FABROFLEX™ SB Technical Information

PERFECTOS® provides a range of ready to use FABROFLEX® flexographic printing inks that can be used to produce wide width, high quality photographic printed fabric labels particularly suitable for bedding and mattresses in addition to apparel, sportswear, healthcare, workwear and promotional items.

FABROFLEX® inks are:

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Product Class I compliant
Restricted Substance List (RSL) compliant to the World's leading brands
EU REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 compliant
RoHS compliant
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) compliant
washable up to 95°C
suitable for printing onto a wide range of substrates
capable of producing high quality photographic printed fabric labels
non-hazardous
formulated to be free from APEO, cadmium, formaldehyde, organotin, phthalates and PVC
available as solvent based (SB) inks.

FABROFLEX™ SB is our solvent based version of FABROFLEX™.

Ink Code

36-65-

Printing Process

Flexographic

Narrow Web Flexographic

Restricted Substance List (RSL) Compliance

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Product Class I compliant

Adidas A-01 Test Standard

Nike, Inc. Chemistry Playbook & Restricted Substance List May 2020

Wash & Durability Performance

Standard Wash & Durability Performance

Laundering / Washing

AATCC TM61 Colorfastness to Laundering: Accelerated

AATCC TM135 Dimensional Changes of Fabrics after Home Laundering

ISO 105-C06:2010 Colour fastness to domestic and commercial laundering

ISO 105-C08:2010 Colour fastness to domestic and commercial laundering using a non-phosphate reference detergent incorporating a low-temperature bleach activator

ISO 6330:2012 Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing

Marks and Spencer Fabric Durability (C15)

Marks and Spencer Print Durability (P5)

Dry Cleaning

AATCC TM86 Drycleaning: Durability of Applied Designs and Finishes

ISO 105-D01:2010 Colour fastness to drycleaning using perchloroethylene solvent

Bleach

ISO 105-C09:2001 Colour fastness to domestic and commercial laundering — Oxidative bleach response using a non-phosphate reference detergent incorporating a low temperature bleach activator

Chlorine

ISO 105-E03:2010 Colour fastness to chlorinated water (swimming-pool water)

Tumble Dry

ISO 6330:2012 Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing

Ironing

ISO 105-X11:1994 Colour fastness to hot pressing

Abrasion

AATCC TM8 Colorfastness to Crocking: Crockmeter

ISO 105-X12:2016 Colour fastness to rubbing

ISO 12947-2: 2016 Determination of specimen breakdown

Alkali, Enzyme and Stone Wash & Durability Performance

Alkali test standard (TBC)

Enzyme test standard (TBC)

Stone Wash test standard (TBC)

Notes:

Fluorescents, metallics and security inks are washable up to 40°C as ready to use inks.
Fluorescents, metallics and security inks are washable up to 60°C when used with FABROFLEX™ SB Red Band Crosslinker (36-AD-RB).

Inks

Mixing Range

Mixing Black (36-65-M-BLACK)

Mixing White (36-65-M-WHITE)

Mixing Clear (36-65-M-CLEAR)

Mixing Yellow 1 (36-65-M-1)

Mixing Orange 2 (36-65-M-2)

Mixing Pink 3 (36-65-M-3)

Mixing Red 5 (36-65-M-5)

Mixing Green 6 (36-65-M-6)

Mixing Violet 10 (36-65-M-10)

Mixing Ultramarine Blue 16 (36-65-M-16)

Mixing Yellow 24 (36-65-M-24)

Mixing Blue 34 (36-65-M-34)

Fluorescents

Mixing Fluorescent Yellow 46 (36-65-M-46)

Mixing Fluorescent Orange 47 (36-65-M-47)

Mixing Fluorescent Red 48 (36-65-M-48)

Mixing Fluorescent Pink 49 (36-65-M-49)

Mixing Fluorescent Magenta 50 (36-65-M-50)

Metallics

Metallic Gold (36-65-1-871)

Metallic Silver (36-65-1-877-OP)

Metallic Bronze (36-65-1-876)

Security Inks

IR Visible Blue (36-65-9-IRVB)

IR Visible Green (36-65-9-IRVG)

IR Visible Red (36-65-9-IRVR)

UV Visible Blue (36-65-9-UVVB)

UV Visible Green (36-65-9-UVVG)

UV Visible Orange (36-65-9-UVVO)

UV Visible Red (36-65-9-UVVR)

UV Visible Yellow (36-65-9-UVVY)

Colour Matching

A mixing guide is available on request to allow customers to match to Pantone colours.

