Q: Can I use Maxi Set as a "laser compatible" ink?
A: Maxi Set is not recommended as a "laser compatible" ink. However, there have been reports from the field that it has been successfully used as a laser ink. The secret to using Maxi Set as a laser ink is this: make sure that the customer knows that they must use absorbent stock - no coated stocks. Secondly, the customer must keep their ink coverage down to 10% - more coverage is risking disaster, as too much ink will not dry deeply enough into the sheet to be successful on a long laser run. Next, the customer must give the job plenty of "windage" - that is, air must be freely circulated into the sheets by fanning. Drying time is also critical, as Maxi Set contains ink solvent, which must spread through and evaporate out of the sheet. Otherwise, the lasr printer will smoke from all of the solvent being boiled off.
Q: Can I put driers in Maxi Set?
A: Yes, but they will have very little effect. Maxi Set "dries" just the same as rubber-based inks. That is, the solvent present in the vehicle separates from the resin and prigment in the printed film and "soaks" into the sheet, thus leaving a "dry" film on the top of the sheet. The solids portion of the ink film contains virtually no drying oil for the drier to work on, since Maxi Set is not an oil-based ink.
Q: What is the difference between Formsmaster 1, Formsmaster 2, and Formsmaster 3?
A: The primary difference is the tack of each of these products. Formsmaster 1 has the highest tack (about 17 points), whereas Formsmaster 3 has the lowest (about 11 points). We originally set up the concept of the tack range number to approximate which "down" the ink would fit in the tack sequence on a press. Thus, Formsmaster "1" is 1st down, Formsmaster "3" is 3rd down. The lower the tack range number, the higher the tack reading will be.
Q: What do all of those letters mean in a product name. For instance: what does the "DXB" mean in "Nova 2 DXB Black" stand for?
A: Those letters do indeed stand for something. They are abbreviations of special properties that formula has within a certain family of products. They help it stand out fromthe rest of the members of its product family. The "DXB" is what we call the "series" designation for a product. It means "dense, extra blue toner". Here are some other common series abbreviations and their meanings:
|
Series Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|
SB |
Special Body, gelled body |
|
G |
Gelled body |
|
Extra Tuff scuff and slip |
|
|
Tuff (&%^$&) Ink, best scuff |
|
|
Low Strength |
|
|
LZR |
Laser Compatible |
|
PMX |
Pantone Mixing Strength |
|
PLS |
Pantone Lowered Strength |
|
STAB |
Stabilized, lowered VOC content |
|
TL |
added PTFE wax |
|
HF |
High Flow version |
|
Mod |
Modified with 4% extra alkali blue |
Q: Why doesn't Kerley use formula numbers instead of names?
A: We don't because product names are far easier to remember when you make as many different formulas as we do. Also, our naming system actually gives a very accurate description of the product, whereas a number is just a number. We use formula numbers internally, but they are merely to help the computers do their job better.
Q: Why do the tack readings on the technical data sheets sometimes disagree with the tack reading for that product in the catalog?
A: The reason is this: we set up a "tack range" for a product rather than a specific tack reading. Inkometers are notorious for not being able to produce the same reading for the same batch of ink between two different machines. As a matter of fact, merely replacing inkometer rollers will usually change tack readings radically. With that in mind, we use tack readings in our catalog to give you a rough idea of the differences between the tack range. For instance, we print the tack reading for Formsmaster "2" as 13-plus points, and for Formsmaster "3" as 10-plus points. The important thing to remember is that there is a 30% higher reading for a Formsmaster with a tack range of "2" versus a Formsmaster with a tack range of "3". Your reading for Formsmaster "2" might be 15 points, but then chances are your reading for Formsmaster "3" would be about 11-12 points, and not the 10-plus points as is in the catalog.
Q: The Kerley catalog mentions "dual-purpose" heatset/no heat web offset inks, especially the web book blacks. I always thought that you couldn't use a heatset ink on a no heat press. What would happen if you did?
A: You can use heatset inks like our 50-50, 30-70, 60-40 and 40-60 blacks for either heatset or no heat presses with very good results on both. The reverse is obviously not true: you should never try using a no heat ink on a heatset press, especially when running coated stocks! The primary reason for using a heatset ink on a no heat press is for scuff and rub resistance. Unlike newsinks which are made from a vehicle that's basically the same oil as motor oil, heatset inks use a resin-solvent vehicle system. When a heatset ink is printed on an absorbent stock like offset or newsprint, the solvent "soaks" into the paper almost immediately after impression, leaving the resin and pigment "on top" of the sheet in a dry film. Newsink oils just penetrate, but never leave a dry film on top - thus they can be rubbed off. There is a drawback to using heatset inks on no heat web presses. Press personnel who are used to oil-based web blacks will notice that heatset inks can leave a dark-looking deposit on travel rollers and pipe rollers. These inks can also leave deposits on former boards. These deposits are just the dried resin-pigment layer sticking to any surface they come in contact with. There is no damage to the press or the printed job associated with these minor deposits. Some pressmen just get upset at having to clean them off.