Decorative
Precision Plating offers the largest range of electroplated decorative finishes in Australia. This interactive selector details the name and some brief comments of most of the finishes we have.
The quality of the finish is also highly dependant on the surface of the metal or plastic you are plating on. Plating will not fill cracks in metals or cover large pitted surfaces. If you want a highly reflective finish, the surface must be highly polished before plating.
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Standard Rich Gold
Standard gold is rich in colour and primarily used for decorative finishes. It is a 23ct Hard gold that is durable and hard wearing. It is usually plated with a nickel or bronze undercoat, and can range from a flash coating up to 4 microns in thickness. You can also have a clear electrophoretic lacquer applied over the coating to increase durability.
Medium, depends on plating thickness
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Rose Gold
This finish looks similar to a light copper finish in appearance. Rose gold is an alloy of gold and a very small amount of copper. The copper helps give it the ‘rose’ colour. It is a 22.5ct gold yet it is not as hard wearing as standard gold & N18. Used for Jewellery, and tapware mainly. We recommend a clear lacquer is applied over the top to increase durability.
Low/Medium
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Brushed Rose Gold
The Brush lines change the appearance of the rose gold finish considerably. The finish would usually then be lacquered to increase durability and wear resistance.
Low/Medium
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Gold & Lacquer
This finish is basically the standard rich gold finish with the electrophoretic lacquer plated on. This darkens the appearance slightly and Improves durability.
Medium
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Satin (Brushed) Gold
A rich and darker gold finish. As with many of the satin finishes, this has brush lines in the surface which gives is a more matt looking appearance. This can also be lacquered.
Medium
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Matt Gold
Matt gold has a matt undercoat rather than a bright undercoat. This will cause the deposit to look dull. The level of matt can be varied depending on requirements.
Low/Medium, depends on thickness of gold
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N18 "Jewellery" Gold
This is a very popular finish. It is slightly lighter than standard gold which resembles an 18ct colour. This is the most popular colour in Jewellery and is also very popular for tapware. N18 is still a 23ct 'Hard Gold’ finish and can be plated in a range of thicknesses. Electrophoretic lacquer can be applied over the coating for added protection.
Medium, depends on plating thickness
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Brushed N18 Gold
Brushed N18 gold is a 23ct hard gold finish with brush lines polished into the surface before the gold is applied. This gives it a more matt appearnance than the normal N18 gold. It is quote a popular finish for tapware in particular. Electrophoretic lacquer can be applied over the surface for added protection but this will make the appearance more glossy. With gold finishes, the prices varies based on surface area and thickness of gold applied.
Durability Medium, depending on amount of gold
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Brushed Chrome
Brushed satin chrome is generally used in tapware and hardware industries. It has a brushed look to it with a final chrome layer over the nickel.
Med/High
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Chrome
A very popular finish providing a brilliant blue-white appearance and excellent hardness characteristics. Chrome is a very thin layer plated over nickel and can be used for both decorative and functional reasons.
High
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Satin Pearl
This is a popular finish in the automotive and hardware market. It is a matt chrome finish which can be seen on many late model interior car door handles and bezels.
High
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Burnished Nickel
A nickel plated finish with a tumbled in stones to give it a different texture than bright nickel or satin nickel. It is suited to smaller parts due to the tumbling process it undergoes.
Medium/High
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Bright Nickel
Bright Nickel is a highly reflective finish, similar to chrome. The main difference is that it has a warmer tone compared to the silver blue appearance of chrome. Nickel is generally used as an undercoat to chrome, providing good corrosion and highly reflective characteristics. We can also offer duplex nickel coatings if required to improve corrosion properties
Med/High
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Brushed Nickel
This also features a brushed look, which is similar to stainless steel.
Med/High
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Brushed Nickel and Lacquer
Brushed nickel has a brushed structure to the surface. The final lacquer coating gives it the glossy appearance.
Medium
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Champagne & Lacquer
This finish is a grey/brown finish in appearance. Once the lacquer coating is applied, the level of gloss increases.
Medium
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Titanium Finish
This is a matt nickel finish which has a dull silver/brown appearance. Nickel is durable but can dull off a little over the years. Therefore not quite as durable as a finish with chrome over the top
Med/High
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Black Chrome
An alternative to bright chrome, this finish is popular in the automotive and tapware markets. It is a durable coating normally plated over nickel and is available in high gloss, matt and brushed satin versions.
High
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Black Sapphire
This new finish fits in between standard chrome and black chrome. It looks close to chrome but has a slight black luster to it.
High
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Gunmetal
This is a new finish and has a matt appearance with a slight black smoke appearance. Likely to Increase in popularity, Precision Plating is the only supplier of this finish in Australia.
High
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Matt Black Chrome
Matt in appearance, this has become very popular in tapware, hardware and automotive markets. It is a durable finish and can also be done in a brushed finish.
Hight
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Silk Sapphire
This is a new finish which has a light grey glossy appearance. It has a tinted chrome top coating making it quite durable
High
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Antique Nickel
This Is a finish that has a black nickel top coat that Is selectively removed. The process is done through a vibratory polishing process. This will continue to wear with use over time.
Low/Medium
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Black Nickel
Similar to black chrome in appearance, it is used as an alternative on difficult to plate surfaces. Black nickel is a softer finish and will wear over time. It is also used in jewellery where the part is plated and rubbed back for a two tone antique or patina look.
Low/Medium
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Brushed Black Sapphire
A new finish, darker than brushed satin chrome. It's an great looking finish with high durability as it has a chrome top layer. This finish is becoming very popular with its great appearance and durability.
High
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Matt Silver
Silver can also be plated with a matt undercoat and provide a dull finish rather than the typical mirror finish. It may be necessary to apply a lacquer coating over the part to reduce the oxidisation of the silver.
Low
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Silver
This is a popular finish in the jewellery industry and also for electrical parts. It does tend to oxidise when exposed, A clear electrophoretic lacquer or an anti-tarnish solution is often applied to slow or prevent oxidisation.
Low, can increase with thickness of silver.
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Antique Brass: Dark
The darkest of the 3 antique finishes, uses a different proprietary solution to age the solution to a dark brown/black finish. Both waxes and spray lacquer can be used to help protect the finish also. Antique brass is achieved by chemically treating a brass item with an oxidizing solution. The different finishes are determined by the solution type, time in solution and type of brass.
Low
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Antique Brass Medium
This is a finish that will wear and careful handling and cleaning is required to maintain the look. Both waxes and spray lacquer can be used to help protect the finish also. Antique brass is achieved by chemically treating a brass item with an oxidizing solution. The different finishes are determined by the solution type, time in solution and type of brass.
Low
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Polished Brass
Polished only to a mirror finish, no plating applied. It requires regular polishing to maintain bright appearance.
High
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Vibrated Brass
This finish can only be done on a brass substrate. The parts are cleaned polished and then mechanically vibrated with an anti-tarnish applied at the end. It may darken over time but very durable.
High
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Copper
This is a lovely looking finish straight after plating. The only issue Is keeping that bright pink finish requires constant polishing. It will tarnish almost immediately and finger mark. Copper Is also used a lot as an undercoat due to excellent leveling properties and ease of polishing.
Low
