[Nater00]

Hello everyone, I have a few questions. Has anybody here been able to get there hands on Virus Inks from Italy, if so what are your thoughts? Also I have been trying to figure out how to get discharge fluorescents to pop. Currently we use Rutland WB line, I can get the fluorescents to get close if I mix it with Plus White but I have to over load it with pigments. And lastly my company prints 90% of our jobs on comfort colors, for the most part they discharge ok but there are some that won't discharge whatsoever so i'm trying find a good opaque water base. We've tried Rutland HSA with no success, And also Wilflex oasis that's still to be determined. Thats why I would like to know if Virus is really what it seems. I saw it at the ISS show in long beach and was blown away. Any Ideas on these questions of mine would be helpful...

P.S Plastisol Is NOT an option.

 

[ironspider]

What was the problem with HS-A white from rutland?

 

[LoneWolf2]

Hello everyone, I have a few questions. Has anybody here been able to get there hands on Virus Inks from Italy, if so what are your thoughts? Also I have been trying to figure out how to get discharge fluorescents to pop. Currently we use Rutland WB line, I can get the fluorescents to get close if I mix it with Plus White but I have to over load it with pigments. And lastly my company prints 90% of our jobs on comfort colors, for the most part they discharge ok but there are some that won't discharge whatsoever so i'm trying find a good opaque water base. We've tried Rutland HSA with no success, And also Wilflex oasis that's still to be determined. Thats why I would like to know if Virus is really what it seems. I saw it at the ISS show in long beach and was blown away. Any Ideas on these questions of mine would be helpful...

P.S Plastisol Is NOT an option.

I'm not sure that the Virus inks have hit the suppliers shelves yet here in the states. UK folks are eating them up though from what I can tell.

As for comfort colors, 99% of what I print is that crap, and there are very few that discharge well. That being said, if you want a bright white that won't bleed (as is the issue with nearly every one of their pigment dyed colors), you're going to need to do a under print of a dye blocker. Wilflex, Matsui (301-UC), and International coatings make one, and then do your other prints on top of that.

 

[jgabby]

What I like in the Virus discharge system is you can keep the pot for months, yes months and it is still activate.
No more 8 hours pot life rule !

VIRUS non conventional printing system
VIRUS non conventional printing system

 

[Nathan310]

From what I've seen and tested with Virus inks so far is the printing is easy and it looks sharp and opaque after curing, but they are quite terrible with their wash fastness. On cotton and polyester(100% or blends) this was an issue. After about two runs through the washer and dryer they were flaking off and cracking with slight stretches on 100% cotton.

I don't believe there was an issue with my application process. I have even seen this to be the case from the samples I received from Virus directly at the ISS show, I took their freshly printed and cured sample print and took that back home and tested it out. It really seems the the ink doesn't penetrate deep into the fabric and become a part of it. Does anybody else have this similar problem?

 

[Moshiekai]

Hi Guys, I use Virus inks almost exclusively on Global Brand Apparel. I submit for testing using 5x5 Miele wash cycles at 60C with 5 dryer cycles with no issue. On occasion if there is a cracking white - it is identified as a cure/deposit issue and corrected. This product is extremely durable.

Durability testing products from shows is a bit tricky because there are a lot of other factors involved, but if you had a bad result from a show piece and you do like the product, talk to the manufacturer and they will help you out.

There are a lot of additives that help with the cure using Virus and they need to be used properly.

Anyway...good luck and if you have any questions about Virus, they're a great company.

 

[mgrey]

Hello. The Virus inks are available in the U.S. at Screen Printers Resource (888)435-2468 They stock the entire line of Virus ink products. They are located in Fullerton, CA

 

[Biverson]

Anyone have more info or experience with Virus' various inks? Looking to do more WB and discharge. I've heard a lot of good things, but the company seems very "elusive." No YouTube vids, online articles, etc. Seems strange for a company that is supposedly making a big splash.

 

[jgabby]

What do you want to know ?

 

[mgrey]

Anyone have more info or experience with Virus' various inks? Looking to do more WB and discharge. I've heard a lot of good things, but the company seems very "elusive." No YouTube vids, online articles, etc. Seems strange for a company that is supposedly making a big splash.

You can get info from Screen Printers Resource at (888)435-2468. They carry the entire line of Virus ink products. They are in California

 

[NoXid]

You can get info from Screen Printers Resource at (888)435-2468. They carry the entire line of Virus ink products. They are in California

^ Yes, this.

If you are curious and want to try it, get in touch with SPR and get some ink to try.

I tried their discharge. It seemed largely the same as working with Matsui discharge. The main differences I noticed:

• The obvious one, that the activated ink lasts for months instead of hours.
• Unpigmented Virus discharge turned a black shirt to a light tan color, whereas Matsui turned it a light gray color.
• Virus smells less bad than Matsui. It uses a different activator. Both use activators that have been used for decades in the fabric industry on an industrial scale.

 

[Biverson]

What do you want to know ?

