Matsui Gold Shimmer 620 — Metallic Gold That Feels Like Nothing Is There

Metallic inks sell garments. Gold text on a black tee. Gold logos on event hoodies. Gold shimmer accents on fashion-forward retail apparel. Metallic effects catch the eye, photograph well, and command higher prices because they communicate luxury.

The problem with traditional metallic plastisol inks is hand feel. The metallic particles are suspended in a thick PVC carrier that sits on top of the fabric like a rigid, plasticky layer. The garment looks metallic but feels stiff and uncomfortable. Clients notice. End consumers notice.

Matsui Gold Shimmer 620 solves this by delivering rich, luminous gold metallic shimmer in a water-based formulation with an ultra-soft hand feel. The gold looks just as brilliant, but the print feels dramatically softer. The metallic particles integrate with the fabric rather than sitting on it as a stiff surface layer. The garment drapes naturally. The print area is soft and flexible. The gold shimmers when it catches light.

This is the metallic ink for brands that care about how the garment feels as much as how it looks.

Two Modes — Standalone Gold or Custom Metallic Shades

Gold Shimmer 620 operates in two modes depending on what you need.

Mode 1 — Standalone Gold Shimmer

Open the container and print. Gold Shimmer 620 is a ready-to-use metallic gold that delivers a luminous gold shimmer finish directly on the garment. No mixing required. This is the fastest path to gold metallic on any cotton or cotton-blend garment.

Mode 2 — Tinted Custom Metallic Shades

Add up to 5% Matsui Neo Pigments or Glow Pigments to shift the gold shimmer base into a range of warm-tone custom metallic colors. Because Gold Shimmer 620 starts with a warm gold base, the pigment additions produce warm-toned metallic shades.

• Add a small amount of Neo Pigment Red — metallic copper or metallic rose gold
• Add Neo Pigment Orange — metallic bronze or metallic amber
• Add Neo Pigment Yellow — deeper, more saturated metallic gold
• Add Neo Pigment Brown — antique gold or old gold metallic
• Add Neo Pigment Black at a very low percentage — dark gold or antiqued metallic
• Add Glow Pigment Yellow or Orange — fluorescent metallic gold that is UV and blacklight reactive

The tinting ratio is limited to 5% maximum. These are shimmer shifts, not full color overrides. The metallic gold character remains dominant with the pigment adding a warm-tone shift. For cool-tone metallic effects such as metallic blue, metallic green, or metallic silver-purple, use Silver Shimmer 620 as the base instead.

Important: Keep pigment additions at or below 5%. Higher percentages can diminish the metallic shimmer effect by over-pigmenting the metallic particle suspension.

Gold Shimmer 620 vs. Silver Shimmer 620

The Matsui 620 Shimmer series includes two bases. Each one produces a different metallic tone family when tinted.

How Matsui Additives Improve Production with Gold Shimmer 620

Gold Shimmer 620 is production-ready from the container. Matsui additives can optimize the production process further.

The problem: Metallic ink dries in the screen during production pauses, and metallic particles can clog mesh openings when the ink dries. The additive solution: Retarder MG at 1–5% extends open time in the screen. This is especially important with metallic inks where clogged mesh means ruined metallic particle distribution.

The problem: Metallic prints fade or lose shimmer after repeated washing. The additive solution: Fixer WF-N at 1–5% crosslinks the acrylic binder for improved wash fastness and helps keep metallic particles locked in place wash after wash.

The problem: The metallic ink sits on top of the fabric instead of bonding into it. The additive solution: Softener MG at 1–4% helps the ink penetrate deeper into the garment for better adhesion and an even softer hand feel.

The problem: You want all three benefits in one shot. The additive solution: Quick Additive at 6–9%, a pre-balanced blend of Retarder MG, Fixer WF-N, and Softener MG.

Additional additives include Thickener B at 0.25–1% to increase viscosity for better deposit control, and RV Additive at 1–3% to reduce viscosity for better flow.

Browse the complete Matsui additive collection here.

