Difference between Optilux 505, 507 and 950 Transfer?
December 19, 2014
What has been flying off our shelves lately in record numbers? Yup, our reflective ink systems!
We love this versatile ink, because the reflective quality gives it an element of surprise when the print is hit by direct light, as well as enhancing visibility at night.
We've posted several blogs in the past to describe how the system works and how best to print the inks, but many of our customers have asked us to explain what the differences are between the systems.
The Optilux® 505 and the Optilux® 507 Enhanced Screen Printing Ink systems both are designed for direct screen printing and feature similar characteristics.
However, the 507 differs in that it also contains metallic shimmer flakes to make the print look more silvery and shimmery when viewed in normal light. As you can see in the image showing the three systems in "Regular Light," the 505 appears a bit darker in color than the 507.
Both inks can be printed through high mesh counts, thus allowing for highly detailed prints to be rendered. Both inks have similar reflectivity values of approximately 50 candlepower (CP).
On the other hand, the Optilux® 950 Transfer system is almost a completely separate reflective system. It consists of the 950 Transfer adhesive which is used to print the design in mirror image onto the Optilux® 901 reflective transfer sheet. The 901 transfer sheet is composed of reflective beads temporarily mounted to a polyester sheet, with the reflective beads all facing the same direction.
Thus, when the transfer is printed, cured and then heat-transferred to the substrate, the resulting reflectivity is very bright, approximately 500 CP!
Below is an image showing a 950 Transfer that was applied to a quilted down jacket. This photo was taken with a phone camera and flash.
Please Note: Currently, the 950 Transfer system is available by special order only.
International Coatings manufactures a complete line of non-phthalate screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.
