What is foil block printing?
Foil blocking is a popular and effective print finishing technique used to add a distinctive touch to marketing materials including brochures, business cards and stationery. The foil blocking process involves applying metallic foil or pigment to paper while a heated metal piece stamps the design onto the print surface.
What is a foil block?
What is foil blocking? Foil blocking uses a letterpress-style block, to imprint a design onto paper, however, instead of ink, a ultra-thin film carrying a foil pigment is fed into a press. The block is heated and when pressed onto the paper a bond is formed and the foil is released.
What is a foil design?
Let’s start with what it is. Foiling is when you apply a thin layer of metal foil to a design—usually a printed piece—to give the appearance of gold leaf. Most foils now are aluminum or tin based and use a thin color layer to make them gold, copper or any other color.
Can the printer foil block?
What is foil block printing? Foil block printing is a unique process. It uses a moulded metal die which is heat-stamped onto the paper with an ultra-thin sheet of metal foil in between. This transfers the metal foil to the paper in the shape of the die.
What is the process of foil blocking?
Foil blocking is the process whereby metallic foil or pigment foil is transferred from a foil roll onto a substrate. To do this you need a hot foil stamping machine and a foiling die. The process is achieved using heat, pressure and dwell time.
How much does foil printing cost?
Digital foil is very cost effective for short runs and when variable data foiling is required. With a short run, the cost of the stamping die for traditional foiling can be $200 to $400, whereas the setup costs for the first digitally foiled item is much lower. Long runs typically make more sense with traditional foil.
What is an example of a foil character?
These are characters with contrasting personalities or traits. For example, if one character is outgoing, their foil character might be shy. If one character is a hero, their foil character might be a villain. While an antagonist and protagonist can be foil characters, so can a sidekick.
What is gold foil printing?
Adding gold foil to your custom print items is a multi-step process that uses heat and pressure as well as dye or toner to adhere a foil layer to the stock. It is more labor intensive. As such, custom print projects with gold foil takes longer to produce and is more expensive.
How do you block a foil?
Traditional Foil Blocking (or hot foil stamping) involves applying metallic foil to paper or card, using heated plates (or die). This leaves your foiled elements slightly debossed and textured – as the foil is hot pressed onto your card or paper stock. This process works best on uncoated, thicker paper stocks.
What products use foil blocking?
Foiling is often used in magazine publishing, packaging, book covers, event invites, business cards or social stationery.
What kind of foil is used for foil blocking?
Foil blocking, typically a commercial print process now, is the application of pigment or metallic foil to paper where a heated die (engraved metal piece) is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface and leaving the design of the die on the paper.
What do you need to know about foil printing?
Foil printing is a speciality printing process which uses heat, pressure and metallic paper (foil). This is used to create different shiny designs and graphics on various materials. Foil printing gives the focus area an incredible look and is quickly becoming the preferred method of printing in many industries.
How is gold used in foil block printing?
In order to simplify the addition of the beat gold to the stamped design, the process evolved so that the gold was fixed on to paper and entire paper rolls with gold were created. Heat was used to remove the gold from the paper and to transfer it to the stamped imprint and ensure that the foil attached to the paper.
Is it possible to block print holographic foil?
The foil is metallic, but comes in a range of colours including gold, copper, red and purple. It is even possible to block print holographic foils, creating 3D effects. Foils are also available as satin, gloss and matt. The die is heated to a high temperature and pressed with force into the surface of the media.