October 2003: Distinctive Foil Stamping

The main purpose of many printed pieces is to convey a message. But if those pieces don't capture the attention of your audience, they won’t serve much of a purpose. One way to make sure your products garner plenty of attention is to incorporate foil stamping into your design. 

In the foil stamping process, colored or patterned foil is pressed between a heated die and the paper to be stamped. The heat and pressure transfer the foil to the sheet. The result is a dramatic and elegant appearance that’s popular for both hard and soft book covers, letterhead, packaging and other applications. 

Foil is available in a multitude of colors and finishes, including many that don’t really look like the metallic treatments the term “foil” brings to mind. Here are the major foil families and the effects they bring to your products:

Metallic Foils – Traditional gold and silver are the most common, although various shades of red, yellow, blue, green, purple, black and others are available.

Pigment Foils – These also come in a wide selection of colors and are notable for their high-gloss finishes. Pigment foils are also available in matte finishes.

Pearlized Foils – Pearlized foils are available in pastel colors and allow images to show through, thus "pearlizing" it to create a distinctive appearance.

Patterned Foils – An array of holographic patterns as well as different colors of holographic foils are available to make your image catch everyone's eye. Patterned foils are available in a wide range of special effects, including rainbows, snake skin, wood grain, floral patterns, marble, leather and many more.

As with most finishing processes, there are plenty of details to consider before your projects are printed. To make sure the foil stamping process is performed seamlessly on your products, here are a few planning tips to keep in mind:

Use wax- and silicone-free inks and coatings - In order for the foil to adhere properly to the substrate, any inks or coatings underneath must be free of waxes or silicone additives. Perform a dyne test on your sheets to be sure they have the proper surface tension for foil stamping.

Plan stamped images carefully - Certain image combinations are easier to foil stamp than others. For example, a broad, solid area adjacent to fine type that will be stamped may need to be run slowly in order to achieve the best results. On some applications, these types of stamped areas require two passes to complete. 

THE RIVERSIDE EDGE

Although foil stamping is the “icing on the cake”, the process requires some effort and coordination during the project planning phase in order to achieve the best results. At The Riverside Group, we have the experience to not only help you plan your decoration properly, we can also produce the rest of your project. Whether your project is a book, annual report, point-of-purchase display or software package, let The Riverside Group make it stand apart from the crowd through the innovative use of foil stamping.