Glass, Metal and Industrial

Glass is the most unforgiving substrate in decoration: chemically inert, non-porous and carrying a high-energy, hydroxyl-rich surface that bonds readily to water but not to organic resins. Traditional decoration relied on ceramic enamels fired at 550–620 °C. Modern organic screen inks reach the same dishwasher, scratch and chemical resistance through silane coupling chemistry, controlled cure shrinkage and exclusion of water from the interface.

Metal, plastics and moulded parts follow the same logic with different chemistry: high-adhesion one-pack and two-pack systems for metal, and pad printing inks matched to the surface energy of the plastic, from easy ABS and PC at 39–46 mN/m to hostile untreated polypropylene near 29–31.