MATSUI ALPHA SERIES WATER-BASED & DISCHARGE INK
The only ready-for-use screen printing ink that works two ways: print it as a water-based ink on light garments, or add Discharge Activator and it becomes a discharge ink on dark 100% cotton. Match any Pantone® color using your Pantone book — no software, no computer, no CMS. 16 mixing colors + Trans White. The fastest path from plastisol to water-based for any screen printing shop.
THE ONLY SCREEN PRINTING INK THAT DOES BOTH WATER-BASED AND DISCHARGE
Most water-based inks only print on light garments. Discharge inks only work on dark cotton. Alpha does both — from the same bucket. No other ready-for-use ink system on the market offers this dual-mode capability.
MODE 1: Water-Based on Light Garments
How it works: Print Alpha ink directly onto white, ash, or light-colored garments. The ink deposits color on the fabric surface with an ultra-soft hand feel. No activator needed. No special prep. Open the bucket and print.
Best for: Light and medium-colored cotton, cotton-poly blends, and polyester (with underbase blocker). Standard screen printing workflow — any shop already running plastisol can switch to Alpha with zero new equipment.
Result: Vibrant, soft prints that penetrate the fabric instead of sitting on top like plastisol. Customers can feel the difference immediately.
MODE 2: Discharge on Dark 100% Cotton
How it works: Add 3-8% Discharge Activator by weight. The chemistry removes the garment dye and replaces it with Alpha’s color — embedded directly in the cotton fibers. Zero surface buildup. The print IS the fabric.
Requires: 100% cotton with reactive (dischargeable) dyes. Does NOT work on polyester, blends, or pigment-dyed garments. 12-hour pot life once activated. Ventilation recommended. Water-resistant emulsion required (Chromaline CPTex or Hydro-X).
Result: The softest prints physically possible in textile screen printing. No ink film at all. The garment feels exactly the same before and after printing. This is what premium retail brands spec.
Why Shops Switch from Plastisol to Alpha
Plastisol sits ON TOP of the fabric as a PVC film. It feels heavy, cracks over time, and contains chemicals that major retailers increasingly refuse to stock. Alpha ink penetrates INTO the fiber — the print is part of the garment, not a sticker on it. Shops that switch to Alpha report: softer prints that customers comment on, access to retail accounts that require PVC-free certification, ability to discharge on dark cotton without buying a separate ink system, and Pantone color matching using just a book and a scale.
Alpha Is a Complete Ink — Not a Pigment + Base System
Unlike Neo Pigments (which are concentrated pigments that MUST be mixed into a separate base), Alpha colors are complete, ready-for-use inks. No base needed. No pigment calculations. No CMS software. Every Alpha color prints directly from the bucket as a spot color, OR blends with other Alpha colors to create any Pantone shade using the formulas printed in your Pantone Formula Guide. This is the simplest water-based ink system that exists.
COMPLETE ALPHA SERIES COLOR LINEUP
Every color below is ready-for-use. Print it straight as a spot color, or blend colors together using Pantone Formula Guide ratios. Black C is a mixing black (prints as dark gray) — use Spot Black for solid black prints.
Black C
Mixing Black (Dark Gray)DARKENS other colors in formulas. Prints dark gray, NOT true black. Use Spot Black for solid black.
Spot Black C
Opaque Spot BlackDedicated TRUE BLACK for solid prints, text, logos. NOT for Pantone mixing.
Trans White C
Transparent White / LightenerLIGHTENS other colors to create pastels. NOT opaque — will not cover dark garments.
Starter Kit + Pantone Book
Complete SystemAll 14 mixing colors + Trans White + Retarder MG + Coated & Uncoated Pantone Book. Everything to start mixing Pantone colors immediately.
Starter Kit (No Book)
Inks + Retarder OnlyAll 14 mixing colors + Trans White + Retarder MG. For shops that already own a Pantone Formula Guide.
HOW TO MATCH ANY PANTONE COLOR WITH ALPHA SERIES
Pantone color matching with Alpha requires nothing more than a Pantone Formula Guide and a gram scale. No computer. No CMS software. No learning curve. If you can follow a recipe, you can match Pantone colors.
