ACMI’s Catalog
ACMI offers a wide variety of coding and marking inks for an ever expanding list of applications. We have highlighted some of these ink categories and applications below. To learn more, click on the one that interests you. If you don’t see your application listed, we encourage you to email your requirements with the aid of the Ink Request Worksheet.
Product Data Sheets available in *pdf by clicking on the ink number.
 |
|---|
Industrial Inks
General Purpose Liquid Ink
General Purpose Paste Ink
Stamp Pad Ink, Porous
Stamp Pad Ink, Non-porous
Carton Coding Ink
Stencil Ink
FDA Ingredient Ink
Meat Branding Ink
Hog Tattoo Ink
Denaturant
Non-FDA Food Package Ink
Textile Marking Ink
Invisible Ink
Jet Printing Ink
Polyvinyl Chloride Marking Ink
Water Base Flexographic Ink
Miscellaneous Ink and Products
High Temperature Resistant Ink
Alcohol Resistant Ink
Reconditioners
Epoxy Inks
Marking Accessories
Stamp Pads
Stencil Rollers
Brayer Roller
Vinyl Plate
Refillable Markers
Miscellaneous
Glossary – Definitions of terms found in catalog
Viscosity Guidelines
Equivalency Chart
 | ACMI offers a selection of general purpose liquid inks |
| For marking film, foil, plastic, metal, glass, and other nonporous substrates |
| Variety of application methods including air sprayer, felt stamp pad, flexographic printer and other printing methods using rubber type |
| Available in a variety of dry times |
| Pad life relative to dry time |
| #100 and #700 will print through thin layers of moisture |
| ACMI offers selection of general purpose paste inks (#6403 1st choice to test) |
| Designed to be applied by direct or offset printing machines or by rubber stamp from a thin draw down, suitable for bottom coding |
| For marking glass, metal, plastics and paper stock, both coated and uncoated |
| Very stable inks with excellent color development |
| Available in a variety of dry times, generally set to touch overnight |
| Cure or fully reacted in 1-2 weeks |
| Dry and cure times can be enhanced with application of heat to a maximum of 160 degrees F., for example heat gun or heat tunnel |
| Rubber stamp marking, excellent pad life |
| Paper, corrugated, wood and other porous substrates |
| Stamp pad, flexographic printer or other method using rubber type |
| Variety of dry times |
| Rubber stamp marking from cloth covered felt pad |
| Plastics, metal, glass, film, foil and other nonporous substrates |
| Pad life relative to inks dry time |
| ACMI offers selection of inks for carton coding |
| For porous substrates such as corrugated cartons, paper bags and labels |
| Formulated to give trouble free, clear, vivid marks |
| Vary in dry time |
| Applications include stamp pad, hand roller, reservoir roll or roll impregnation for use in inline coders and carton printing |
| Water base |
| #18D, more intense colors |
| ACMI offers a large selection of stencil inks |
| For porous and nonporous substrates |
| Available in a variety of dry time |
| High viscosity inks available for stencil roller with pad or brush |
| Low viscosity inks available for fountain brush or roller with valve |
| Stencil inks which certify to CID A-A-208B, formerly TT-I-1795 |
| ACMI inks formulated with FDA Listed ingredients |
| Limited contact with food |
| Available in a variety of dry times for porous and nonporous substrates |
| #1, #31, #401 and #403 are NSF Registered inks, USDA approved |
| Direct marking on meat and poultry food products |
| Low viscosity and identical except for color and ink # |
| Violet most often used for meat inspection and grading |
| #403 Green same formulation as #403 Red with exception of FD&C dyes used |
| NSF Registered ink, USDA approved |
| High Viscosity blue Tattoo ink for marking meat and poultry food products |
| Sprayed on inedible meats & poultry |
| Concentrate: Dilute 3 parts water : 1 part ink |
| Also available in ready to use formulation |
| #63 Blue, Green, Red & Yellow |
| ACMI offers Non-FDA inks |
| An effective barrier should exist between the ink marking and the food |
| No reasonable chance that the food will come in contact with the ink |
| Standard frozen food ink (#100) |
| Standard grocery ink (#150) |
| Available in a variety of dry times |
| Nonporous substrates such as coated paper, cellophane, plastic wrappers, waxed paper, polyethylene, metal, enamel and glass |
| #100 and #700 will print through thin layers of moisture |
| Laundry Marking/Dry cleaning ink, low odor |
| Suitable for use in stamp pads and automatic coding machines |
| Lightfast and resistant to dry cleaning fluids and detergents |
| Print on wide variety of synthetic and natural fabrics |
| #2000, bleach resistant |
| Parachutes and other textiles |
| Meet CID A-A-59291, formerly MIL-I-6903c |
| #2043, #2053 & #2063 meet spec. with exceptions |
| Variety of dry times and application methods |
| Waterproof, lightfast and laundry resistant |
| ACMI offers a selection of dye based invisible inks |
| Designed to fluoresce when exposed to 380nm UV light |
| Porous and Nonporous substrates |
| Available in a variety of dry times and application methods |
| Standard blue fluorescence has a maximum of 450nm |
| Porous Substrates | Nonporous Substrates |
| #505-pen or spray | #501-pen or spray |
| #506-stamp pad or self inker | #521-brighter version #501 |
| #507-corrugated | #504-stamp pad (#400 type) |
| #508-on hands (OK in pen) | #514-brighter version #504 |
| #518-on hands (resists chlorine) | #512-fast dry (#100 type) |
| #528-slower dry #508, porous only, not on hands | #515-for coder |
| #522-label printing (#212 type) | #516-for coder/pad |
| #541-printer ribbons (#4221 type) | #526-brighter version #516 |
| #556-textiles (#1156A type) | #517-stamp pad (#700 type) |
| #535-vinyl marking (#3100 type) |
ACMI has handheld Black Lights available for purchase, rated at
7000 hours of normal use. They emit long waves at 300-400nm.
