Insta-Cure Directions

First, INSTA-CURE Laser Powder from Therm-O-Boss will not require refrigeration or special shipping.  It is a totally new product developed especially for thermographers who want a laser-safe finish that is non abrasive, flexible, and easy to use, with an unlimited shelf life & NO odor or post curing time needed.  Please, be careful to follow these directions for best results.

  INKS:  While Acrylic inks seem to work slightly better, virtually any ink you would normally use for thermography such as rubber base, oil, and soy inks should work just fine with Insta-Cure.   No special inks are required.

  PAPER:  Just about any kind of paper you would normally use for thermography will also work with INSTA-CURE Laser Powders.  NOTE:   Putting your entire ream of paper in the microwave on high for about 4 minutes FIRST gets rid of any left over water vapor in the paper, and helps obtain a smoother finish & faster running times.  Works for standard thermography also.

  FINISH:  INSTA-CURE comes in a high gloss.   It is available in the 3 standard granulation sizes of 11, 14, & 18, or mixes.

  HEAT & SPEED SETTINGS:  For a Therm-O-Type 450 Series, use these settings:  Set speed at about 30% and heat at about 70%.  (exact settings may vary with different machines and paper.)  BELT SPEED should start at HALF that of regular thermography.  Try turning off the TOP heater if you can.  You can leave the cooling unit on.  For a VIRK-O-TYPE gas unit, these burner settings work best:  1 = OFF    2 = 1/2     3 = 3/4    4 = 100%    Overall, expect to use about 30% LESS heat.

  Put the INSTA-CURE powder in the hopper, and let it circulate for at least 5 minutes to "warm up" the powder in the machine before using.

  Run your job, remembering that the settings on your machine may vary somewhat from job to job depending on your machine and the paper you use.   Slower is better!

  CURE TEST:  This test should be done on all jobs before sending the job out to your customers!  Get some scotch tape, and rub down HARD over a part of the thermographed image, then pull it off.  If it comes up clean, it is fully cured, if not, your speed is TOO FAST!  Also, a dull or rough finish means it in not fully cured.  Run it through again at a SLOWER SPEED.  It should look fairly glossy and smooth.

  Let your job sit for at least 20 minutes (cool down phase) before running it through a laser printer or copy machine, or to give it to your customer.

NOTE:  Overprinting the thermographed Insta-Cure image with copier toner may produce transient "ghost" images of whatever you may be accidentally printing over in the copy machine.  Avid doing this when making copies.

  Insta-Cure Laser Powder works best with longer heat tunnels.