Goal

The goal of this exer­cise is to develop the proper tech­nique for prepar­ing a cus­tom Pan­tone (PMS) color screen for printing. 

Objective

The objec­tive of this exer­cise is to mix and test a color sample. 

Background Reading

• Mac­Dougall, Chap­ter 2, p 17–30
• Mac­Dougall, Chap­ter 6, p 67–84

Safety Notice

• No food or drink near ink. 
• Do not look directly at the ultra­vi­o­let light
• Safety apparel required: gloves, safety glasses, ear plugs, respirator
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Index

Exercise

Both pre­pared for­mu­las and nat­ural mix­ing of hues are pos­si­ble with screen print­ing. Most inks are solid and fairly opaque. Black inks also have a vari­ety of sub-hues and fin­ishes. The addi­tion of white and trans­par­ent base can cre­ate tints and opac­ity, respec­tively. Process inks (CMYK or cyan, magenta, yel­low and black) are slightly trans­par­ent to reflect light. It is best to test all col­ors in com­bi­na­tion, includ­ing sim­u­la­tions of any spe­cial tech­niques wanted, such as over­print­ing or trapping. 

To assist with mix­ing and to reduce waste, an ink cal­cu­la­tor spread­sheet has been cre­ated on Google Docs. 

https://​docs​.google​.com/​s​p​r​e​a​d​s​h​e​e​t​s​/​d​/​1​o​U​9​p​h​A​z​d​e​D​D​J​b​I​k​L​x​I​p​p​K​Z​C​-​h​i​E​t​d​h​g​w​P​f​n​k​Y​C​7​x​vC8

Part One

Select approx­i­mate col­ors from the Pan­tone book. Care­fully note col­ors and use online mix­ing cal­cu­la­tor and scale to mix a 10 g sam­ple first. One mixed, place a sam­ple on the paper of choice and allow to dry before assess­ing the color. 

Turn on the scale. Cover the sur­face with a sheet of scrap paper, and place the ink cup on the scale. Once set­tled, zero out the reading. 

With ink sticks for each color, give each con­tainer a stir. Gen­er­ally for light final col­ors, start with light hue first and slowly add dark. For dark col­ors, also start with the light and add dark. For both types of color, reserve a por­tion of the dark until you test. Make sure to Keep mix­ing uten­sils sep­a­rate and clean for each color. 

Never use a tainted mix­ing stick in a pure hue con­tainer. Always get a new stick. 

Test with sam­ple tool, such as a plas­tic card. Always test on the intended print­ing paper because tex­ture and bright­ness can change sub­tleties. Coor­di­nate and mix all all col­ors before print­ing. Keep care­ful notes, such as paper name, ink title and mix­ing amounts to remain organized. 

Part Two

Once sat­is­fac­tory tests have been made, larger amounts can be mixed for print­ing. Mix larger amounts based num­ber of prints and cov­er­age amounts. Text based on sam­ples and adjust­ments. Cover ink with plas­tic to reduce evap­o­ra­tion between print­ing ses­sions. The addi­tion of small amounts of water may be needed imme­di­ately before printing. 

No print­ing is required of this exercise. 

Technical Specifications

• Ink Mix­ing Chart
• Two color samples 

• The fol­low­ing rubric posted on D2L will deter­mine exer­cise score: Exer­cise Grading

Techniques

Ink mix­ing, color testing

Supplies

Scale, mix­ing cup, mix­ing sticks, paper sample, 

Deadlines

Monday/Wednesday, March ²⁰⁄₂₂, 2017. Exer­cise Given.

Monday/Wednesday, March ²⁰⁄₂₂, 2017. Observed by instruc­tor as part of group demonstration.