ImagesMagUK_June_2021

www.images-magazine.com JUNE 2021 images 45 PRINT & EMBROIDERY CONSUMABLES David Stuart, managing director of Colormaker Industries This T-shirt was printed by Killer Merch Printing in Melbourne using Permaset Aqua inks needing solvents, and you can achieve a much softer handle and genuinely print wet-on-wet through 120T mesh (305tpi), rather than needing to flash after every second screen. This translates to faster production throughput and a lighter environmental burden. Will printers need to change their production procedures when using Permatone inks? Permatone inks are water-based and will perform very differently to plastisols, and yes, printers will need to change their practices. The change may seem huge; however, it’s not dissimilar to getting used to an upgrade on your mobile phone or computer operating system: it may be exceptionally challenging when going through the changeover process, but once you’ve bedded it in, it becomes second nature and you learn to love the new features and benefits. And finally, the benefits to the environment, to your staff and to your end-user customer make the effort to change over all the more worthwhile and, as we are all beginning to realise, that change really is not negotiable. What is involved in the Soil Association’s approval process for textile printing inks? First, reading and understanding the 33-page Standard Document, then cross-referencing that with the 39-page Implementation Manual, before following that up via links to internationally recognised standards. It also involves making changes to ink formulations through extensive liaison with raw material suppliers, and sourcing and testing new raw materials, first in the lab and then with alpha and beta test sites. The technical documentation for each individual product must also be reviewed and revised. This information is then all submitted to the Soil Association for approval, which is then followed up by responding to the Soil Association requests for more detailed information and potential site audits. It’s a massive exercise, but very rewarding at the end of the day! What assurances does Soil Association approval give to printers and their end- user clients? First and foremost, that the products have been approved by a highly reputable institution as satisfying environmental and increasingly ethical employment conditions in their manufacture. Printers can focus on their own business and production excellence without needing to become experts in supply chain integrity. End-user clients have peace of mind in the knowledge that the materials used in the production and printing of their garment have been vetted and approved by an internationally reputable and highly regarded third party institution. Are you planning any further development of the Permatone inks range? Yes, we are. We’re enormously excited about new technologies that have emerged in recent times, but we are not spilling any beans just at the moment. Watch this space! Why should Images readers be switching to Permatone inks? There are a number of great reasons to switch to Permatone Inks: They are a premium-quality, highly pigmented range of water-based inks. There are only 12 bases in the range, so inventory can be kept to a minimum, but can be used to match 1,869 colours at the time of writing, with more under development. This tight range can easily be used to match company logos and brand colours. Permatone inks are very safe for both the user (screen printer) and the end user of the printed products: no nasty chemicals to breathe in, to come into contact with delicate skin (when printed on garments and homewares) or to leach into the environment. Permatone inks are supplied ready to use on a wide range of natural and synthetic fibres. There is no mixing with base or additives before you can print on everything from 100% cotton to 100% polyester and almost everything in between. The intensity of the colour as supplied can be significantly reduced by using Permatone Extender, creating a range of tints. The inks are very durable, such that the prints often out-last the printed garment, contributing to long-lasting, slow fashion. However, even with this durability, the inks are still 85% biodegradable. Permatone Inks have been approved by the Soil Association to Gots 6.0. This gives your customers peace of mind in knowing the inks used on their garment or product have organic approval from a global institution that is highly reputable. Since mid-2019, all Permaset inks, including Permatone, have been produced using 100% renewable energy. Since commissioning our 100kW solar array in September 2019, Colormaker Industries, the manufacturer of Permaset and Permatone, has saved 260 tonnes of greenhouse gases and generated 240,000kWh of clean energy. www.colormaker.com.au