Clear coat Gold Leaf

[paul luszcz]

We are gilding a lot (about 100) formed or injection molded letters from Gemini with 23k Italian Gold Leaf Patent.

Gemini clear coats them when they apply the gold.

Because we are too busy to gild them ourselves, we asked a number of subcontractors to quote doing so.

Some insist they should receive a clear coat (as does Art Essentials, where we bought the gold). Others do not.

We have never applied a clear coat over our gold leaf and are unaware of any problems over the many years we have been doing this.

Is it accepted practice to coat them? Do any (all?) of you do that?

If so, what do you use?

 

[letterman7]

Watching this post for opinions. I can't see why you would need to coat them. I would venture that Gemini coats them to protect them when shipping (didn't know Gemini gilded...). My only concern would be expansion/contraction over time of the letters themselves forcing the gild to crack eventually and possibly flake. But other than that, unless they are within arm's reach of people that will be possibly touching them, I wouldn't coat the letters.

 

[Z SIGNS]

We never clear coat gold leaf.It dulls the look.Only exception would be if it was done on a truck door or any other place where it could be abused.
Get the book "Gold leaf techniques" for more info.

 

[visual800]

i have cleared gold with auto clearcoat, real gold AND gold vinyl! never had issues with either

 

[Billct2]

Only reason to clear gold leaf is to protect from damage, like on a truck or boat transom. Like was said Gemini probably does it to protect in shipping

 

[rossmosh]

General rule of thumb with gold: If people are going to touch it, clear coat. If they aren't, don't.

I also didn't think Gemini did gold leaf. I was under the impression they sprayed their letters with Matthews gold and then cleared afterwards.

 

[Chuck Peterson]

I would ask Gemini again if they clear them. You may have gotten wrong information from someone. Or possibly they don't realize they don't need to clear coat them. I know they only recently started gilding letters.
I would be afraid the clear may deteriorate before the bare gold would, decreasing the longevity. Unless, as others have stated they will be within reach of humans.

 

[ChaseO]

I'm pretty sure Gemini does clear them. We get our gold letters elsewhere and 15 years ago they came with no clear. Now they are cleared and hold up better, look just as good, plus no Michael Jackson gloves to install them which is nice.

 

[Z SIGNS]

Here is the bottom line on gilding

No clear coat and you have a beautiful looking surface that will last a very long time outdoors unaffected by the elements.

Clear coat you wind up with something that doesn't really look like gold leaf (might as well just paint it instead)and now the longevity is at the mercy of the elements and whatever clearcoat you use.