Printing Tips for Maximum Metallic Impact

Mesh selection matters

Print Gold Shimmer 620 through 80–120 mesh. Lower mesh such as 80–100 deposits more ink and more metallic particles per square inch for brighter, more impactful shimmer. Higher mesh such as 100–120 deposits less for a subtler shimmer with slightly finer detail. Do not use mesh above 120, because finer mesh openings can filter out metallic particles and diminish the shimmer effect.

Squeegee setup

Use a square-edge squeegee, 60–80 durometer, at a standard angle and speed. The goal is an even, consistent deposit that distributes metallic particles uniformly across the print area. Uneven pressure leads to uneven shimmer.

Stencil

Use a waterproof direct emulsion or capillary film. Standard emulsion coating is fine. You do not need an unusually thick stencil for shimmer inks.

Dark garments

Gold Shimmer 620 is designed for cotton and cotton-blend fabrics on light to medium garment colors. For gold shimmer on dark garments, print a Matsui white underbase first, flash, then print Gold Shimmer 620 on top. The white underbase provides the reflective foundation that makes gold metallic pop on dark fabric. Without a white underbase, the dark garment absorbs the metallic light and the shimmer appears dull.

On polyester

If printing on polyester or poly blends, use Under Base Blocker 301 Gray or Blocker Black LG as the first layer to prevent dye migration, then print a white underbase, then Gold Shimmer 620 on top.

Why Screen Printers Choose Gold Shimmer 620

I print gold metallic logos and text on fashion apparel and event tees.

This is the core Gold Shimmer 620 application. It delivers rich, luminous gold metallic shimmer straight from the container and is ready to print. The soft hand feel makes it a premium upgrade over metallic plastisol that clients and end consumers can feel immediately.

I want metallic copper, bronze, or rose gold — not just standard gold.

Tint Gold Shimmer 620 with up to 5% Neo Pigments. Red pigment shifts it toward copper or rose gold. Orange shifts it toward bronze or amber. Brown shifts it toward antique gold. One shimmer base gives you multiple warm-tone metallic shades.

My metallic plastisol feels stiff and heavy.

Gold Shimmer 620 is water-based, so the metallic particles integrate with the fabric instead of sitting on it as a rigid layer. The hand feel is dramatically softer than metallic plastisol. The garment drapes naturally, and the metallic area stays flexible instead of stiff.

I want fluorescent metallic gold that reacts under blacklight.

Add Glow Pigment Yellow or Orange to Gold Shimmer 620 for a fluorescent metallic gold that is UV and blacklight reactive. The metallic shimmer combined with the neon blacklight glow creates a premium specialty effect for concert tees, event merch, and party apparel.

My metallic ink loses shimmer after a few washes.

Add Fixer WF-N at 1–5% to crosslink the binder and help lock metallic particles in place. Or use Quick Additive at 6–9% for wash fastness plus open time and softness.

My metallic ink keeps drying in the screen and clogging the mesh.

Add Retarder MG at 1–5%. Metallic inks are especially prone to screen clogging because dried metallic particles block mesh openings. Retarder MG is especially important with shimmer inks.

I need gold shimmer on a dark garment.

Print a Matsui white underbase first, flash, then print Gold Shimmer 620 on top. The white underbase gives the gold a reflective foundation so it pops. On polyester, add a blocker layer first: Blocker Gray → flash → white → flash → Gold Shimmer 620 → cure.

Key Features

• Rich metallic gold shimmer — luminous gold metallic finish that catches light with a warm, luxurious shimmer
• Ultra-soft hand feel — water-based formulation integrates with the fabric for a dramatically softer feel than metallic plastisol inks
• Tintable with Neo Pigments up to 5% — create warm-tone custom metallic shades such as copper, bronze, rose gold, amber, and antique gold
• Glow Pigment compatible — add Glow Pigments for fluorescent metallic gold with UV and blacklight reactivity
• Ready to use standalone — open the container and print standard gold metallic with no mixing required
• Part of the 620 Shimmer Series — pairs with Silver Shimmer 620 for cool metallics
• Production-optimized with Matsui additives — compatible with the full Matsui additive lineup
• Zero viscosity modifications required — prints from the container
• Garment care compatible — can be dry cleaned and ironed
• PVC-free and eco-friendly — environmentally safe

Recommended Additives for Gold Shimmer 620 Production

Browse the complete Matsui additive collection here.