Do you strictly use discharge and WB or have you ever used it as an underbase then put plastisol on top?

I ordered some today from SPR. Got a quart of clear and quart of white. I was reading and to underbase plastisol its better to do an 80/20 mix of clear and white, correct?

Biggest thing is the long shelf life.

 

[jgabby]

Do you strictly use discharge and WB or have you ever used it as an underbase then put plastisol on top?

WB + plastisol on top, you need ink named optimoon
Better to add fixer in tbe optimoon ink as curing is very critical

I never tried their dischage ink, I supposed it behave like other with plastisol. Ihave only seen NF discharge samples and they where great

 

[porkchopharry]

I've actually got a question on the Virus WB inks, as the supplier listed above is actually the "sister compnay" and basically in the same building as my main shirt blanks supplier. One stop shop if you will. They also deliver daily free, here in the Los Angeles area.

Does Virus make any HIGH OPACITY WB inks? Their website confuses me a bit.

There's not a ton of info on their inks, I believe, because they are an Italian company. And I think are just getting sort of more "known" here in the USA.

 

[jgabby]

Does Virus make any HIGH OPACITY WB inks? Their website confuses me a bit.

Hydra 120 (polyurethane base) have a nice coverage.with coarse mesh, this is the whitest white I had.
1 color job I use 128 mesh P/F/P
For simulated process, 230 - 305, no problem.

Optimoon (acrylic base) is more economic, a little less opaque, but nice.
For 1 color job, 80 - 110 mesh

 

[Biverson]

Hydra 120 (polyurethane base) have a nice coverage.with coarse mesh, this is the whitest white I had.
1 color job I use 128 mesh P/F/P
For simulated process, 230 - 305, no problem.

Optimoon (acrylic base) is more economic, a little less opaque, but nice.
For 1 color job, 80 - 110 mesh

Any problems with it drying in the screen? What's the screen time on it? I talked with SCR and they said a lot of people get the retarder, do you use that?

 

[jgabby]

Any problems with it drying in the screen? What's the screen time on it? I talked with SCR and they said a lot of people get the retarder, do you use that?

Hydra 120 white straight from te bucket with 230 - if you never stop printing, you will have no issues.

If you stop 5 minutes - 10 minutes, then you will need quick clean of the screen.
For color, hydra base, no issues at all.

With retarder, everything get easier.

 

[porkchopharry]

So Virus only makes a white High Opacity? No colors? Or is there a mixing system?

RE: retarder. I have used retarder with Permaset SuoerCover. I do not like it. I prefer to work faster and maybe add a bit of water. YMMV. Different inks I know. But I just try to not add any additives other than a bit of water to any inks.

Also with the SuperCover, I do not like to go past a 230 mesh in the summer. 180 mesh is my all arounder for about 90% of my designs. And then 200 is for my highly detailed/ halftones. Again different inks but YMMV.

 

[jgabby]

do not add any water in virus ink hydra or optimoon.

I only used the hydra range and optimoon, never the hydracryl which have opaque base

 

[Frienzy]

From what I've seen and tested with Virus inks so far is the printing is easy and it looks sharp and opaque after curing, but they are quite terrible with their wash fastness. On cotton and polyester(100% or blends) this was an issue. After about two runs through the washer and dryer they were flaking off and cracking with slight stretches on 100% cotton.

I don't believe there was an issue with my application process. I have even seen this to be the case from the samples I received from Virus directly at the ISS show, I took their freshly printed and cured sample print and took that back home and tested it out. It really seems the the ink doesn't penetrate deep into the fabric and become a part of it. Does anybody else have this similar problem?

Hi guys,
I'm having a bit of struggle using Virus now...
so far nothing that they said "Virus" is better than "Others" for and IS more expensive than "Others" for is working for me:
1. Discharge stays active for 6 months - you can call me retarded but after a day of printing with activated discharge mixture and leaving the same job - same screen, same shirts - coming on the next day and hello shirts are not discharging... after numerous of testing and even reordering another discharge white with activator - it just doesn't stay active even for 2 days!!!
Also the quality of the discharge itself is less brighter and stable than any other discharge system I've used - I mean even Plasticharge white from Union Ink makes a brighter and more stable white than Virus discharge...
2. Ink doesn't dry in the screen - well it does dry in the screen alot - how can you say something that is just not true by fact? I mean it really dries in your screen that you can't even print it without retarder on the manual press... after a 30-40 shirts you start to get a lot of hairiness around the edges of design and your ink gets thicker and thicker to the point you can't even push it through the screen....
3. They are durable - opaque whites just cracks - they crack so bad that it is ridiculous. On my questions of why do they do that they answered that I should probably better use 360 elastic base - but then I ask myself what are the Hydra First white, Hydra 120E and Perfetto white for? They all just crack like hell on a regular 100% cotton t-shirt - and no - I do my curing properly - I did it numerous of times with and without Universal fix....

So in my opinion you can use any WB system on the market that is ALOT cheaper than Virus inks and NOT be missing anything out...