PROBLEM		CAUSES		SOLUTIONS
Poor Adhesion	A.	Contaminated substrate.	A.	Clean substrate.
Chemical
	B.	Insufficient solvency.	B.	(1) Consult supplier.
				(2) Use stronger solvent.
	C.	Surface film on substrate either applied by substrate manufacture or inherent on the type of substrate.	C.	(1) Use recommended surface treatment procedures for the type of substrate.
				(2) Consult substrate supplier.
Poor Adhesion	A.	Incompatible silicone additives.	A.	Reduce or change additives.
Intercoat
	B.	Substrate contaminated between coats.	B.	Clean substrate.
	C.	Base coat heated excessively producing hard surface to which succeeding coats will not adhere.	C.	Improve control of drying/curing process.
Poor Adhesion	A.	Separation and layering of materials in coating.	A.	(1) Coating material too thin.
Intracoat				(2) Consult supplier.
	B.	Flooding and floating.	B.	Add wetting agent - consult supplier.
Poor Adhesion	A.	Flooding and floating.	A.	Add wetting agent consult supplier.
Mechanical
	B.	Coating too thin.	B.	(1) Use coarser printing screens.
				(2) Reduce thinner.
				(3) Add fumed silica.
	C.	Inadequate drying or curing.	C.	(1) Increase time and/or temperature for drying/curing.
				(2) Increase air flow.
	D.	Dirty or contaminated substrate.	D.	Clean substrate.
	E.	Under or over catalyzed.	E.	Check for proper amounts of additives.
	F.	Excessive amounts of additives.	F.	Reduce amount of additives.
	G.	Improper choice of coating material for substrate being coated.	G.	Consult supplier.
	H.	Special substrate treated so as not to accept a finish.	H.	Consult supplier.
	I.	Coating material deteriorating with age.	I.	Discard.
Alligatoring	A.	Coating film too heavy.	A.	Apply thinner coat.
Also:
Cracking, Tearing
	B.	Incompatability of coating with substrate.	B.	Consult supplier.
	C.	Contaminated coating surface.	C.	Clean.
	D.	Insufficient dryer in coating material.	D.	Add dryer - consult supplier.
Backlap	A.	Coating pulls through screen behind squeegee during print stroke.	A.	(1) Reduce volume of coating material on screen.
Also:				(2) Increase squeegee travel distance beyond image.
Backlash		See: Screen sticking to printed substrate.
Backlash		See Backlap.
Bleaching		See Fading.
Bleeding	A.	Migration of color from the coating film onto or into a surface with which it comes in contact.	A.	(1) Change coating materials.
				(2) Keep heat treated temperatures as low as possible.
Blister	A.	Solvent entrapment.	A.	Use faster evaporating solvent in air drying systems; slower evaporating solvent in baking systems.
Also:
Foam, Boiling, Bubbles
	B.	Poor solvent combinations.	B.	Add leveler - Consult supplier.
	C.	Oil or moisture on substrate.	C.	(1) Clean substrate.
				(2) Keep substrate dry and at room temperature.
	D.	Dirt.	D.	(1) Clean substrate.
				(2) Improve housekeeping practices.
	E.	Coating film too thick.	E.	Apply thinner coat.
Blocking	A.	Solvent is slowly released from the coating film.	A.	(1) Use faster drying solvent.
Also:				(2) Consult supplier for suitable catalyst.
Pack-off				(3) Longer drying/baking schedule.
Bloom	A.	Rapid evaporation of low boiling solvents cooling the surface and causing condensation.	A.	(1) Use slower evaporating solvent.
Also:				(2) Reduce air flow over the film.
Blush				(3) Lower the humidity.
Blur		See Halo, Smear.
Blush		See Bloom.
Boiling		See Craters, Blister, Bubbles.
Bubbles	A.	Surface active substances in the vehicle or dispersing equipment.	A.	(1) Add defoamer - consult supplier.
