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APPLICATION GUIDE Createx Airbrush Colors
Updated: November 2010 www.createx.de
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 and exterior application and require heat for final curing.
CONDITIONS:
20º C 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 @ 2.75 bar 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: @ 2.75 – 3.5 bar+ ; 0.35mm and smaller operate at lower settings and reduce paint to desired viscosity best to atomize particular colour with particular airbrush type and tip size. Reduced paint generally has viscosity of milk.
Reducing
Mix Createx Illustration Base in various ratios to achieve desired viscosity. Reduced colours are 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.
PREPARATION
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 of equivalent coarseness. Clean again after scuffing prior to paint. Best to start with Createx Opaque White & Black for initial coat with an even, uniform value over-which other colours will have an improved coverage and a brighter value.
Porous Surfaces & Fabrics:
Best to paint onto clean fabric. A few very light coats of 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 colours 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. Attention: almost no adhesion to PVC!
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 colours 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 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 Illustration Base decreases 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 Colours are not cured after
drying, heat is required.
Heat Gun:
apply heat at a low to mid-temperature setting of no more than 150°C. Keep air moving to avoid blistering. Apply heat until paint is warm to the touch.
Shirt Press:
160°C 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 CREATEX© Airbrush Cleaner. Clean airbrush after use by soaking in CREATEX© Airbrush Restorer followed by brushing off partially-dissolved paint and rinsing with water.
SAFETY
Always spray in a well-ventilated area with access to fresh air. An approved respirator is recommended. See Material Safety Data Sheets for complete safety and handling information.
COLOURS
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 air pressure settings.
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 colour transitions and are best suited for fine-lined, detailed airbrushing through small tip-sized airbrushes operated at lower air pressure settings. Transparent Colors are the most common colors used over base color.
Fluorescent
Neon colors which emit a glow. Work best over a white base color. Fluorescent colors are NOT lightfast and are not intended for permanent finishes.
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.
Total color range at http://www.createx.de/en/classic_farbkarte.php
ADDITIVES
Transparent Base
Clear binder for extending colours, increasing transparency, use as a protective inter-coat and to lock down fabric knap before painting.
Reducer with binder and a mild solvent intended to improve flow and atomization, especially when using small-tip sizes at low air pressure settings. Reduction may be in any ratio; reduced paint generally has viscosity of skim milk.
Retarder delays the drying process of the colour
Airbrush Restorer
Cleansing bath for airbrush after use which dissolves dried paint.
The application guide is available as PDF here , too.
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