How to Avoid Common Printing Mistakes on Matte Black Tins: High-Quality Matte Black Tins

Some companies that ordered matte black tins have experienced issues with poor printing quality, forcing the entire company to reprint entire batches, while others have been completely scrapped due to irreparable defects. The top complaints? Faded logos, blurred text, poor contrast between light colors and the matte black surface, and misaligned graphics. For a company ordering 6,000 custom black tins, a 20% error rate means 1,200 units were wasted, enough to delay sales and erode customer trust. Printing matte black tins can be challenging, but with the right printing process, errors can be avoided. Tsing has solved these problems for hundreds of customers, and we’ll share how we can deliver high-quality matte black tins when you work with us.

Why is matte black tins printing more difficult than glossy black tins?

Why is matte black tin printing more difficult? It’s different from glossy black tins or standard metal packaging. Three key characteristics of the matte black surface make printing prone to errors:

Porous Texture: Matte black tins have a slightly rough surface (compared to the smooth, non-porous surface of glossy tins). This material absorbs ink unevenly, resulting in spotting or fading if not treated properly.

Low Reflectivity: Glossy tins reflect light, making colors more vibrant—but matte black tins absorb light, which washes out lighter inks and reduces contrast. A white logo looks striking on a glossy can, but without the right ink, it can appear dull or gray on a matte surface.

Ink Adhesion Issues: Matte coatings will repel standard inks and may cause smudging if the surface is not treated.

Five Common Printing Mistakes on Matte Black Tins

Printing errors on matte black tins aren’t accidental; they stem from cutting corners in preparation, ink selection, or technique. Here are the most common mistakes and their effects, based on our years of experience:

Logo/Text Fading: This is caused by using low-quality, non-UV-resistant inks. Fading occurs within 3-6 months after exposure to light, making your brand difficult to discern.

Image bleed: This occurs when the ink isn’t fully cured before handling. Bleeding ruins the can’s professional appearance, and according to a TPA survey, 42% of shoppers say they avoid products in bleed-out tins.

Poor contrast: Using light-colored inks without a primer. On matte black, these inks appear faded, making it difficult for customers to discern your brand name or product details.

Design misalignment: This occurs when the printing plate isn’t calibrated to the shape of the black tin. Misalignment can make the logo appear “skewed” or off-center, undermining brand consistency.

Scratched ink: This occurs when the surface finish is omitted. When the cans are opened or stacked, ink can come off, leading to increased reprinting costs and damaging your reputation.

These errors aren’t just cosmetic; they can also hurt your bottom line. A mid-sized tea brand told us they wasted significant money reprinting 10,000 matte black tins due to a supplier’s coating error.

Tsing’s Three-Step Surface Treatment for Perfect Printing

The leading cause of printing errors is improper surface preparation. Tsing’s matte black tins undergo a rigorous three-step treatment process to ensure even ink adhesion and maintain a vibrant, vibrant color:

Step 1: Degreasing and Cleaning: We first wash each matte black tin with a food-grade alkaline solution to remove dust, oil, and residue from the manufacturing process. This step eliminates the risk of ink stains, even from tiny surface particles.

Step 2: Corona Treatment: The tin’s surface is exposed to a low-voltage electrical charge, creating micropores in the matte coating. These micropores act as tiny anchors to “grab” the ink, preventing stains and scratches. (80% of cheap black tin manufacturers lack this step in their process.)

Step 3: Primer Application: For lighter inks, we apply a thin layer of clear primer. Primer acts as a bridge between the matte black surface and the ink, enhancing contrast and preventing fading. Furthermore, white logos on primed matte black cans appear three times brighter than on unprimed ones.

Ink Selection and Printing Technology

After ensuring the pre-treatment process, we select the right ink and printing method, employing key technologies to ensure flawless results on matte black tins:

UV-curable inks: We abandon standard solvent-based inks in favor of UV-curable inks. These inks dry instantly under UV light and resist smudging. They are also UV-resistant, maintaining vibrant colors for over two years. For light colors, we use high-hiding UV inks that are clearly visible against matte black without the need for multiple coats.

Precision Digital Offset Printing: For custom black tins with intricate designs, we utilize digital offset printing. This technology calibrates the printing plate to the exact dimensions of the can, ensuring registration within ±0.1 mm. Unlike screen printing, digital offset printing eliminates misregistration and uneven ink distribution.

Quality Control and Pre-Shipping Inspections

Preparation and technology can prevent most errors, but Tsing has implemented additional quality control processes to identify any issues before your matte black tins leave the factory:

Prepress Testing: We first print 5-10 sample tins based on your design and send them to you for approval. This allows you to check color accuracy, alignment, and contrast, ensuring there are no surprises in the final batch.

In-Process Inspection: Every 100 tins rolling off the production line are inspected for smudges, fading, alignment, and scratch resistance. If errors are found, we stop production, address the issues, and retest.

Post-Press Batch Inspection: Before shipping, we check 5% of the entire order for consistency. We also seal the sample tins in a simulated retail environment for 72 hours to ensure no fading or ink damage. This quality control process ensures Tsing’s error rate is less than 0.5%, well below the industry average of 8-12%.

Perfect Printing, Uncompromising Quality

Printing issues on matte black tins are solvable. With the right surface treatment, ink selection, printing technology, and quality control, you can achieve custom black tins that are sharp, vibrant, and on-brand every time. This means you’re buying more than just a container; you can rest assured that it will be used for your product packaging.