[TshirtGuru]

We've been printing with plastisols for textile and vinyl inks for flatstock printing. The chemicals seem too harsh to keep printing like this even though we use safety procedures to limit exposure.

While reducing the negative impacts on the environment is great, I am more concerned with our personal health so I've decided to start waterbased screen printing. I am interested in using Matsui / Ryonet Enviroline Waterbased inks, but not sure how "safe" they really are. Does anyone have any information on this brand?

 

[brent]

I buy all my Matsui products from Westix
They are super nice guys, give them a call and ask them, they should know all about it. They told me that Matsui is revising their discharge inks to be pretty eco-friendly, so when those are released I'll be switching over to them.

 

[imalea]

Are Mastui and Enviroline's inks the same product?

 

[brent]

I believe Enviroline is made by Matsui...

 

[macmiller]

stuart,
what's matsui's discharge like?

i'm using union's plasitcharge and it works fine, but my wife hates it stinking up the house.

even worse, my neighbor finally has figured out after 2 years that i'm running a home business after she smelled it, i found that out when code compliance showed up today!! he was actually more interested in the printing i do than telling me what i can't do!

 

[TshirtGuru]

stuart,
what's matsui's discharge like?

i'm using union's plasitcharge and it works fine, but my wife hates it stinking up the house.

even worse, my neighbor finally has figured out after 2 years that i'm running a home business after she smelled it, i found that out when code compliance showed up today!! he was actually more interested in the printing i do than telling me what i can't do!

Matsui's discharge still stinks. I don't recommend breathing this stuff in!!!!!

 

[brent]

I don't think it smells that bad. They supposedly redesigned it to make it way more ecofriendly and I wonder if that would help the stink.

 

[TshirtGuru]

Brent probably knows more then me on this, but from what the rep told me when he was at my shop is that Matsui's dye discharge inks are not ecofriendly in any way shape or form.

 

[imalea]

What is the most eco friendly solution: quantum one or the water based eco matsui solution (distributed by ryonet)?

I can't seem to find any comparative document on that.

 

[Timofei]

What is the most eco friendly solution: quantum one or the water based eco matsui solution (distributed by ryonet)?

I can't seem to find any comparative document on that.

Imalea,

Have you heard anything about this water based discharge or found a comparatively eco friendly, less odor discharge?

Thanks,

Tim

 

[tlbays]

To the benefit of Ryonet and Westix, the common discharge activator is ZFS. The "F" stands for Formaldehyde, and the "S" stands for Sulfate, so yes, it smells. Good ventilation reduces the odor depending upon how good it is.

The Matsui DSPS and the Union Plasticharge both use ZFS, as do most other discharge systems.

The current replacement exists but the performance of it doesn't achieve the results all have come to expect using ZFS. Note that the subsitute also has its own different environmental issues, and research is ongoing for other "activators" as good as ZFS.

The ZFS smells worse that it actually is, relative to other chemicals that screen printers may use; here is an example MSDS for those still interested to explore further:
[media]http://www.advancedscreen.com/Union%20Ink%20ZFS%20MSDS.pdf[/media]

Regarding standard waterbase inks and those of you familiar with the Matsui 301 Series Inks, here is the compliance disclosure statement on it:
[media]http://www.advancedscreen.com/Matsui%20ECO-compliance%20disclosure%20chart.pdf[/media]

Always well ventilate work areas when using any chemicals.