We encourage individuality and personality here at Village Print & Media—one of our favorite things is producing exciting designs and prints for our clients. If you’re looking for designs that glow with radiance and stand out in a crowd, foil stamping is the perfect way to create a striking design both professional and creative. So, what exactly is foil stamping?
Foil stamping is a finishing process that is used to enhance a printed piece – it can be utilized as a stylish treatment on almost any design. The uses range from applying pigment or metallic foil to paper where a heated die is literally stamped into the foil. The variety of color and finish is vast, ranging from opaque pigment to metallic foils to patterns.
Since the foil is applied to the paper with pressure, the design creates an impression. Metal dies are created for the appropriate shapes for each color foil. Even three-dimensional effects can be achieved, through a technique called embossing. At the end of the process, the dies are heated, then stamped to seal a thin layer of foil to the paper permanently.
That being said, is foil stamping right for your project? We outlined the pros and cons below:
Pros
Remember, foil is opaque. Unlike other processes, such as thermography and letterpress, foil stamping does not use any ink. This means the foil color is not altered based on the hue of paper on which you are printing. As a result, metallic and lighter colors are enhanced on darker or colored papers.
There are semi-transparent transparent foils, which can be used if you do want the paper’s color to show. Many people choose foils as they give a pop to any project.
Cons
Since foil is applied by heat, it should not be applied near text or designs already applied by thermography as the heat will melt the resins.
Typically, the best projects that utilize foil stamping are those meant to leave a bold impression, whether fun or elegant, as it allows even the simplest logo to shine. Some prime examples of projects are business cards, invitations, book covers, logos, holiday cards, and branding.