Tin is the name we all use for metal packaging generally, but in fact tin is not tin. No, the word tin is short for tinplate and tin plate is a sandwich of steel that has been coated electrolytically with tin. This infinitessamally thin coating renders the tin-plate with a non-rusting surface that gives tins their renowned durability. Tin is produced in vast steel mills and is actually made in huge rolls. These rolls are usually cut into flat sheets before they are delivered to the tin printer Assuming the tin plate is to be printed with a four-colour image then the first job of the printer is to apply a solid white coating to the silver tin. The tin sheet is then dried in an oven that effectively bakes this white surface on to the metal. The sheets are then ready to receive the four colours that make up the quadrichromatic process: yellow, cyan, magenta and finally black. After each colour the tin sheet returns to the oven for the drying process. Finally a lacquer, usually either gloss or matt, is applied to the tin surface. These tin sheets are then ready to be cut into the blanks that will be used to make the elements of the normal built-up tin box: the base, the body and the lid. Each piece of tin plate is further cut and formed into the shapes that are required. The body wall is seamed to itself, left to right, to form a tube. This tube is then seamed onto the base. Finally the lid is fitted and the tin canister is made. In all there are over 40 processes from base metal to tin box, each needing a separate skill. In order to make a quality product it is vital that these processes are monitored by knowledgeable and experienced personnel who care about the final result. At Tinware Direct we inspect all our factories on an annual basis to ensure that these high standards are maintained. It matters not that the factory is in northerm England or southern China, we demand the same high standards of quality and professionalism.