PERFECTOS® can match colours to samples or colour references.

Additives

FABROFLEX™ SB Reducing Medium T (36-AD-RMT)

Use up to 25% to thin the ink as necessary.

FABROFLEX™ SB Retarder (36-AD-RE)

Use up to 25% if the ink dries too fast.

Notes:

We recommend to only use the additives listed above to ensure the printed fabric labels produced with FABROFLEX™ SB inks, additives and crosslinkers are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Class 1 compliant.
We recommend not to use >25% of any combination of additives in FABROFLEX™ SB inks.

Crosslinkers

FABROFLEX™ SB Red Band Crosslinker (36-AD-RB)

Use to achieve Alkali, Enzyme and Stone Wash Performance.

Notes:

We recommend to only use the crosslinkers listed above to ensure the printed fabric labels produced with FABROFLEX™ SB inks, additives and crosslinkers are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Class 1 compliant.
We recommend not to mix different FABROFLEX™ SB crosslinkers together.

Substrates

Fabrics:

Acrylic

Acetate satin

Coated Nylon Taffeta (PU & Acrylic)

Cotton

Organza

Polycotton

Polyester satin and taffeta

TENCEL™

Wool

Reflective Materials:

3M Sew-On-Material

3M Pressure Sensitive Material

3M Heat Adhesive Transfer Films

Unitika Fabric Laminated

Unitika Heat Applied

Other Substrates:

Tyvek®

Notes:

Substrates to be printed must be tested for suitability with the FABROFLEX™ ink system prior to production runs being carried out. Always test application fully before beginning production run as there is often considerable variance in substrates from different manufacturers and even between different batches.
The substrate must be STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Class 1 compliant to ensure the printed fabric labels produced with FABROFLEX™ inks and additives are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Class 1 compliant.

Usage Instructions

As a Ready To Use Ink

FABROFLEX™ SB inks must be stirred thoroughly before printing.
Printed substrate must be heat cured in a fabric curing oven at 125°C for 2 hours. Some substrates may require longer times.

Alkali, Enzyme and Stone Wash & Durability Performance Required

Add FABROFLEX™ SB Red Band Crosslinker (36-AD-RB) at 8% to FABROFLEX™ SB inks and mix thoroughly before printing.
Heat cure at 125°C for 6 hours. Some substrates may require longer times.

Temperature Sensitive Substrates

If the substrate is temperature sensitive or a fabric curing oven is unavailable then FABROFLEX™ SB Red Band Crosslinker (36-AD-RB) can be used.
Add FABROFLEX™ SB Red Band Crosslinker (36-AD-RB) at 8% to FABROFLEX™ SB inks and mix thoroughly before printing.
Standard Wash Performance will be achieved 48 hours after printing. Some substrates may require longer times.

Notes:

FABROFLEX™ SB inks mixed with FABROFLEX™ SB Red Band Crosslinker (36-AD-RB) will irreversibly harden after 1 hour. If printing is interrupted for more than 1 hour then the ink duct, anilox and photopolymer plate must be cleaned thoroughly to avoid damage.
FABROFLEX™ SB inks mixed with FABROFLEX™ SB Red Band Crosslinker (36-AD-RB) have a pot life of 4 hours.

Usage Recommendations

The optimum print room temperature is 18-20°C.
The optimum relative humidity is 50-60%.
We recommend using in a well ventilated area.
We recommend that fabric curing ovens are turned on and allowed sufficient time to reach the required curing temperatures before use.
The heater plate/hot air dryer/IR dryer should be a sufficient temperature to ensure the FABROFLEX™ SB ink is dried thoroughly to prevent smearing and ink set off.
For maximum opacity, print without the addition of any FABROFLEX™ SB additives.
We recommend to only mix the required quantity of ink and crosslinker to reduce wastage.

Wash Up

PERFECTOS® Non-DG Cleaner (99-10-56)

Use for cleaning printing machines, ink ducts and anilox rollers.