Customer provides a Pantone number. Example: PMS 186 C (a specific red). Open your Pantone Formula Guide — the physical book, coated or uncoated edition — and flip to that swatch.
Read the formula printed on the swatch. Every Pantone page lists the mixing percentages. Example: PMS 186 C might call for 72% Warm Red + 22% Rubine Red + 6% Yellow. These are Alpha color names.
Weigh on a gram scale. For a 500g batch: 360g Warm Red + 110g Rubine Red + 30g Yellow. Weigh each color directly into a clean mixing vessel.
Mix thoroughly. Stir with a clean mixing blade or drill attachment until the color is completely uniform. No streaks, no swirls.
Print a test swatch. Pull a test print on your actual production garment. Let it dry. Compare side-by-side with the Pantone swatch. Adjust if needed — discharge colors shift slightly during curing, so always compare CURED prints.
Important Notes on Pantone Matching
Pantone book formulas are designed for ink on paper. Fabric absorbs ink differently than paper, so minor adjustments (1-3% of a color up or down) are normal to achieve an exact visual match on textile.
Discharge colors shift during curing. The wet color will look different from the final cured result. Always evaluate color accuracy from fully-cured, cooled test prints — never from wet or flash-cured samples.
Garment color affects the result. The same ink formula will look different on a white tee vs. a heather gray tee. On dark garments, discharge removes the dye first, so the starting shirt color is less relevant — but the dye itself affects how completely it discharges.
Different shirt brands discharge differently. Gildan, Bella+Canvas, Comfort Colors, Next Level — each brand uses different dye processes. Some discharge beautifully to a clean white. Others discharge to an off-white or cream. Always test your specific shirt brand before production.
ALPHA SERIES TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
| Specification | Water-Based Mode | Discharge Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh Count | Up to 230 (90 cm) | Up to 230 (90 cm) |
| Cure Temperature | 320°F (160°C) | 320°F (160°C) — minimum 2 minutes |
| Flash Temperature | 160°F (71°C) | 160°F (71°C) |
| Discharge Activator | Not needed | Required — 3-8% by weight |
| Pot Life (Activated) | N/A | 12 hours once activator is mixed |
| Fabric Compatibility | Cotton, cotton-poly, polyester (with blocker underbase) | 100% cotton with reactive (dischargeable) dyes ONLY |
| Wet-on-Wet | Yes | Yes |
| Emulsion Required | Any screen printing emulsion | Water-resistant emulsion (Chromaline CPTex, Hydro-X, or similar) |
| Squeegee | 70-75 durometer recommended | 70-75 durometer recommended |
| Storage | 65°F to 95°F (18°C to 35°C). Avoid direct sunlight. Keep containers sealed. | |
| Cleanup | Water and mild soap. Clean immediately after use — dried ink is difficult to remove. | |
| Certifications | PVC-free. OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 (safe for infant skin contact). CPSIA compliant. HR4040 compliant. No phthalates, no heavy metals, no formaldehyde. | |
Critical Handling Rule
Alpha Series inks MUST be mixed in clean vessels using clean mixing blades and utensils. Any contamination from other ink sources or non-approved additives could cause Alpha inks to test positive for restricted PVCs. This is not optional — it is a requirement to maintain the ink’s PVC-free and OEKO-TEX certification. Use dedicated containers and utensils for Matsui products.
MATSUI ADDITIVES — THE COMPLETE GUIDE FOR ALPHA SERIES
Additives fine-tune Alpha’s behavior on press. They solve specific problems: ink drying in the screen, prints not surviving the wash, stiff hand feel, wrong viscosity. You do NOT need all of them. Start with Quick Additive (the all-in-one), then add individual additives as your printing demands require.
Quick Additive — The All-in-One
Add 6-9% by weightWhat it does: Combines Retarder, Fixer, and Softener into a single product. Slows drying on the screen, improves wash fastness, and softens the hand feel — all at once. This is the additive most shops should start with.
