Water Removable Alumaprint™ Ink Processing Instructions

Water Removable Alumaprint ink is the newest addition to our line of anodized aluminum products. WR Alumaprint inks, like the original Alumaprint inks are a series of direct dye inks that are intended for use with unsealed anodized aluminum to sublimate the colors below the surface of the anodized layer. What's really unique about WR Alumaprint, however, is that the excess carrier on the surface of the metal can be removed prior to sealing using only plain water.

The advantages of using a direct dye ink on unsealed anodized aluminum are many. Metal nameplates manufactured with Alumaprint and unsealed anodized aluminum are tough, scratch resistant, fade resistant, and will stand up to most harsh environments and chemicals. The illustration here shows the structure of an anodized layer. Alumaprint inks penetrate down into the pores shown in the anodic cell and are trapped in them when the anodized surface is sealed. Your printing is then locked below the surface and actually becomes part of the metal itself.

Printed and sealed Alumaprint graphics won't flake or chip off like surface printed graphics can. Punching, drilling, and post-forming can be accomplished without any loss of printing.

The Alumaprint system is the easiest way to achieve color anodized graphics on metal. The inks are supplied in one consistent viscosity and can be printed directly form container. If you need to thin the ink, or if it is drying too quickly on your screens, it can be thinned with Alumaprint WR Thinner.

Alumaprint inks may be mixed with any other ink in the same system to achieve custom colors. We also sell a WR 901 Clear ink that can be used to create pastel colors.

Since they are water removable, WR Alumaprint inks are not recommended for use when a sheet is to be over or background dyed in a water soluble dye. They also cannot be used as a resist to protect the surface of the sheet in an etching solution. For these procedures we would recommend the standard solvent removable AR Alumaprint Series.

I. The Anodized Surface

At Lawrence & Frederick, we recommend using only L&F Undyed/Unsealed anodized aluminum. Our unsealed is better for a number of reasons.

• We guarantee all our unsealed anodized aluminum
• We use only anodizing quality aluminum for the best anodized surface
• Our anodic layer is crystal clear and shows only the true metal color
• The pores on our anodized metal accept inks and dyes better than batch anodized products

All L&F metal is anodized on state-of-the-art continuous coil anodizing lines. The continuous coil process produces wider pores in the anodic layer than batch or rack anodizing. Simply stated, it's easier to get dye into a wide pore than a narrow one.

Lawrence and Frederick metal shows true, rich colors more easily with no variation from sheet to sheet. L&F unsealed metal is available from .003" thickness up to .063", in hard, half hard, and soft tempers, and in a variety of finishes. Check with the L&F sales staff to obtain more information on Lawrence and Frederick Anodized Unsealed substrate.

II. Applying the Ink

WR Alumaprint can be applied straight from the bottle. Simply screen it like you would any solvent based ink. It is important that the ink be applied uniformly in order to achieve a uniform finished product.

Lawrence & Frederick undyed/unsealed is shipped to you "Finished Side Up". Both sides are anodized, but only the top side is guaranteed to be free of defects, so it is important that you print the top or "finished" side to achieve the best results.

When working with undyed/unsealed it is essential not to contaminate the surface of the metal. Since the pores are unsealed or open, they are extremely receptive to dirt, grease, oil, etc. Since even the oils on your hands are enough to contaminate the surface, it is strongly recommended that the sheets only be handled by the edges and with the use of clean cotton gloves.

III. Drying the Ink

WR Alumaprint Ink will dry at room temperature in 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the amount of ink applied and the humidity of the surrounding air. It can also be force dried by warmed air or in a conventional drying line. The surface of the metal should be kept under 190° Fahrenheit to protect the metal's appearance.

IV. Stripping the Carrier

Probably the best feature of WR Alumaprint is the ease in which the excess carrier is removed.

After drying and before sealing the sheet, place it under running water. Just the water and the mechanical action of the water will begin to loosen the excess carrier on the surface of the sheet. You can speed this process up by running water over the sheet and gently rubbing with a cloth or a soft scrubbing pad. It's just that easy.

Once the sheet is free of carrier, the only step left is to seal the surface.

V. Sealing the Sheet

The final step in the process is to permanently seal the sheet. Sealing the sheet traps the printed colors inside the anodic layer by causing the anodic cells to swell shut over the ink. Sealing is accomplished in boiling (210° to 215° Fahrenheit) water and Alumaprint Sealing Salts or Alumaprint Liquid Seal Concentrate. Complete instructions on sealing can be obtained with either of the above products.

VI. Clean Up

Screens and utensils that have been used with the WR series can be cleaned using soap and water.

Lightfastness of WR Alumaprint Colors

Measuring lightfastness of organic dyes is a relative thing. In the final analysis, the lightfastness of colors used with an anodized product are determined by the thickness of the anodic coating, the intensity of the color, and the quality of the seal. Keeping this in mind, the following ratings are given so that you may have a general idea of each color's lightfastness characteristics. In this scale, a rating of 8 is excellent.

Ink		Lightfastness
WR 101 Black		8
WR 201 Red		7
WR 301 Green		5
WR 401 Yellow		6
WR 501 Light Blue		4-5
WR 502 Dark Blue		7-8
WR 601 Brown		5
Due to the wide variety of applications, the suitability of Alumaprint for any application should be tested and determined by the end user prior to use.