International Coatings and Viz Reflectives unveiled the Optilux ink and transfer systems for the garment and textile industries. The ink and transfer products contain microscopic glass beads that reflect light in a mirror-like way. The companies say the retro-reflectivity of the product is best displayed when a garment printed with Optilux 505 ink or decorated with the transfer system is exposed to a focused beam of light, such as a flashlight or an automobile headlight. The glass beads reflect light back to the light source. Optilux 505 Reflective ink can be printed on various substrates, including cotton and/or polyester fabrics and some nylons. The ink can be printed as-is, mixed with a shimmer product, or on top of other colors. It also can be printed through fine meshes. Optilux 505 Ultra Reflective ink can be used as a decorative tool to increase nighttime visibility of a printed design. The Optilux transfer system, which consists of the 950 transfer adhesive formulated for the 901 reflective transfer sheet, reportedly is exceptionally bright and offers a soft hand and outstanding detail. The transfer sheets contain glass beads featuring the same wide-angled, retro-reflective lenses found in the ink system, but are temporarily bonded to a polyester substrate. The companies say applied transfers should produce a bright, 500-candlepower, reflective light. International Coatings, 13929 E. 166th St.,
Cerritos, CA 90702-7666, 562-926-1010, fax: 562-926-9486, Web: www.iccink.com.