When to use it: Every print job. Especially when you are new to water-based ink and don’t want to manage three separate additives. Add 6-9% by weight to your Alpha ink, mix, and print. Simplest possible additive workflow.
Recommended for: Every shop, every job. The default additive.
Retarder MG — Prevents Drying on Screen
Add 1-3% by weightWhat it does: Slows the evaporation rate of water in the ink. This keeps the ink wet and open on the screen longer, preventing it from drying in the mesh and clogging your stencil. The #1 complaint from shops new to water-based ink is “the ink dries in my screen.” Retarder MG solves that.
When to use it: Hot or dry environments (summer, desert climates, shops without A/C). Long print runs where the screen sits idle between pulls. Fine-detail stencils (high mesh counts, small openings) where clogs are more likely. Manual presses where print speed is slower than automatic.
How it helps: Extends open time on the screen by 30-60+ seconds depending on concentration. Does not affect cure temperature or final print quality. Use more (up to 5%) in extreme conditions, but note that too much retarder can cause ink to feel tacky before curing.
Problem it solves: “My ink keeps drying in the screen.”
Fixer WF-N — Improves Wash Fastness
Add 1-3% by weightWhat it does: Cross-links the ink film during curing, creating a stronger chemical bond between the ink and the fabric fibers. This means the print survives more wash cycles without fading, cracking, or peeling. “WF” stands for Wash Fastness.
When to use it: Any garment that will be washed repeatedly (which is most garments). Especially important for: athletic/performance wear, work uniforms, children’s clothing, and any order where the customer has wash durability requirements. Not technically required for every job, but strongly recommended for professional output.
How it helps: Prints without Fixer may fade noticeably after 15-20 washes. With Fixer WF-N, prints maintain color and integrity for 50+ washes. The difference is most visible on dark garments and saturated colors.
Problem it solves: “My prints fade after a few washes.”
Softener MG — Softer Hand Feel
Add 1-5% by weightWhat it does: Improves ink penetration into the garment fibers, reducing the amount of ink sitting on the fabric surface. Less surface ink = softer hand feel. Also improves fabric drape — the printed area moves and folds like unprinted fabric instead of feeling stiff.
When to use it: Premium retail orders where hand feel is critical. Fashion brands. Any job where the customer specs “soft hand” or “no hand feel.” Also useful on ringspun or tri-blend fabrics where surface ink is more noticeable. Use higher concentrations (3-5%) for ultra-soft results.
How it helps: Turns a good water-based print into a premium print. The difference between “this feels like a nice tee” and “I can’t even feel the print.” Particularly effective on discharge prints where the goal is zero hand feel.
Problem it solves: “The print feels too thick / stiff.”
Fixer L — Low-Cure Wash Fastness
Add 1-3% by weightWhat it does: Same cross-linking function as Fixer WF-N, but engineered for lower cure temperatures. If your dryer cannot reliably hold 320°F — or if you are curing heat-sensitive fabrics that cannot tolerate full temperature — Fixer L achieves wash fastness at reduced cure temps.
When to use it: Electric conveyor dryers that struggle to maintain 320°F consistently. Heat-sensitive fabrics (some synthetics, sublimated garments where you need to avoid reactivating the sublimation dyes). Small shops using heat presses instead of conveyor dryers. Any situation where you suspect undercuring.
Problem it solves: “My dryer can’t hit 320°F” or “prints wash out even though I think I’m curing correctly.”
Thickener B — Increases Viscosity
Add 0.25-1% by weightWhat it does: Makes the ink thicker and more viscous. Increases the body of the ink so it sits higher on the fabric surface instead of soaking in. Also reduces ink spread through the mesh, which can sharpen fine detail.
When to use it: Ink feels too thin or runny. Ink is bleeding through the mesh or spreading beyond the stencil edges. You need a heavier ink deposit (more opaque result). Printing on highly absorbent fabrics where the ink soaks in too fast. Use sparingly — a little goes a long way (0.25% increments).