| ACMI offers selection of Jet Printing Inks |
| Available for Drop-on-Demand or Continuous Stream |
| Porous and Nonporous substrates |
| Fast drying, non-feathering |
Polyvinyl Chloride Marking Ink
| Excellent adhesion to rigid and flexible PVC-acetate copolymer surfaces |
| Variety of dry times available |
| Available for several methods of application |
| All pigmented and some dye based colors non-bleeding, waterproof, with excellent colorfastness to heat and light |
| #3110 can be certified to MIL-I-43295 |
| ACMI # | Pigment / Dye | Application Method | Dry Time |
| #3100 | pigment | rubber stamp or stencil | 1 1/2 min. |
| #3101 | pigment | rubber stamp or stencil | 45 sec. |
| #3102 | pigment | rubber stamp or stencil | 30-45 sec. |
| #3103 | pigment | silk screen | 3 min. |
| #3104 | dye | rubber stamp or stencil | 1 1/2 min. |
| #3106 | pigment | rubber stamp or stencil | 3 – 4 min. |
| #3109 | pigment | silk screen or machine printing | 3 – 4 min. |
| #3110 | pigment | rubber stamp or stencil | 1-1 1/2 min. |
| #3116 | pigment–mstheme–> | roller or flexographic printer | 30 sec. |
| ACMI offers a selection of water base flexographic inks |
| Available in a variety of dry times |
| For marking paper, plastic packaging, Tyvek and corrugated |
| Several special application inks available |
| ACMI # | Relative Dry Time | Special Application |
| #5300 | fast | Catalytic converter, mark designed to burn off |
| #5301 | <10 sec. porous 20 sec. nonporous | Catalytic converter, mark designed to burn off |
| #5305 | <10 sec. porous 3 1/2 min. nonporous | air brush on doll heads |
| #5306 | medium fast | lower viscosity |
| #5307 | <10 sec. porous 4-4 1/2 min. nonporous | single dose foil packs higher viscosity & faster dry #5305 |
| #5392 | fast | for asphalt roofing material |
| #5395 | medium fast | for asphalt roofing material |
| #5401 | <10 sec. porous 30-45 sec. nonporous | marking ceramic parts, resists 200 degrees F. |
Miscellaneous Ink and Products
Felt Tip Pen Ink
| ACMI #4104 |
| Designed to be used in refillable felt tip pens |
| Good intensity of color |
| Dries fast on all surfaces |
| Particularly good adhesion to tough to write on surfaces |
| Compatible with other aromatic hydrocarbon based inks |
Fluorescent Inks
| ACMI offers a variety of standard fluorescent inks |
| Made with special fluorescent colorants |
| Bright, extremely visible impression in daylight |
| In dim light, visible under black light |
| Currently available for porous and nonporous substrates |
| Variety of application methods |
| Most of ACMI standard inks can be converted to fluorescent colors |
| ACMI #7040 |
| Promotes the adhesion of double coated acrylic transfer tape (PSA) to difficult to bond surfaces |
| Can be used on silicone, fluorocarbon, fluorosilicone and various thermoplastics |
| Allows a variety of transfer tapes to be used to obtain the desired peel strength |
| Shelf Life 6 months |
| Made to order, not returnable |
High Temperature Resistant Ink
| Excellent resistance to high temperature |
| Require proper curing |
| Suitable for nonporous substrates such as metals, glass and ceramics |
| ACMI offers alcohol resistant inks |
| For nonporous substrates |
| Varying dry time |
| Application by rubber stamp |
Most inks occasionally require thinning, especially the rapid air
drying varieties. ACMI reconditioners are designed to dilute the
ink, or replace evaporated solvents, without changing drying and
other properties of the ink.
Ink in stamp pads will lose solvents when the pads are left open.
ACMI recommends using a small amount of reconditioner on the
stamp pad as necessary and especially before storage. Stamp
pads should be stored in tightly sealed plastic storage bags, when
not in use.
