Createx Application Guide Update 6/09

[68KingFisher]

I ran across the following information on Createx's new website and found it very interesting and I thought it might be helpful to folks here.....the following is copied from their pdf file....they also have one for AutoAir should you use that product.

APPLICATION GUIDE

Airbrush Colors

Wicked Colors

Updated June, 2009

www.createxcolors.com

Createx Airbrush Colors are textile airbrush paints suited for a variety of substrates, both porous and non-porous surfaces. Createx Airbrush Colors are intended for interior application and require heat for final curing. Wicked Colors are intended for both interior and exterior applications

CONDITIONS....70º F or higher in a dry, dust-free environment. When painting in humid or colder conditions, allow for extended drying time. Use of air flow decreases drying time and is recommended as the primary means to dry paint. Air source should be free of contaminates, especially oil and water. Heat is best used to cure paint after paint dries. Refer to curing section for more.

Set-up....Spray Gun Tip Size: Operate @ 40 PSI. 1.2mm: Touch-Up Gun: 0.8mm –1.0mm tip-size. Pressure settings may vary. Adjust fluid-adjustment knob for optimum atomization.

Airbrush Tip Size: 0.5mm: @ 40-50+ PSI; 0.35m and smaller operate at lower PSI settings and reduce paint to desired viscosity best to atomize particular color with particular airbrush type and tip size. Reduced paint generally has viscosity of milk.

Reducing: Mix 5608 Createx Illustration Base, Wicked W100 Reducer or Auto Air 4011 Flash Reducer in various ratios to achieve desired viscosity. Reduced colors best used 24 hours after mixing. Reducers greatly improve flow and decrease tip-dry. Reducing with water is not recommended as performance benefits are not achieved and tip-dry is increased.

PREPERATION....Proper preparation is crucial to ensuring a successful paintjob. Prepare surface using a variety of methods including but not limited to cleaning, sanding or scuffing and applying a primer. This is an important part of any paintjob; there is no short-cut.

Non-Porous Surfaces: Clean thoroughly using both soap & water and solvent-based degreasers to remove all contaminants and oils. Scuff using 600 –800 grit sandpaper or a scuff-pad an equivalent coarseness. Clean again after scuffing prior to paint. Best to start with Createx Opaque White & Black or Auto Air 4000 Series Sealer for initial coat with an even, uniform value over-which other colors with improved coverage and a brighter value.

Porous Surfaces & Fabrics: Best to paint onto clean fabric. A few very light coats of 5601 Transparent Base locks down lint or knap preventing interference and contamination when airbrushing. Over black and dark fabrics, applying a base of Opaque White before applying colors with lighter hues improves coverage and creates brighter values. Stretching fabric or t-shirt over a board creates a flat, wrinkle-free surface which is much easier to paint on. For t-shirts, clamp down sleeves and loose ends.

Plastic: Adhesion to plastics varies. With softer plastics, adhesion is possible after cleaning and lightly scuffing. With harder or oily plastics such as styrene and ABS, an adhesion promoter should be applied after cleaning & scuffing and before painting.

APPLICATION....Apply in light coats. A coating consisting of multiple, light layers is much stronger than a coating of the same mil thickness which is achieved in fewer, thicker layers. Chipping and flaking of paint is most often due to excess build-up of paint. Allow colors to air cure between coats and before curing with heat (see curing section for more). Working in light coats is especially important when painting flexible surfaces such as leather and vinyl.

CURING....Createx Airbrush Colors and Wicked Colors cure best when paint is thoroughly dried prior to application of heat. Curing times are decreased when coats are allowed to air cure prior to application of next coat. Use of 5608 Illustration Base, Wicked W100 Reducer and Auto Air 4011 Flash Reducer decrease drying rates and curing times.

Do not heat cure fresh paint before it air cures for a few minutes. Premature application of heat may skin-over paint creating a latex film which peels easily when taped and otherwise lacks proper adhesion.

Createx Airbrush Colors are not cured after drying, heat is required. Wicked Colors air dry to a durable film without heat curing although use of heat does achieve optimum film strength.

Heat Gun: apply heat at a low to mid-temperature setting no more than 300°F. Keep air moving to avoid blistering. Apply heat until paint is warm to the touch.

Shirt Press: 325°F for 15 –20 seconds.

Iron: With a protective cloth over paint, set on high/ cotton setting and iron for @ 2 minutes. A shirt press or iron is recommended for curing t-shirt artwork intended for washing.

CLEANING....After curing or thorough air drying, paint may be cleaned with odorless mineral spirits or a solvent-based, post-sanding degreaser. Do not clean with water.

Clean airbrush during use with water or 5618 Airbrush Cleaner.

Clean airbrush after use by soaking in 5619 Airbrush Restorer followed by brushing off partially-dissolved paint and rinsing with water.

Colors....Opaque:Solid colors with excellent coverage for use as base color. For most projects, starting with either Opaque White or Black works best, allowing for quicker coverage of top-coated colors with an even & consistent value compared to applying over the substrate direct. Opaque Colors work best out-of-the-bottle with larger tip-sizes operated at higher PSI settings. For smaller tip-sizes, reduce using Createx Illustration Base, Wicked W100 Reducer or Auto Air 4011 Flash Reducer.

Transparent: Bright, vibrant colors which do not have fillers for opacity. Transparent Colors work best over a white base or other bright color, blend well for smooth color transitions and are best suited for fine-lined, detailed airbrushing through small tip-sized airbrushes operated at lower PSI settings. Transparent Colors are the most common color used over base color.

Fluorescent: Neon colors which emit a glow. Work best over a white base color. Fluorescent colors are NOT lightfastand are not intended for permanent finishes.

Pearlized & Iridescent: Vivid pearl base colors with a shimmering effect especially when viewed in direct light. Work best over Opaque White or Opaque Black. Iridescent Colors have a shift from a lighter hue on direct views to a dark hue on side-cast views.

SAFETY....Always spray in a well-ventilated area with access to fresh air. A NIOSH/ MSHA approved respirator is recommended. See Material Safety Data Sheets for complete safety and handling information.

ADDITIVES....5601 Transparent Base: Clear binder for extending colors, increasing transparency, use as a protective inter-coatand to lock down fabric knap before painting.

5608 Illustration Base: Reducer with binder and a mild solvent intended to improve flow and atomization, especially when using small-tip sizes at low PSI settings. Reduction may be in any ratio; reduced paint generally has viscosity of skim milk.

5619 Airbrush Restorer: Cleansing bath for airbrush after use which dissolves dried paint.

Wicked W100 Reducer: High performance reducer with solvent for use with all Createx paints;dramatically improves flow and reduces tip-dry in any ratio.