Problem it solves: “My ink is too thin / runny / bleeds through the screen.”
RV Additive — Reduces Viscosity
Add 1-3% by weightWhat it does: Makes the ink thinner and more fluid. Reduces the body of the ink so it flows through the mesh more easily. Useful when ink is too thick to print cleanly through high mesh counts or fine-detail stencils.
When to use it: Ink feels too thick to push through the screen. Printing through high mesh (200+ mesh) where the ink needs to be thinner to pass cleanly. Very fine detail, small text, or halftone prints. Hot climates where you want faster ink flow. Simulated process printing where you need thin, even ink deposits.
Problem it solves: “My ink is too thick / won’t push through the screen cleanly.”
Discharge Activator — Triggers the Discharge Reaction
Add 3-8% by weight • REQUIRED for discharge modeWhat it does: This is NOT optional for discharge printing. Discharge Activator is the chemical that triggers the dye-removal reaction. Without it, Alpha ink in discharge mode is just water-based ink — it will not remove any garment dye. With it, the chemistry removes the shirt color and replaces it with your Alpha color.
When to use it: Every single time you print Alpha in discharge mode on dark 100% cotton. There is no alternative. No activator = no discharge. Period.
How to use it: Weigh the activator at 3-8% of your total ink weight. Some printers dissolve the activator powder in a small amount of water first before adding to the ink. Mix thoroughly. The ink is now activated with a 12-hour pot life — mix only what you will use within that window. Leftover activated ink cannot be saved.
Problem it solves: Nothing — this is required. No activator means no discharge printing.
Additive Stacking — Can I Use Multiple Additives Together?
Yes, but keep total additive percentage reasonable. A typical professional combination: 2% Retarder MG + 2% Fixer WF-N + 2% Softener MG = 6% total. Or just use 6-9% Quick Additive (which combines all three). If you are also adding Discharge Activator, the activator percentage is ON TOP of the additive percentage. Example: 6% Quick Additive + 5% Discharge Activator = 11% total additives. This is fine and expected.
Rule of thumb: Do not exceed 15% total additives (including activator). Beyond that, you are diluting the ink too much and color saturation will suffer. If you need that much additive, you likely have an environmental or equipment issue (check your shop temperature, dryer calibration, and screen tension).
UNDERBASE BLOCKERS — HOW TO PRINT ALPHA ON DARK FABRICS WITHOUT DISCHARGE
When you can’t discharge (wrong fabric, polyester, blends), you need a white underbase. But dark garment dyes migrate upward through water-based ink and stain your white. Blockers prevent this. Matsui uses a tiered system — start at Level 1 and escalate only if needed.
Under Base Blocker Gray
Default starting point. Use on dark cotton garments. Screen print Blocker Gray as the first layer, flash, then print 301W-B HO White over it, flash again, then print your Alpha color on top. The gray layer blocks dye migration from reaching the white.
Under Base Blocker Black LG
For polyester, poly-blends, and garments with aggressive dye migration that Blocker Gray can’t stop. The darker formulation blocks more aggressively. Same workflow: Blocker → flash → White → flash → Alpha color.
Kombat Blocker / Kombat Black
Nuclear option. For sublimation-printed polyester where the sublimation dyes are the most aggressive migrators in screen printing. If Blocker Gray and Black LG both fail, Kombat will stop it. Use Kombat Black when printing on dark polyester with extreme dye migration.
The 48-Hour Dye Migration Test
Dye migration is not always visible immediately. Print your test, cure fully at 320°F, and then wait 48 hours before evaluating. Dye migration continues to develop for up to 48 hours after curing. If you see any pink, yellow, or color bleed-through after 48 hours, escalate to the next blocker level. If you evaluate too early, you may approve a print that fails a week later.
