Q: What type of ink is best for Letterpress Printing?
Southern Ink combines the best of both worlds by staying open like a rubber-based ink and drying like an oil base. It will stay open on your equipment but dries quickly when printed on the sheet. We have formulated all of our inks with these properties, including our Dayglo and metallic inks.
Q: What are your inks made of?
Our inks contain renewable vegetable oils and depending on the ink, a small percentage of petroleum oil. They clean up easily with mineral spirits or other mild solvents.
Q: Do I need to add any ink additives to my ink?
Southern Inks are designed to run straight from the can without the need for any additives in most situations. Occasionally, you may run a stock that either requires an oxidizing ink, or just a little help to set more quickly. We have driers for both of those cases. We also have additives to loosen or thicken the body of an ink in cases where that's needed for a specific stock, or form.
Q: What do I use to clean up the inks and my equipment?
Southern Inks will clean up readily with mineral spirits or mild solvents. We also have environmentally minded customers that use baby oil! We offer a solvent on our store that we use here in our shop called Duo Clean.
Q: How do I store my Letterpress Inks?
Inks should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Make sure the lids are on securely to avoid air contact. Ink typically won't freeze because of the oils in it but will get very stiff and hard to work as well as not want to lay down well on the sheet if it's too cold. It's always best to bring any inks you're going to be using into a climate-controlled area until things warm up.
Q: Do you ship to Canada? How about Alaska? How about anywhere else??
Yes, we send quite a bit of ink to Canda, Alaska, and all over the place. Please email us the details of your order, including the full address and a contact number, so we can provide you with a shipping quote. After you give us the green light, we will package your order up and get it headed your way.
Q: How are orders shipped?
The majority of our orders are shipped through UPS, which is cost-effective and typically ensures quick delivery. If you need expedited shipping, please contact us for a quote on alternative options.
Q: What is the order cut-off time?
The cut-off time is typically noon, although there can be variations depending on the UPS pickup schedule. Sometimes the UPS man may show up later in the afternoon or, occasionally, earlier. We try our best to ship your order on the same day we receive it whenever possible. Please note that holidays may affect the shipping schedule and the pick-up times of the freight company.
Q: Can I mix your inks with other brands/types of inks that I have?
Our inks mix readily with most other brands or types of ink. You may notice a small difference in certain properties (stay open, drying, etc.) depending on the percentage of Southern Inks that you mix with other on-hand inks.