Can I still use this Speedball fabric ink?

October 24, 2018 1:24 PM

Can I still eat use this Speedball water-soluble fabric ink? It's a huge container -- like a quart -- and the ink is sort of a gel inside now. I tried mixing some with water and it thinned a bit but it's still not easy to use. (I am not a print-maker, just a guy who would like to experiment with using this to color some Tyvek.)

I got hold of this giant jar of silk-screening ink "as is," so I don't know whether it's old or not. Should it actually be this thick? Is there a special thinner, or is it always like this because it's meant to be squeezed through a screen onto a t-shirt?

I would like to use the ink for painting with a brush onto fabric if I can, and to stain "hard" Tyvek (i.e., house-wrap).

Thanks for any advice!

posted by wenestvedt to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Best answer: Fabric paint is extremely subject to turning into a curdled goop on oxidation. I've used spoiled inks for fabric painting projects with no issues except the fact it's not very easy to manipulate and spread. No comment on how effective it would be for Tyvek.
posted by Juliet Banana at 1:40 PM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It's been a while, but I used to print t-shirts with silk-screening ink, it it was quite gel-like as you describe. You'll need to experiment with it a bit, I think. I can remember just painting with the stuff sometimes, and it worked fine. Have you tried putting some in a jar and warming it in hot water? That might help. Also, some inks work well on synthetics, some don't.
posted by pipeski at 1:43 PM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Silk screening ink is definitely supposed to be a goo. If you want to thin some, put a small portion in another container and thin that. You're going to have to use way too much to thin the whole tub noticeably.
posted by advicepig at 2:06 PM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Try it and see? Get some fabric or Tyvek that you don't care about, and test a little out.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 2:55 PM on October 24, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Tyvek is kinda weird about what works and what won't -- because it's meant to be non-water-permeable, the ink uptake may be patchy or it might not adhere at all. If you're just doing an art project, experiment! If you want your Tyvek to maintain its properties after this treatment (like if you're using it as a rainfly or ground cloth for camping), do be aware that solvents/inks/dyes might make it less effective as a moisture barrier.
posted by halation at 3:02 PM on October 24, 2018 [2 favorites]

Not sure about the Tyvek, but you can thin paint to a fabric paint consistency (such that it penetrates the fibers of natural fabric) by thinning with glycerin. Be aware it slows the drying time.
posted by shalom at 9:34 PM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: HURRAH FOR EMPIRICISM

I tried a couple of times thinning out the ink with water, and it works well.

The thinned ink takes to soft fabric from a 1/2-inch-wide brush beautifully.

The thinned ink still doesn't soak into hard Tyvek, but then nothing really does. (I have read elsewhere online that some synthetic dyes will do so, and possibly acrylics, and I think silicone-based stuff? But I don't have those.) I was pleased to see that it does stay down very lightly, and adheres in an interesting mottled way that follows the creases in the crumpled Tyvek, so I will be experimenting more with that in the future.

For now, my tested answer is: Yes, I can still eat use this ink. Thanks, y'all!
posted by wenestvedt at 7:14 PM on October 25, 2018 [1 favorite]