Metal coatings are usually in two categories – thermoset or thermoplastic. It’s important to know which one you’re dealing with before you start printing metals, or you could end up with an expensive and upsetting mess instead of the beautifully-printed items that you were expecting.
When you have a metal with a thermoplastic coating, that coating isn’t resistant to very high heat sources. If you use an ink that has to be heat cured, the coating can re-melt during the drying process, ruining the look of the finished item. This kind of coating can also be seriously damaged by harsh solvents that are often used during the screen printing process.
To avoid these kinds of problems, get a metal with a thermoset coating, which is cured much differently and can withstand both high heat and harsh solvents. This makes a better choice for inks that have to be heat cured. As long as you pay attention to which coating you have and the properties that it possesses, you can use either one with good results.
Tags: coating, metal coating
