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Web Wedneday – Recycling Ink Blues, Recycling Blue Inks

We took some ink just sitting on the shelf (295C) and made it into an ink we needed to print today (539C) We test drove the Rutland recycling system within their DMX software and it worked out great. This is no cure for getting rid of all the ink we all have sitting around, but it is a pretty great tool.

Here is a job that called for an ink to be mixed

Job calling for 539C pantone color for ink
Job calling for 539C pantone color for ink

At Mirror Image we have literally walls of mixed inks of a wide variety of Pantone colors and there are so many reasons you want to get rid of it:

– Ecologically speaking, using up ink is even better than making the most green ink imaginable

– Ink costs $60 per gallon or more and seeing it sit there is like watching 100 dollar bills on fire

– Getting rid of waste ink cost beaucoup bucks

– It is taking up space, it needs to cycle right off the shelf

– It is faster to use what is right there than order new and receive it in

Here’s how it goes down:

 

We opened the DMX software of Rutland. For any customer that uses their ink the cost is nil, nada, nothin’.

Rutland DMX software
Rutland DMX software

Then we went to the Recycle section to the Reverse Recycle section.

Forward or Reverse Recycle your ink, this time "Reverse"
Forward or Reverse Recycle your ink, this time “Reverse”

Then we entered the Pantone color we had to make, 539C, and found from the list of inks, we could make it from 295C, which we had sitting on the shelf. In fact 81.62% of the new ink would be from the old ink.

We can see from the list that we can make 539C from 295c with that making up over 80% of the new ink.
We can see from the list that we can make 539C from 295c with that making up over 80% of the new ink.
Blue ink just sitting on the shelf 295C
Blue ink just sitting on the shelf 295C

Then we got the formula for using 295C to make 539C.

Entering the amount of grams of ink we need.
Entering the amount of grams of ink we need.

 

The mixing formula for 539c using 295c
The formula for 539C that recycles the 295C

 

Then we mixed up the ink  according to the formula. We could use up the 295C at > 80% of the ink and then added the specified amounts of mixing green and black.

adding 295c
adding 295c
adding exact amount of m3 green
adding exact amount of m3 green
Exact amount of green to the tenth of a gram
Exact amount of green to the tenth of a gram
Add a little black and we are almost ready to rock and roll
Add a little black and we are almost ready to rock and roll

Thoroughly mix up your finely measured ingredients

Thoroughly mix up the ink after measuring all ingredients carefully.
Thoroughly mix up the ink after measuring all ingredients carefully.

In this case we wanted the ink color dead on, so we swatched it on fabric and checked for Pantone match, cured that and checked again. And then printed it and checked it.

wet sample color match ok
wet sample color match ok
Test print and still dead on for color match
Test print and still dead on for color match

The we put the ink on the screen and printed it and basked in the glory of matching the color and also using up some ink that was lying around.

We've got the right color.
We’ve got the right color.
Ink up the screen
Ink up the screen
Print
Print
Cure
Cure

Finished product!

Perfect ink color on finished product!
Perfect ink color on finished product!

Celebrating using up some ink with a Sam Adams Rye Stout Growler!

Celebratory growler pour.
Celebratory growler pour.
photo 2
Here’s to using up ink (and Rye Stout)

 

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