There is a huge market for foil stamped designs today, whether that is in marketing, promotion or something like a wedding invite or greeting card. Designs that have been hot foil stamped not only look better quality but also have that elusive “pick me up” factor and tend to stand out against others, whether that’s on the shelf or next to other business cards. So, it’s no wonder that hot foil stamping is so popular – but how does it actually work?
A simple and effective process
Heat and pressure are applied to metallic foil to produce an imprint of a design in that foil on anything, from card through to paper and a range of other materials. Hot foil stamping actually has a long and rich history and has been used in design since the 19th century, which is a testament to how effective it really is. Today, it can be used on a very broad spectrum of different items, including greetings cards, business cards, wedding invites, book covers, presentation designs, credit card signature panels and a whole range of other different products. It’s incredibly versatile.
What’s the process of hot foil stamping?
You’ll need a hot foil stamping machine, which is where the heat and pressure are applied to the foil in order to transfer the design. There is no liquid ink involved in the process of hot foil stamping. Instead, you will have two metal dies that contain the design that you’re going to be hot foil stamping. These are applied to the foil with heat and pressure to create the foiled end result. When the hot foil stamping machine applies the heat and pressure, the adhesive layer on the foil is activated and this causes the foil to attach to whatever the material is being used for the end design.
What kinds of foils are used?
There are many different options when it comes to hot foil stamping foils. You could choose a traditional, shiny metallic option – such as gold, silver or bronze, for example – or opt for something with a different finish, such as holographic or matte. Pearlescent foils are also very popular because they are super shiny and pigmented foils are available in virtually every colour.
What are the benefits of hot foil stamping?
- It looks great and is very eye-catching so it’s a powerful marketing tool, no matter what your product or sector.
- Foil stamping works even on dark colours – the foil sits on top of the material so it will still be both visible and impactful on shades like dark blue or black.
- Hot foil stamping is an incredibly versatile process – it can be used to recreate virtually any design on everything, from paper through to plastic.
- A great tool to stand out from competitors – hot foil stamping is a cost effective way to drive up sales and attract more customers to a product or a brand.
Hot foil stamping is a surprisingly simple process but the results can be very impactful.