Ink won't adhere on metallized board/paper
High severitySymptoms
Ink scratches or lifts with tape; zero or patchy adhesion
Probable causes
- Non-absorbent metallized surface (metallized PET film or vacuum metallizing) with low surface tension
- wrong conventional ink
- topcoat varying by supplier
The Print Guy · 2026-10-05
Other problems in this category
Metallized · TPG-134
Slow or no drying on metallized stock
Ink wet for hours or days; total set-off; finishing impossible
Metallized · TPG-135
Printed color looks different over the metallic base
Colors come out 'metallic', dark or shifted versus the proof approved on white
Metallized · TPG-137
Scratching and marking of the metallized surface
Scratches visible at any light angle; metallized stock shows every contact
Metallized · TPG-139
Set-off and blocking in the pile with metallized stock
Sheets welded together; ink transferred to the metallized face of the sheet above
Metallized · TPG-140
Coatings and finishes on metallized stock
Coating crawls, fish eyes, poor laminate or spot-UV adhesion on the metal
Metallized · TPG-141
Metallic layer cracking at creases and folds
White or grey lines at folds: the metal layer fractures and loses its mirror