ACMI #6000 cleaner is specifically formulated to remove fresh and
partially cured Epoxy ink from stamps, printing machinery and
substrates. The ink will become very difficult to remove if you wait
too long. Each ACMI epoxy has a thinner specifically formulated
for it. To prevent poor adhesion, print quality or solve resistance,
use only the proper thinner sparingly. Age thickened Epoxy ink
should not be thinned, just discarded. The chemical reaction
has progressed, and it is time to obtain a fresh batch.
See the individual ink Data Sheet for the recommended
reconditioner. ACMI does not recommend use of thinners other
than the on formulated for the particular ink. Use of other thinners
may adversely effect the ink.
| For all applications requiring a high degree of permanency |
| Fast curing properties |
| Superior adhesion to nonporous surfaces – glass, epoxy, metal, etc. |
| Virtually impervious to abrasion and flux removing solvents |
| Available in a wide range of colors, including EIA standard colors |
| Special colors available on request ACMI #6050 Clipak available in black and white |
| Two-Component Air or Heat Cure Meets: CID A-A-56032D Type I, II & III Formerly: MIL-I-43553b | One-Component Heat Cure Meets Required Performance For: CID A-A-56032D Type I & II * Also Certifies to Type III |
| #6050-semi-paste #6057-slower air dry #6060-slowest air dry #6051-silk screen #6058-slower air dry #6061-slowest air dry | #6100-semi-paste #6101-silk screen version #6102-dip coding version *#6600-thicker semi-paste *#6601-silk screen version #6602–dip coding version |
Stamp Pads
| Available in foam or cloth covered felt |
| Available sizes are #1 (2 ½ x 4), #2 (3 x 6), #3 (4 x 7) |
Stencil Rollers
| Standard size is 3” x 2” stencil roller with handle |
| Replacement rollers are also available |
Brayer Roller
| A 4” hard rubber brayer roller is available for spreading epoxy ink onto a glass, metal or vinyl plate. |
Vinyl Plate
| A 6” x 6” vinyl plate is available for use with the brayer roller. |
Refillable Markers
| Available in 2 types. Starmarker Superline Marker |
ACMI: American Coding and Marking Ink, your favorite ink manufacturer.
Adhesion: The attraction or force which holds unlike molecules together.
Chalking: Powdering of ink which has not adhered properly.
CID: Commercial Item Description
Cured: An ink is considered cured when it is fully reacted. Some inks cure at room temperature and some require baking to cure. Performance requirements of an ink refer to the cured ink.
Data Sheet: Information and specifications on a particular ACMI ink.
Draw down: A thin film of ink spread on paper to evaluate its shade.
Dry time: Evaporation of solvents to the point of handling. Dry time can be effected by room temperature as well as thickness of the ink print.
Dye: A soluble coloring material.
Fastness: Resistance of color to fading.
Fed. Std. 595: Federal color standard, 1st number refers to degree of gloss. 1=gloss, 2=semi-gloss, 3=lusterless
Flashpoint: The lowest temperature at which flammable liquids will give a flash on exposure to a flame.
Fluorescent ink: Ink with extreme brightness qualities which react to ultraviolet light.
Induction period: The waiting period after a 2-part ink is mixed, prior to being ready for use.
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet.
Nonporous: Without pores such as glass, metal, plastic, coated paper and some textiles.
pH: A means of expressing the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a solution
1(acid)———————————-7(neutral)—————————-14(alkaline)
Pure distilled water, which is neutral, has a pH of 7.
Pigment: An insoluble coloring material.
Porous: Having pores as in paper, corrugated, wood, skin and some textiles.
Pot life: The time frame during which a 2-part ink can be used after mixing.
Reconditioner: An ink specific mixture of solvents used for thinning the ink or replacing evaporated solvents.
Room temperature: 68 degrees F. + or – 15 degrees.
Shelf life: The recommended life span of an ink in storage.
Specific gravity: The density of a mixture relative to water.
Substrate: The surface or material on which the ink is applied.
Viscosity: Resistance to flow; tackiness. Can be measured in centipoise or cps, water=1cps; whereas, honey=10,000 cps.
The following chart comprises the consistency for a variety of commonly used household materials at room temperature.
| Viscosity in Centipoise | Similar in Viscosity |
| 1 | Water |
| 500 | #10 motor oil |
| 2,500 | Pancake syrup |
| 10,000 | Honey |
| 25,000 | Chocolate Syrup |
| 50,000 | Catsup |
| 250,000 | Peanut Butter |
| 1,000,000 | Paste-Caulking |
1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces (or) 4 quarts (or) approximately 4 liters
1 quart = 32 fluid ounces (or) 2 pints (or) approximately 1 liter
1 Liter = 1000 ml (or) 33.8 ounces
1 pint = 16 fluid ounces
1 ounce = 30cc
ACMI #6050 Epoxy 10cc clipak = 1/3 ounce
