Foil printing is a process where a machine uses heat and pressure to apply a foil to the print media. It does not involve any ink, but is essentially a transfer of foil from a carrier film (generally a thin clear PET that acts as a way of keeping the foil intact) to material.
The foil is usually made from a thin layer of aluminium and some pigment to give it colour. Currently, we offer gold and silver foil and transfer those onto a clear material to create your design.
Foil printing methods
That being said, there are various ways manufacturers can transfer that foil onto the material. The four different custom foil printing methods of applying a foil to print media are:
- Hot foiling: This process uses a heated metal die that activates the foil's glue, which allows the foil layer to be transferred.
- Cold foiling: A very similar process, but instead of heat, it uses UV light. For this process to work, the foil needs a UV-cured adhesive. Once the die has created the custom pattern, the material is exposed to UV light, which cures the glue - aka, makes the foil stick to the new material.
- Digital foiling: Here, we use a digital inkjet print head to print transparent adhesive on your material. When the foil is then rolled foil against the surface, it will stick where the glue has been printed.
- Thermal Transfer (TTR): A thermal transfer also uses a digital print head but adds tiny heating nodules. Both, the material and the foil pass the print head, but where the foil needs to stick to the material, the thermal head heats up, which causes the foil to transfer to the material.
If you want to find out more about these different methods, have a look at our article "How does foil printing work".
What materials can you use for foil printing?
You can print onto almost any material from plastic to paper over metal. However, you need to ensure that your chosen material is compatible with the foil printing method used. Thermal transfer tends to be the most limiting as the material surface needs to be smooth and glossy.
Our foil printing options include gold and silver foils and a clear base material. The clear material is available as a standard PP (polypropylene) and as a compostable wood pulp base.
What colours are available for foil printing?
Thousands of colours are available for foil printing.
When researching foil printing, you will usually find examples using metallic colours on a clear or white base. However, you can also foil print standard CMYK colours.
But why does no one offer that? Truth is, it makes little sense to foil print standard colours. It is expensive, time-consuming and will create exactly the same result as standard printing (because printers print CMYK colours).
That is why you mostly see the term foil printing used to refer to metallic colours on clear or white materials. Some of the most popular foils are: mirror gold, mirror silver, rose gold, metallic blue, metallic red, holographic and glitter.
What is foil printing used for?
Foil printing is used for premium product labels, packaging tape, business cards and much more in various industries. But you can also find it on wedding invitations or birthday cards.
Overall, its function is to create a premium look, be that for your latest product launch, your business or even your special day. Here are some great examples:
Luxuries product labels
This example emphasises how classy foil printing can look. With the silver detail on the clear material, it looks as if the metallic effect was embossed onto the black candle.
Premium logo stickers
It looks like this logo was directly printed onto the water bottle, doesn't it? Foil printed logo stickers can be a great way to share your premium services with customers.
Classy save-the-date announcements
How amazing does this save-the-date sticker look? You can choose the foil depending on the theme of your wedding to really wow your guests.
If you find foil printing a little too expensive, your can opt for a lower-cost option with our mirror silver or mirror gold stickers. You can find out more in our article "How to mimic foil printing".
The benefits of foil printing
Now that we know what it is and how to use it, let's check out the benefits of foil printing:
- Flexibility: Choose between gold or silver foil
- Premium look: The combination of foil and clear material can elevate the look of your entire range in seconds
- Affordable: Foil printing is one of the priciest sticker printing options, but it is still more affordable than printing directly onto your products
- Personalisation: Of course, you can still benefit from our customisation options. Pick your preferred foil and clear material, enter your custom size, select any shape you want and order exactly the amount you need.
How durable is foil printing?
Foil printing is very durable and can be used outdoors for years. In fact, using foils is often more durable than using standard ink or other printing methods.
Of course, the durability of your foil sticker depends on the material you choose for your base. Our clear vinyl option is much more durable than the eco-friendly clear material.
Generally, a foil-printed sticker or label is laminated with liquid or thin plastic or eco-plastic layer, which protects your printed design.
Foil printing is an excellent choice for those looking to add a touch of luxury and style to their products, packaging, or special cards. It can help you create beautiful visuals that will stand out from the crowd.
And with our customisation options, we make it easy for you to find exactly what works best for your needs – whether it's gold or silver foils, clear vinyl material or eco-friendly wood pulp base.
Get started now by exploring our selection of premium stickers!