Why should DTF ink be shaken before use?
Why should DTF ink be shaken before use?
### I. Reasons for Preventing Pigment Sedimentation
1. **Characteristics of Pigments**
- DTF ink usually contains pigment particles, and the density of these pigment particles is greater than that of the solvent or carrier. During stationary storage, the pigment particles will gradually sink under the influence of gravity, resulting in an excessively high pigment concentration at the bottom of the ink container and a relatively low pigment concentration at the top.
- For example, in some white DTF inks, the titanium dioxide pigment particles are heavy and prone to sedimentation.
2. **The Function of Shaking**
- By shaking the ink container, the sunken pigment particles can be re - evenly dispersed in the solvent. In this way, the ink can be evenly ejected during printing, ensuring the consistency of print quality.
- If it is not shaken, the printed pattern may have uneven colors, such as varying shades of color, and such defects will be more obvious in patterns with large - area solid - color fills.
### II. Ensuring the Even Mixing of Components
1. **Components of Ink Formulations**
- In addition to pigments, DTF ink also contains a variety of additives, such as dispersants, stabilizers, binders, etc. These additives may exhibit stratification during long - term storage of the ink.
- The function of the dispersant is to evenly disperse the pigment particles, but it itself may have a slight separation from other components; the stabilizer is used to maintain the chemical stability of the ink, but it may also have an uneven distribution in the container.
2. **The Significance of Shaking**
- Shaking the ink can make various additives and pigments fully mixed. For example, if the binder cannot be evenly distributed in the ink, it will affect the adhesion of the ink on the transfer film, which in turn will lead to poor adhesion when transferring onto materials such as fabrics, and the pattern is prone to falling off.
- After ensuring the even mixing of all components, the performance of the ink can be guaranteed, including fluidity, transfer effect, etc., so that the DTF printing process can proceed smoothly and high - quality transfer products can be obtained.
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