Metallic Printing

Metallic inks add premium value to screen printing work, but they're some of the most misused products in the trade. Gold that tarnishes in a week. Silver that looks grey instead of mirror-bright. Scratch ink that won't scratch off cleanly. We've seen every failure mode. The products work beautifully when handled correctly. The key is understanding the chemistry. These are metal powders, not magic dust, and they have specific requirements.

Gold Powder & Paste

Metallic gold printing paste for screen printing. Gold printing powder is a copper-zinc alloy (brass, not real gold). The alloy ratio determines the shade. 90% copper / 10% zinc gives a pale, warm gold. 70% copper / 30% zinc gives a richer, deeper gold. Gold paste is these same metal flakes pre-dispersed in a compatible binder, ready to print. Powder is for printers who mix their own ink. Paste is for convenience and consistency.

Where it's used

Wedding invitations, festival greeting cards, religious prints, premium packaging, certificate borders, award certificates, trophy printing, decorative signage. Gold printing is deeply embedded in Indian printing culture. From Onam festival cards to Vishu greetings to wedding work, printers in Kerala run gold ink year-round.

How to use it right

If using powder, mix into a compatible varnish or binder at the ratio recommended by the manufacturer, typically 25-40% powder by weight. Mix only what you'll use in a session. Print through 43T-62T mesh because metallic flakes are large particles and will clog finer mesh. Apply a clear overprint varnish after the gold has dried to prevent oxidation and tarnishing. This step is not optional for any print that needs to look good past the first week.

Watch out for

Oxidation is the enemy of gold ink. Brass tarnishes when exposed to air, moisture, and acidic conditions. Without a protective overprint varnish, gold prints will darken and dull within days to weeks depending on humidity. We've seen printers skip the varnish to save time and cost, then deal with angry clients when the wedding cards turn greenish. Also, don't use gold powder with nitrocellulose or epoxy-based binders. Certain resins react with copper and accelerate tarnishing. Use only recommended varnishes.

Storage & handling

Store powder in airtight containers. Exposure to air starts the oxidation process even before printing. Gold paste has a longer working life than powder because the binder provides some protective encapsulation, but still keep it sealed. Use within 6-12 months. In Kerala's humidity, moisture control is critical. Store with desiccant if your workspace isn't climate-controlled.

Silver Powder & Paste

Aluminium flakes for metallic screen printing effects, milled to produce a metallic silver appearance. Two types: leafing and non-leafing. With leafing aluminium, the flakes float to the surface of the ink film during drying, orienting parallel to the surface, creating a bright, mirror-like reflective finish. With non-leafing aluminium, the flakes remain distributed throughout the binder film, giving a satin, muted metallic look with better durability and rub resistance. Silver paste is pre-mixed with compatible binder. Powder is for custom mixing.

Where it's used

Packaging, decorative printing, signage, product labelling, promotional materials. Leafing silver for maximum visual impact where the print won't get heavy handling. Non-leafing silver where durability matters, like product labels, packaging that gets stacked and shipped, items that get handled repeatedly.

How to use it right

Similar to gold powder. Mix into recommended varnish at 20-35% by weight. Print through 43T-62T mesh. For leafing silver, print in one smooth pass and don't overwork it. Disturbing the ink film after printing disrupts the flake orientation and dulls the mirror effect. For non-leafing, multiple passes are acceptable. Overprint varnish is less critical for silver than gold (aluminium forms a passive oxide layer that protects it), but still recommended for outdoor or high-wear applications.

Watch out for

Aluminium powder is flammable. Fine aluminium dust in air is an explosion risk. Not theoretical, it's a real industrial hazard. Don't create dust clouds when handling powder. Don't use near open flames or heat sources. Store away from oxidizers. Silver paste is safer because the powder is already wet with binder. Also, leafing silver is more fragile. It looks spectacular but scratches easily because all the metal is on the surface. Non-leafing is tougher.

Storage & handling

Airtight containers. Aluminium powder in dry form is particularly sensitive to moisture because wet aluminium reacts slowly but surely. 12-18 months for paste, shorter for powder depending on storage conditions. Keep cool and dry.

Common Questions

Will gold ink tarnish after printing?

Yes, unless you overprint with a protective clear varnish. Gold ink is made from brass (copper-zinc alloy), and brass oxidises when exposed to air and moisture. In Kerala's humid climate, unprotected gold prints can start showing tarnish within 3-7 days. The bright gold turns dark and eventually greenish. Fix is simple: always apply a clear overprint varnish as a final step. This seals the metal flakes from the atmosphere and preserves the gold appearance for months to years depending on the varnish quality and exposure conditions.

What's the correct layer order for scratch-off cards?

Four layers, bottom to top. 1) Coated card stock (250+ GSM, must be coated, not uncoated). 2) Your hidden content, printed text, numbers, PIN codes, prize details. 3) Release varnish, applied precisely over the scratch area. This creates the non-stick barrier that allows clean scratch removal. 4) Scratch silver ink, applied in two passes if needed for full opacity. If you skip the release varnish, the scratch layer bonds permanently. If you use uncoated stock, the scratch ink absorbs into the paper. Both failures ruin the entire run.

What's the difference between leafing and non-leafing silver?

It comes down to where the aluminium flakes end up in the ink film. Leafing aluminium flakes migrate to the surface during drying, aligning parallel to the surface like tiny mirrors. You get maximum reflectivity and a bright, mirror-like silver. But because all the metal is on the surface, it scratches easily and has poor rub resistance. Non-leafing aluminium stays distributed throughout the binder. The surface is less reflective (satin rather than mirror) but significantly more durable because the metal flakes are protected by the binder on all sides. Use leafing for display prints and packaging that won't get handled much. Use non-leafing for labels, product packaging, and anything that faces friction.

Is this actual gold and silver?

No. Gold printing powder is a copper-zinc alloy (brass) milled into fine flakes. The ratio of copper to zinc determines the shade, from pale gold to rich gold. Silver printing powder is aluminium flakes. Both are designed to give a metallic appearance when printed. Real gold and silver would cost thousands per kilogram. These metallic powders cost a fraction of that and give excellent results for wedding cards, certificates, packaging, and decorative printing.

Metallic printing is where small mistakes cost the most. Wrong varnish, a missing release coat, unprotected gold that tarnishes on the shelf. We stock gold and silver in both powder and ready-mixed paste, plus scratch ink with everything you need for scratch card production. If you haven't done metallic or scratch work before, talk to us before buying. 10 minutes of advice saves a wasted print run.

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