S39 FX Camp – Ink Mixing & Setup for Special Effects Printing
Why Someone Should Come
Special effects inks can transform a garment, but they need to be mixed, modified, tested, and set up with intention. Puff, high-density, gel, suede, shimmer, reflective, foil adhesive, discharge, water-based, and faux appliqué effects all require different decisions around viscosity, opacity, deposit, cure, flash, hand feel, and production speed. Lon Winters brings the perspective of a printer, consultant, problem solver, and award-winning decorator who understands how to turn creative ideas into prints that can be repeated on press.
Who Should Come
This session is ideal for printers, ink room staff, production managers, shop owners, and decorators who want to become more confident with specialty inks and additives. It is especially helpful for shops that want to experiment with special effects but need a more disciplined approach to testing, setup, documentation, and production control.
What They Will Learn
- Special Effects Ink Systems: Explore the behavior of puff, high-density, gel, suede, shimmer, glitter, reflective, foil adhesive, discharge, water-based, and mixed-effect systems.
- Mixing for the Desired Result: Learn how modifiers, additives, viscosity, opacity, and ink deposit influence the look, hand, durability, and production behavior of the effect.
- Setup and Testing Habits: Discover how to test special effects before production, document formulas, evaluate cure, and control variables that can change the finished result.
- Faux Appliqué Production Setup: Understand how texture, dimension, separation strategy, screen choice, and ink behavior work together to create the look and feel of stitched appliqué through screen printing.
- Press-Ready Preparation: Learn how ink mixing connects to screen selection, squeegee choice, flash strategy, garment selection, and production pace.
Speakers
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