ALPHA SERIES vs. INFINITY SERIES — SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON
| Feature | Alpha Series | Infinity Series |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ready-for-Use complete ink | Ready-for-Use complete ink |
| Discharge Capable? | YES (add activator) | L NO |
| Pantone Matching | Pantone Book — no software | Pantone Book — no software |
| Max Mesh | Up to 230 | Up to 305 (finer detail) |
| Finish | Semi-gloss | Matte |
| Colors | 16 + Trans White + Spot Black | 17 + 4-color CMYK process set |
| 4-Color Process CMYK? | L No | Yes (separate CMYK set) |
| Cure Temp | 320°F (160°C) | 320°F (160°C) |
| Best For | Shops that want WB + discharge from one system. Simplest transition from plastisol. | Shops that only need water-based (no discharge). Prefer matte finish and finer mesh capability. |
MATSUI ALPHA SERIES — FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No. Alpha Series inks are complete, ready-for-use inks. Open the container and print. No base, no pigment concentrate, no mixing calculations. This is the key difference between Alpha (RFU) and Neo Pigments (which DO require a separate base). Alpha IS the ink.
Black C is a mixing black — it prints as dark gray, not true black. Its job is to darken other colors in Pantone formulas. If your Pantone recipe calls for “Black,” use Black C. Spot Black is dedicated opaque true black for solid prints, text, and logos. If a customer wants black ink on their shirt, use Spot Black. Rule: mixing = Black C, printing black = Spot Black.
Yes, in water-based mode with an underbase. Print Under Base Blocker Black LG first to prevent dye migration, flash, then 301W-B HO White, flash, then Alpha color on top. You CANNOT discharge polyester — discharge only works on 100% cotton with reactive dyes.
12 hours. Once you add Discharge Activator to Alpha ink, you have a 12-hour window to print. After that, the chemistry degrades and discharge performance drops significantly. Mix only what you will use within that window. Leftover activated ink cannot be saved or reactivated.
Add 1-3% Retarder MG to your ink. This slows evaporation and keeps the ink open on the screen longer. In hot or dry environments, use up to 5%. Also: keep your screens flooded between prints, avoid long pauses, and consider adding a small fan blowing AWAY from the screen (not across it, which accelerates drying).
Add 1-3% Fixer WF-N. Also verify you are curing at the correct temperature — 320°F for the full width of your dryer belt. Undercuring is the #1 cause of wash failure. Use a temperature probe or heat tape to verify your actual dryer temperature (not just the thermostat setting). If you have a weak dryer, add Fixer L instead.
A water-resistant emulsion. Standard diazo emulsion will break down when exposed to water-based discharge ink. We recommend Chromaline CPTex or Hydro-X. These hold up to water-based and discharge inks while maintaining fine detail resolution.
Alpha is designed as a spot-color Pantone mixing system, not a CMYK process system. For 4-color process (CMYK) printing, use the Infinity Series 4-Color Process set, which includes dedicated Process Cyan, Process Magenta, Process Yellow, and Process Black formulated for halftone dot accuracy at 305 mesh.
No. Open your Pantone Formula Guide to any color swatch. The mixing formula is printed right there showing which Alpha colors to combine and at what percentages. Weigh on a gram scale, mix, and print. No computer, no CMS software, no learning curve. The only Matsui system that requires software is Neo Pigments (because the pigment-to-base ratios vary by base type).
Alpha can do both water-based AND discharge printing. Infinity is water-based only and cannot discharge. Alpha prints through up to 230 mesh with a semi-gloss finish. Infinity prints through up to 305 mesh with a matte finish and also offers a 4-color CMYK process set. Both use Pantone book formulas with no software. Choose Alpha if you need discharge capability. Choose Infinity if you only need water-based and prefer matte finish with finer detail.
Yes. Alpha is PVC-free, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified at the highest safety grade (Annex 6 — safe for infant skin contact), CPSIA compliant, and HR4040 compliant. Zero phthalates, zero heavy metals, zero formaldehyde. It meets or exceeds every major children’s product safety standard in the US and EU.
READY TO PRINT WITH MATSUI ALPHA SERIES?
The only ready-for-use ink that does water-based AND discharge. Match any Pantone color with just a book and a scale. PVC-free. OEKO-TEX certified. Free shipping over $200. Same-day shipping before 3:30 PM CT.