PERFECTOS® Non-DG Cleaner (99-10-S40)

Use for cleaning printing machines, ink ducts and anilox rollers.

PERFECTOS® Ultrasonic Anilox Cleaner (99-10-8802)

Use for cleaning anilox rollers with an ultrasonic cleaning machine.

Packaging

Inks

1kg, 5kg, 20kg and 250kg.

Additives

1kg, 5kg and 25kg.

Crosslinkers

1kg, 5kg and 25kg.

Shelf Life & Storage

Inks

3 years from date of manufacture in unopened containers.

Additives

3 years from date of manufacture in unopened containers.

Crosslinkers

1 year from date of manufacture in unopened containers.

Notes:

Products must be stored in the supplied containers with closed lids.
Products must be stored in between 5°C and 35°C, out of direct sunlight and away from any heat sources.

Compatible Inks

None.

Compatible Adhesives

None.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why do my prints set-off?

This is often caused because the prints have not been thoroughly dried.
Ensure hot air/IR dryer is turned on and operating correctly.
Consider increasing the temperature of the hot air/IR dryer to improve drying of the printed substrate.
Adjust re-wind tension to prevent rolls being re-wound too tightly.
Consider reducing the machine speed to allow adequate heating time for prints to dry.
Consider reducing the quantities of FABROFLEX™ Reducing Medium T (36-AD-RMT) and FABROFLEX™ Retarder (36-AD-RE) additives to reduce ink drying time.

2. Why are my prints not opaque?

This can be caused by dust, other particles or dried ink blocking the anilox roller. Ensure the anilox roller is thoroughly cleaned.
Consider reducing the quantities of FABROFLEX™ Reducing Medium T (36-AD-RMT-V2) or FABROFLEX™ Retarder (36-AD-RE) if wanting to produce the most opaque prints.
Consider an anilox roller with less lines per inch to provide larger ink deposits.
If you are unable to change the lines per inch of the anilox roller, consider using an anilox roller with a larger cell volume (BCM) to provide a higher volume of ink deposits.
Consider using a ceramic anilox roller which may have a better ink release to provide a higher volume of ink deposits.
The weave and calendering of the substrate can affect the ability to produce opaque prints. Highly calendered substrate with a smooth surface finish may produce a more opaque print.

3. Why are my prints missing details?

Ensure the anilox rollers are thoroughly clean and free of dried ink. Ultrasonic cleaning of the anilox rollers may be required.
Ensure the photopolymer plates are free of dried ink.
Ensure the photopolymer plates are not damaged or missing details.
Ensure the anilox roller and photopolymer plates are free of lint from substrates.
Consider anilox rollers with more lines per inch to provide more detailed prints.
Consider using a ceramic anilox roller which may have a better ink release to provide a higher volume of ink deposits.
Ensure the print roller is concentric to avoid "skip out".
Ensure the photopolymer plates are mounted evenly.
The weave and calendering of the substrate can affect the ability to produce detailed prints. Highly calendered substrate with a smooth surface finish may produce a more detailed print.

4. Why are my prints not meeting the expected wash or durability performance?

This is often caused by incorrect heat curing.
Ensure the fabric curing oven is operating at the correct temperature.
Check the fabric curing oven thermostat is working correctly.
Make sure the prints are being heat cured for the correct duration. If curing time is not sufficient then expected wash performance will not be attained.
Ensure the fabric curing oven has adequate air extraction and air movement around the prints. If the fabric curing oven is over-filled or the prints are too tightly stacked then the prints may not cure sufficiently.
For coated or non-porous substrates ensure the substrate is not too tightly wound on the core to allow for the prints to cure sufficiently.
Before printing onto a coated substrate, ensure the coating is sufficient to meet the expected wash or durability requirements. A Scotch™ Tape Test or similar can be used to check for coating adhesion before printing.
Ensure the correct amount of crosslinker has been added to the inks and mixed thoroughly.
Check both the inks and the crosslinker are within shelf life and expiry dates.
Confirm the substrate is suitable.

Safety

Please read the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) before use.

Disclaimer

All information is given in good faith but without warranty expressed or implied.

Document Version

Version 3.3 Published 02 October 2024