PLATING & FINISH
Metal Button Plating Types & Salt-Spray Performance
Plating is what a buyer sees first and what fails first. Two buttons can be identical in base metal and size yet behave completely differently after ten washes, because the plating type and thickness differ. This guide covers the finishes we run, the salt-spray hours each normally achieves, and how to specify plating so the finish survives the garment's care label.
Why Plating Decides Whether a Button Passes or Fails
A metal button is a base metal — brass, steel or alloy — with a thin plated layer on top. The base metal gives strength; the plating gives colour and corrosion resistance. Almost every failure a buyer experiences is a plating failure, not a base-metal failure:
- Tarnishing — the plated layer reacts with air, sweat or detergent and discolours.
- Flaking or blistering — the plated layer separates from the base, usually from insufficient pre-treatment or too-thin plating.
- Colour mismatch between batches — plating bath chemistry drifts if not controlled, so two production runs can differ slightly in tone.
- Nickel release on skin contact — a separate regulatory issue, tested to EN 1811, not cured by thicker plating alone.
Plating Types We Run
The table below is the finish range we quote from. Plating thickness is given as the standard production range; thicker plating can be specified for higher salt-spray performance at additional cost.
| Plating | Colour / appearance | Typical thickness | Salt-spray (hours) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold (bright) | Warm yellow-gold, high shine | 0.1–0.3 µm | 24–48 h | Fashion, premium shirting, decorative |
| Gold (matt / satin) | Soft gold, low reflection | 0.1–0.3 µm | 24–48 h | Contemporary tailoring, minimal branding |
| Nickel (bright) | Cool silver-white, high shine | 2–5 µm | 48–96 h | Denim, workwear, standard hardware |
| Black nickel | Dark graphite, slightly blue-black | 0.2–0.5 µm | 24–48 h | Streetwear, technical outerwear |
| Antique brass | Aged brass with darkened recesses | 0.2–0.5 µm | 36–72 h | Heritage, denim, leather goods |
| Gunmetal | Dark grey-black, semi-matte | 0.2–0.5 µm | 36–72 h | Outerwear, military-inspired, menswear |
| Chrome (bright) | Mirror silver | 3–8 µm | 72–120 h | High-wear hardware, automotive-style finish |
| Two-tone (gold + nickel) | Contrasting inlay | 0.1–0.3 µm | 24–48 h | Decorative and brand-specified buttons |
How Plating Relates to the Care Label
The single most useful question to ask when specifying plating is: how will this garment be washed? The care label, not the design, sets the plating requirement.
| Care instruction | Plating to specify | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Dry clean only | Gold, black nickel, two-tone (thin plating acceptable) | No aqueous detergent or tumbling |
| Hand wash cold | Gold or antique brass, 0.2 µm minimum | Low mechanical and chemical stress |
| Machine wash 30 °C | Nickel or gunmetal, 2 µm minimum | Detergent and tumbling attack thin plating |
| Machine wash 40 °C+ / frequent | Chrome or heavy nickel, 3 µm minimum | Highest corrosion and abrasion exposure |
| Industrial / garment-dye process | Chrome, or specified as post-wash fit | Buttons may be removed and reattached after washing |
Nickel Release: A Separate Obligation
Nickel is a common plating base and a known skin sensitiser. Where a metal part is in prolonged contact with skin, the EU nickel restriction applies, and compliance is demonstrated by a release test to EN 1811 (with EN 12472 for coated articles), not by a plating thickness figure.
- Shank buttons, jeans buttons, snap fasteners and rivets worn against skin are the parts that matter most.
- Decorative trim and lining buttons worn over fabric rarely fall within the restriction, but buyers may still request the test as a blanket policy.
- "Nickel-free plating" is an informal phrase; the defensible evidence is a release test report with a measured value against the limit.
What to Send Us to Get Plating Right
- A reference sample or a clear photo of the target finish, ideally in daylight — screens and photos distort metal colour.
- The garment care instruction (dry clean / hand wash / machine wash / industrial wash).
- Whether the button is attached before or after any garment wash.
- Whether the part contacts skin, and whether a nickel-release report is required.
- Any salt-spray hour figure your customer has specified.
Quick Answers
How many hours of salt spray should a button plating last?
Typical production ranges run from 24–48 hours for thin decorative gold to 72–120 hours for chrome or heavy nickel. The right figure depends on the garment's wash instruction, not on a universal standard.
Which plating is best for denim?
Nickel or antique brass. Denim hardware is exposed to abrasion and, in stone-wash processes, to mechanical and chemical attack, so 2 µm or more of nickel plating is the usual specification.
Does thicker plating stop nickel release?
Not reliably. Nickel release is a separate property demonstrated by an EN 1811 test report. A thicker nickel layer can reduce release, but the defensible evidence is the test.
Can you match a specific gold tone?
Yes. Send a reference sample or a Pantone reference where the finish is painted rather than plated. Metal colour shifts with light, so a physical reference is more reliable than a screen image.
Why did my buttons change colour after washing?
Almost always thin decorative plating attacked by detergent and tumbling. The fix is a heavier plating specification appropriate to the care label, rather than a different base metal.
Need a quote on this specification?
Send the size, material, quantity and target date. We reply with unit price, MOQ and lead time within 24 hours — from our own factory in Ruian, Zhejiang.