Bestine

Formulated for thinning rubber cement, Bestine is also a most versatile cleaner. Bestine readily cleans up inks, spray adhesive, and is an exceptional parts cleaner.

Over the years, professionals have used Bestine for removing both decals and labels from all types of surfaces.

But, most important, Bestine does not dissolve most plastics.

Because of its properties, Bestine can be used to transfer type/art from a xerox printer onto glass, metal or other surface that will accept it. If you reverse the artwork before printing, and place the printout facedown onto the surface you want the artwork on, and then rub the back of the printout with Bestine the artwork will be transferred to that surface.

In a similar manner, you can distress type/art this way by “bestining” xeroxed artwork to another surface (can be the same paper) and scanning in the end result.

Proprietary: NO
Ingredient: HEPTANE
Ingredient Sequence Number: 01
Percent: 100%
NIOSH (RTECS) Number: MI7700000
CAS Number: 142-82-5
OSHA PEL: 2000 MG/CUM
ACGIH TLV: 1640 MG/CUM
Other Recommended Limit: 400 PPM

“Bestine” is also the nickname of one of the characters in Chip Kidd‘s novel The Cheese Monkeys. Professor Winter Sorbeck starts calling Mike, one of his students, “Bestine” after the first class critique: Mike’s work is the word “HOT” laid down in matches on a piece of paper; the matches are glued to the paper using rubber cement which in turn is thinned using Bestine. Sorbeck, in his brutal critique, asks Mike to light his work on fire to really express the meaning of the word. Mike mumbles, “Bestine. I used Bestine” explaining his work process to put the assignment together and upon being threatened to be failed, Mike, lights his work on fire. Afterwards Sorbeck adds, “You see, Bestine, the key to this assignment is choosing the right word. Then you go on with the proper exectution.”