Also:				(2) Adjust speed of squeegee travel.
Foam, Blister, Boiling				(3) Adjust off-contact.
	B.	High speed mixing or dispersing equipment.	B.	(1) Add defoamer - consult supplier.
				(2) Use slower speed mixer.
				(3) Use paint shaker.
				(4) Hand stir.
Chalking	A.	Coating material not properly bonded to substrate.	A.	(1) Clean substrate.
				(2) Check cure cycle.
	B.	Exposure.	B.	(1) Improper coating material for job requirement.
				(2) Consult supplier.
				(3) Apply protective overcoat.
	C.	Improper coating material for job.	C.	Consult suppliers.
Checking	A.	Overbaked or overcured.	A.	Check baking/curing cycle.
Also:
Cracking, Crazing, Tearing
	B.	Underbaked or undercured.	B.	Check baking/curing cycle.
	C.	Coating too heavy.	C.	Apply thinner coating.
Clogging	A.	Coating material is drying out in the screen or application equipment.	A.	(1) Clean screen applicator.
				(2) Filter coating material.
				(3) Add retarder.
				(4) Sharpen squeegee.
				(5) Add fresh coating to screen on a more frequent time schedule.
	B.	Coating material is too coarse for adequate passage through the coating equipment.	B.	(1) Consult supplier.
				(2) Use coarser screens or other flow restricing devices.
Cobwebbing	A.	Static electricity, low humidity, low boiling solvent.	A.	(1) Add retarder or more thinner.
				(2) Use humidifier.
				(3) Use higher boiling solvent.
				(4) Reduce squeegee speed.
				(5) Ground equipment.
Color variation on finished film	A.	Flooding and floating.	A.	(1) Add wetting agent - consult supplier.
				(2) Too much thinner.
	B.	Too much heat in drying/curing operation.	B.	Reduce temperature and/or increase speed.
	C.	Uneven application.	C.	Check coating equipment.
Cracking	A.	Coating too heavy.	A.	Apply thinner coat.
Also:
Alligatoring, Checking, Crazing
	B.	Over baked/cured.	B.	Check baking/curing cycle.
	C.	Under baked/cured.	C.	Check baking/curing cycle.
	D.	Film shrinkage due to poor intercoat wetting.	D.	(1) Clean before overcoating.
				(2) Add wetting agent - consult supplier.
				(3) Consult supplier for proper coating materials.
	E.	Contaminated substrate.	E.	Clean or replace substrate.
	F.	Overcoat is less flexible than undercoat.	F.	Consult supplier for proper coating materials.
	G.	Coating is not as plastic as the substrate.	G.	Use more flexible coating material.
	H.	Incompatibility of coating with substrate.	H.	Consult supplier.
Craters	A.	Bubbles in film.	A.	(1) Add defoamer and/or thinner.
Also:				(2) Add flattening agent - consult supplier.
Dimples
	B.	Solvent entrapment.	B.	Use faster evaporating solvent.
	C.	Poor solvent combinations.	C.	(1) Consult supplier.
				(2) Add leveling agent.
	D.	Surface contamination.	D.	Clean.
	E.	Containation of coating material.	E.	Keep covered.
Crawl	A.	Contaminated substrate.	A.	Clean substrate.
Also:
Scallop, Creep, Fish eyes, Pull-back
Crazing		See Checking, Cracking.
Creep		See Crawl.
Dark Reaction	A.	Coating material has exceeded shelf life.	A.	Replace with new material.
(U.V. Ink)
	B.	Coating material was stored at elevated temperature.	B.	Change storage area to cooler (-room temperature) location.
Delamination	A.	Contaminated substrate.	A.	Clean or replace substrate.
	B.	Overcured base coat.	B.	Reduce cure time.
	C.	Gross mismatch in expansion between layers.	C.	Consult supplier.
Digs	A.	Impact with a foreign object.	A.