Matsui Silver Shimmer 620 — Cool Metallic Brilliance with a Soft Touch

Silver is the versatile metallic. Gold says luxury. Silver says modern. Silver says tech. Silver says clean, sharp, and precise. It works on black garments where it reads as chrome. It works on white garments where it reads as ice. It works on dark navy where it reads as platinum. And when tinted with Neo Pigments, it unlocks an entire cool-tone metallic palette — metallic blue, metallic green, metallic purple, metallic pink — that warm-toned Gold Shimmer 620 cannot produce.

The problem with traditional metallic plastisol silvers is hand feel. The metallic particles are suspended in a thick PVC carrier that creates a stiff, plasticky surface layer. The silver looks great in photos but feels like a decal bonded to the garment.

Matsui Silver Shimmer 620 solves this with a water-based formulation that integrates the metallic particles with the fabric rather than sitting them on top. The silver shimmers brilliantly, but the print feels dramatically softer. The garment drapes naturally. The metallic area is flexible and comfortable. The shimmer catches light from every angle.

This is the metallic ink for brands that want the visual impact of silver metallic with the hand feel of a premium water-based print.

Two Modes — Standalone Silver or Custom Cool-Tone Metallics

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

Mode 1 — Standalone Silver Shimmer

Open the container and print. Silver Shimmer 620 is a ready-to-use metallic silver that delivers a brilliant silver shimmer finish directly on the garment. No mixing required. Chrome-style effects, silver text, silver logos, and silver accents are production-ready in seconds.

Mode 2 — Tinted Custom Cool-Tone Metallic Shades

Add up to 5% Matsui Neo Pigments or Glow Pigments to shift the silver shimmer base into a range of cool-tone custom metallic colors. Because Silver Shimmer 620 starts with a neutral cool silver base, the pigment additions produce clean, vivid metallic tones.

• Add Neo Pigment Blue — metallic blue, metallic ice blue, or metallic steel blue
• Add Neo Pigment Green — metallic green, metallic teal, or metallic emerald
• Add Neo Pigment Violet — metallic purple or metallic lavender
• Add Neo Pigment Red — metallic pink or metallic rose
• Add Neo Pigment Black at a very low percentage — gunmetal, dark chrome, or anthracite metallic
• Add Glow Pigment Green or Blue — fluorescent metallic that is UV and blacklight reactive for electric neon shimmer

This is the critical advantage over Gold Shimmer 620 for cool-tone work. Gold Shimmer has a warm base that fights blue and green pigment additions, producing muddier results. Silver Shimmer has a neutral cool base that produces cleaner, more vivid cool-tone metallics because the silver amplifies the pigment direction instead of fighting it.

Important: Keep pigment additions at or below 5%. Higher percentages can diminish the metallic shimmer effect by over-pigmenting the metallic particle suspension. These are shimmer shifts, not full color overrides. The metallic silver character should remain dominant.

Silver Shimmer 620 vs. Gold Shimmer 620

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

How Matsui Additives Improve Your Production with Silver Shimmer 620

Silver Shimmer 620 is production-ready from the container. Matsui additives 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 Silver Shimmer 620 through mesh up to 110/inch (43/cm). Lower mesh such as 80–100 deposits more ink and more metallic particles per square inch for brighter, more impactful shimmer. Do not use mesh above 110, because finer mesh openings 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 causes uneven shimmer.

Stencil

Use a waterproof direct emulsion or capillary film.

Dark garments

Silver Shimmer 620 shines on dark garments because the contrast between dark fabric and silver metallic creates maximum visual impact. For the brightest silver on very dark garments, print a Matsui white underbase first, flash, then print Silver Shimmer 620 on top. For standard dark-on-silver contrast, Silver Shimmer 620 can often be printed directly depending on garment color and desired effect, so test to determine whether a white underbase is needed for your specific garment.

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 if needed, then Silver Shimmer 620 on top.

Why Screen Printers Choose Silver Shimmer 620

I print silver metallic logos and chrome-style text on black tees and streetwear.

This is the core Silver Shimmer 620 application. Brilliant silver metallic shimmer straight from the container on dark garments creates maximum contrast. Chrome-style effects, silver logos, and metallic accents all hit hard visually, and the soft hand feel makes it a premium upgrade over metallic plastisol.

I want metallic blue, metallic green, or metallic purple — cool-tone metallics that Gold Shimmer cannot produce.

Tint Silver Shimmer 620 with up to 5% Neo Pigments. Blue pigment creates metallic blue or ice blue. Green pigment creates metallic green or teal. Violet pigment creates metallic purple. The neutral cool silver base amplifies these cool-tone shifts cleanly with no muddy warm-tone interference.

I want a gunmetal or dark chrome metallic effect.

Add a very small amount of Neo Pigment Black to Silver Shimmer 620. The silver darkens to a gunmetal, anthracite, or dark chrome tone that is especially popular on streetwear and tech-aesthetic apparel.

My metallic plastisol feels stiff and heavy.

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

I want fluorescent metallic silver that reacts under blacklight.

Add Glow Pigment Green or Blue to Silver Shimmer 620 for a fluorescent metallic that is UV and blacklight reactive. Electric neon shimmer under blacklight creates a premium specialty effect for concert tees, rave apparel, and event merch.

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 essential with shimmer inks.

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.

Key Features

• Brilliant metallic silver shimmer — cool-toned silver metallic finish that catches light from every angle
• 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 cool-tone custom metallic shades such as metallic blue, metallic green, metallic purple, metallic pink, gunmetal, dark chrome, and more
• Glow Pigment compatible — add Glow Pigments for fluorescent metallic silver with UV and blacklight reactivity
• The cool-tone metallic base — where Gold Shimmer 620 produces warm metallics, Silver Shimmer 620 produces clean, vivid cool-tone metallics
• Ready to use standalone — open the container and print silver with no mixing required
• Part of the 620 Shimmer Series — pairs with Gold Shimmer 620 for warm 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-compliant — OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, CPSIA, and HR4040 compliant

Recommended Additives for Silver Shimmer 620 Production

Browse the complete Matsui additive collection here.