Storing Inks for the Winter

Recently, Kieth Stevens wrote some tips for Impressions magazine on preparing your inks for the winter/cold season: Proper storage, especially during the cold season, is important for prolonging the life of your inks. If you are ordering emulsion supplies via mail, be sure to order them while the weather is still warm. Emulsion is generally water-based and will freeze when exposed to long periods of cold. Similarly, since water-based inks can freeze due to the water content, it is important to order them before the onset of freezing weather. Also, if you store all of your inks above the floor in the winter, they will be much easier to work with. Cold temperatures can raise the viscosity of ink, making it harder to shear. If you will be away from the shop for a period of time, storing your white inks in an insulated room (or office) may prolong them. Kieth Stevens is the Western regional sales manager for International Coatings. He has been teaching screen printing for more than 10 years and is a regular contributor to International Coatings' blogs. For more information, visit iccink.com International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant 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.