Aquarius Water-Based Retarder - 1kg
Water-based ink additive designed to increase screen open time and slow ink drying during production, helping reduce screen blockages and maintain consistent printability with Zodiac™ Aquarius™ inks.
Characteristics
Aquarius™ Water-Based Retarder is a specialty additive formulated for use with the Zodiac™ Aquarius™ water-based screen printing ink system. It helps slow the evaporation and drying of water-based ink in the screen, increasing open time during printing and reducing the potential for ink to dry in the mesh during production stops or longer print runs.
Avient recommends adding 1–3% Aquarius™ Retarder by weight to compatible Aquarius inks when additional open time is required. Because the liquid Retarder has a lower recommended addition rate than Aquarius™ Retarder Gel, only a small amount is needed to adjust the ink's drying characteristics.
Aquarius™ Retarder is especially useful in warm or dry production environments where water-based inks can begin drying in the screen more quickly. The additive allows printers to tailor ink performance to individual production requirements while remaining within the Aquarius™ water-based ink system.
This product is the liquid Aquarius™ Retarder with a recommended addition rate of 1–3%. It should not be confused with Aquarius™ Retarder Gel, which is a separate high-viscosity additive with a recommended addition rate of 1–5%.
- Increases the open time of compatible Aquarius™ water-based inks
- Helps slow premature ink drying in the screen
- Helps reduce screen and image-area blockages during printing
- Recommended addition rate of 1–3%
- Designed specifically for the Zodiac™ Aquarius™ water-based ink system
- Suitable for adjusting ink performance to production conditions
- Useful during longer production runs and press stoppages
- Helpful in warm or dry production environments
- Liquid formulation for easy incorporation into compatible inks
- Water-based formulation
- Non-PVC and non-phthalate
- Cleans up with water and mild detergent
- Designed for professional textile screen printing
Aquarius™ Retarder is itself an additive and can be used as part of the broader Aquarius™ additive system when additional ink-property adjustments are required.
- Aquarius™ Retarder: Add 1–3% to increase open time.
- Aquarius™ Retarder Gel: Add 1–5% to increase open time with a higher-viscosity formulation.
- Aquarius™ Thickener: Add 0.1–1% to increase viscosity.
- Aquarius™ Softener: Add 1–5% to improve finished hand feel.
- Aquarius™ Fixer: Add 1–10% to improve fixation or help reduce cure temperature.
Aquarius™ Retarder and Aquarius™ Retarder Gel are separate products with different recommended addition ranges and should not be treated as interchangeable in an ink formulation.
When combining multiple Aquarius additives, test the complete ink formulation under actual production conditions to confirm acceptable printability, cure, colorfastness, and durability.
- Thoroughly mix the Aquarius™ ink before adding Retarder.
- Add 1–3% Aquarius™ Retarder by weight depending on the amount of additional open time required.
- Begin at the lower end of the recommended range and increase only as necessary.
- Measure the additive accurately to help maintain consistent production formulations.
- Mix thoroughly to ensure the Retarder is evenly incorporated throughout the ink.
- Consider shop temperature, humidity, ink behavior, and production conditions when determining the appropriate addition level.
- Keep ink moving in the screen during production whenever possible.
- Keep ink containers sealed when not in use to minimize evaporation.
- Clean the stencil and image area as needed during extended press stoppages to help reduce screen drying.
- Avoid adding more Retarder than necessary, as excessive modification may affect the printing and curing characteristics of the finished ink.
- Test the complete ink formulation and printed garment before beginning a production run.
- Verify proper cure and print durability after modifying the ink.
- Store sealed between 40°F and 77°F (5°C–25°C).
Aquarius™ Water-Based Retarder is a liquid ink additive and is not intended to be used as a standalone printing ink. Its primary function is to increase screen open time by slowing evaporation and premature drying of compatible Zodiac™ Aquarius™ water-based inks.
The recommended addition rate for the liquid Aquarius™ Retarder is 1–3% by weight. Begin at the lower end of the range and increase only when additional open time is required.
Shop temperature, humidity, airflow, ink formulation, mesh, press speed, and production stoppages can influence how quickly water-based ink dries in the screen. The appropriate amount of Retarder should therefore be determined under actual production conditions.
Do not confuse Aquarius™ Retarder with Aquarius™ Retarder Gel. The liquid Retarder is specified at 1–3%, while the separate high-viscosity Retarder Gel is specified at 1–5%.
Adding Retarder modifies the original ink formulation. Excessive addition may affect the ink's printing characteristics, curing behavior, and finished performance. Use only the amount required to achieve the desired additional open time.
For production work, test the complete formulation on the intended garment and confirm acceptable printability, cure, adhesion, colorfastness, and durability before beginning the full production run.
- Increasing screen open time with Aquarius™ water-based inks
- Slowing premature water-based ink drying
- Helping reduce screen and image-area blockages
- Long textile screen printing production runs
- Production environments with frequent press stoppages
- Warm or dry shop environments
- Applications where ink dries quickly in the mesh
- Fine-tuning compatible Aquarius™ ink formulations
- Professional water-based textile screen printing
- Production shops using the Zodiac™ Aquarius™ water-based ink system
