All About Foil Stamping 

Foil stamping is something that’s great for making sure that your product stands out. It is a type of printing that uses a die that’s made of metal, pressure and het, and a foil film that helps enhance a product.  There are a lot of applications of foil stamping, which include: 

  • Labels 
  • Stationery 
  • Cards for the holiday 
  • Packaging of products 
  • Folders with pockets 
  • Seals, certificates 
  • Postcards 

These days, it’s got a more modernized name to it, known as hot stamping. This was first made in the 19th century.  These days, it’s leveraged to build a visual interest, and increase the perceived value that products have. 

Foil is a thinly coated type of item, which has colors that are put through this, and that’s with the hot stamping process.  You add the pigment to a film that’s clear, and then, that color, along with the design, is then translated to the product that’s there. 

Another layer of this foil also might have other pigmentation. Finally, you’ve got a third layer of adhesive that’s activated by heat, and it sticks directly onto the product as well.  Like spot UV and embossing, you can apply all kinds of stamping using foil to paper products. 

It works best with some stock to create an even, smooth surface, rather than one that’s lined up or textured in terms of materials. 

Types of Stamping 

Based on the type of substrate you’re going for, there are a few different types of foil stamping that you can use. 

They are: 

  • Flat foil: this is an economical, simple process that uses magnesium or copper stamps that transfer this directly to the substrate. It achieves this with a small raise of the surface that’s there 
  • Vertica: this causes the design to fit well on substrates that are flat, or cylindrical 
  • Sculpted: this uses a die that’s made of brass to create a more raised look on a defined or carved area that really stands out
  • Peripheral: this is foil heat that’s applied to the outer circumference or perimeter of this product 

Gold is usually what’s used, but silver is another, used to create a more luxurious look.  There are also matte, glossy, holographic, and metallic types of sparkles and different wood grains that can be added to this.

Foil Types used 

There are different variants of foils that are used to create a more distinctive look to the products and packaging, especially if it aligns with the brand image or the marketing campaign of choice. 

There is metallic foil which has an attractive sort of patina that goes all the way across. While gold is usually used with metallic, there is also silver, red, blue, copper, and even green types. 

Matte pigment is one that’s more muted in the way that it’s used, but the color depth is something that you certainly can enjoy. 

Glossy pigment is where you combine the high gloss with a more non-metallic type of finish, across many different color variants. 

Holographic is where you add hologram sorts of features for an eye-catching, futuristic sort of look to the item that’s there. 

Finally, there is the special effects foil that is used to create a variety of different textures that are there, including mimicking pearl, leather, and even marble 

In general, the right type of foil that’s used for each job is ultimately based on the type of substrate that you’re working with, and also the colors that come with this. If you’re looking to really create impactful results, use these today! 

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