Dressing up your business cards, pocket folders, letter head and much more with foil.

I recently came across a sample of a digital foil card, and it made me think about the many options for levelling up your print projects with foil. Let's take a look at some of these options.

Digital Foil Using Toner

This card is a great place to start. It was created by first printing black toner, and then the foil is pressed on top of the toner, sticking to the paper. There are no dies or set-up costs, making this an efficient way to introduce foil to a short-run project. However, if you want to print colours on your print material with foil, you run into needing to print first and then adding lamination followed by printing the black foil on top. These extra steps will translate to extra cost. But your end result will truly pop.

Digital Foil using MGI or Scodex Machine

Another way of producing foil on print digitally is by using an MGI or Scodex machine. In this instance, the cards are printed first before entering the MGI or Scodex machine where a varnish is sprayed onto the printed material where the foil will be placed. Then the cards go through the foiling part of the machine. Going this route gives you the option for a three-dimensional effect, which adds the same depth as embossing your project, without actually going through the process of embossing. Think about high end marketing pieces, and how this technique can be eye-catching and professional on your finished goods. This process does run into premium prices, but is increasingly popular among creative designers and marketers.  

Traditional Foil

The old standby is traditional foil. With consistent results, many people opt for this option. Traditional foil, or hot foil stamping as it is sometimes referred, uses heat to transfer metallic foil to a solid surface. Examples of this process includes business cards, pocket folders, product packaging, letter head, envelopes, product tags etc. This process is typically done on an old Heidelberg Windmill retro fitted for foil stamping. This process is cost effective for larger runs and there are many options when it comes to foil colours and finishes. There is also no limit to the type of stock you're using, making it an extremely versatile option. In terms of pricing, since you do have to buy a die this isn't always the best bet for one-off projects or low-quantity runs.

No matter the option you choose, foil is certain to help your pieces stand out from the competition. If you have any questions or are curious about how you can include foil in your next project, contact me and we can certainly discuss.

Chris Downey

Print Consultant

905 447 0257

chris@shea-graphics.ca