Q＆A
Paste Gold
When screen printing on transfer paper, striped patterns can be seen.
The squeegee (the tool used to transfer paint through the mesh) may be damaged, so please replace the squeegee or scrape the old squeegee.
The printed pattern looks faded.
Insufficient pressure of the squeegee is possible, so please replace the squeegee or scrape the old squeegee.
The outlines of the printed pattern are blurred and appear to bleed.
The paste may be too diluted, so please open the container lid and allow the solvent or diluent to evaporate.
Spots of color are missing or peeling.
The substrate may be contaminated with dust, fingerprints, water droplets, etc., so please print when the substrate is clean.
Small holes (pinholes) have appeared in the printed material.
There are fine residues above or below the screen, so please wipe the screen clean once.
After firing, the color of gold or platinum becomes whitish or blackish in some areas, and good coloration is not achieved.
The air volume in the kiln has decreased and ventilation is not working well. Please increase the air volume in the kiln to improve ventilation.
The temperature rise from 200°C to 400°C is too fast, so please reduce the heating speed.
There are too many items in the kiln, causing poor air flow, so please reduce the number of items and fire again.
Cracks have appeared after firing.
Surface contamination is affecting this, so please ensure the substrate is clean before application.
Moisture may remain under the decal (transfer paper), so press the squeegee carefully to dry it.
If applied too thickly, Gold may peel easily, so please apply it evenly and thinly.
The substrate may be incompatible with the Paste Gold, so please use Paste Gold suitable for the substrate. (We can guide you to the Paste Gold that matches your substrate, so please contact us once.)
Hairline cracks have appeared after firing
The decal (transfer paper) has been stretched too much, so please use a flexible screen printing cover coat as needed.
The water used to soak the decal may be too cold, or it may have been applied to a cold substrate, so please warm the water and the substrate slightly.
After firing, the adhesion of the gold is weak.
The firing temperature is too low, so please raise it to 700°C or higher.
The layer of Paste Gold is too thin, so if possible, change to a coarser mesh screen or use a paste with a higher gold content.
After firing, the color has changed.
Discoloration occurs when it is adjacent to or overlaps with certain overglaze paints. Therefore, if possible, avoid direct adjacency, or leave a certain gap, and print paints that do not interfere with either the gold or the paints.
