000 here when a $15 toaster oven works . . and at a lower electric bill. Actually $30 because hes uses 2.


----------



## zoiko (Oct 21, 2007)

brent said:


> Matt knows exactly what he's talking about. He and his business partner Dennis at Westix are some of the most knowledgeable, not to mention helpful, people I've ever dealt with in this industry.
> I run matsui RC, opaque, and discharge prints through a hix 10' oven (electric, three IR panels) and they cure great.



I will also say that Matt and Dennis are really cool and always willing to help out with all the questions I have. They have mixed some custom colors for me and always hit it just right. They have been very helpful specially when I'm just learning the in's and out's of waterbase printing.


----------



## corradomatt (Jan 16, 2007)

zoiko said:


> I will also say that Matt and Dennis are really cool and always willing to help out with all the questions I have. They have mixed some custom colors for me and always hit it just right. They have been very helpful specially when I'm just learning the in's and out's of waterbase printing.


Thanks for the compliment Jesse! I'm just glad to help.


----------



## BeeHoney (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi Guys, is it safe to cure matsui 301 rc with a heat gun or does it let off a vapour? I read something earlier about formaldyhide?


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

BeeHoney said:


> Hi Guys, is it safe to cure matsui 301 rc with a heat gun or does it let off a vapour? I read something earlier about formaldyhide?


Not formaldyhide, it's moisture (steam). Using a heat gun is safe.


----------



## Leadfoot (Sep 10, 2009)

I have had great results by using a heat gun...I am working up to getting a flash unit to help some, would love one with forced air but just too much out of my price range anytime soon.

It takes a lot longer using a heat gun than it will with a flash or other better curing device but it can be done successfully. I have done a wash test with excellent results curing Matsui 301 RC ink on Gildan Ultra Cotton tees curing at about 3 minutes per shirt. I actually have two of them for the bigger designs.


----------



## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

use a halogen oven cooker, fashion some casing around it, and it'll make curing matsuis an easy chore.


----------



## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

If you post your questions there, chances are they'll just advice a flashcure to flash and a conveyor dryer to cure.


----------

