Both cold foil and hot foil do one thing in common very well, and that’s attract attention.
It’s an effective method for catching the eye and getting noticed. And isn’t that the goal of your printed piece?
We think so.
Humans are naturally attracted to things that shine and sparkle. It draws us in and makes us take a closer look.
Foil also adds an aesthetic of higher quality materials, increasing the perceived value of your brand which could ultimately lead to a more positive brand experience. And this is why designers absolutely love incorporating foil into their projects!
Maybe because we offer cold foil printing right here in house, we like our foil cold. But more on that below.
What is cold foil printing?
Cold foil printing, also known as cold foil stamping, is a printing method that lays down foil on a sheet. It’s all done inline, in one pass and on press.
And the best part? You can overprint it which will turn the foil into any color you want. And that’s not all!
What are the benefits of cold foil printing?
- Cold foil has very tight registration. Think finer designs and smaller type sizes than hot foil. When printing, foil stamping gives you more flexibility and accuracy.
- A Cold foil application can cover large areas of your printed piece.
- A Cold foil label can be overprinted to create a full range of colors using either CMYK, a special ink mix, or a combination including extended gamut inks. You won’t be tied to a standard foil swatch book with this process.
- Metallic gradients for an eye-catching finish. How cool is that?
- Cold foiling, or cold stamping foil, allows you to enhance photos by either spot foiling behind images in certain areas or behind an entire image. Image pop like no other!
- Multiple foil colors can be printed at the same time which would be cost-prohibitive if hot foil stamped.
- Cold foil is done inline in one pass which will allow the product to get to market faster and in most cases less expensive than hot foil stamping. No custom foiling dies are needed!
- Cold foil is cost-effective on high quantity jobs.
How does cold foil printing work?
Cold foil is a metallic film with a removable polyester liner that is applied to the press sheet inline on press. The technology works by covering the sheet’s surface with the material, providing a coated result that’s accurate and useful for a wide range of applications.
The cold foil unit is attached above the second printing unit on the press. The roll of foil runs from an unwind roller, through the printing unit between the blanket and impression cylinder and back out the press to a take-up roller.
An adhesive is printed in the first unit using the traditional litho method, much like a varnish. The adhesive pulls the metallic foil off the polyester liner in the second unit adhering it to the press sheet.
The foil can be overprinted in the subsequent printing units to achieve a full spectrum of metallic colors. The end result is astonishing and impressive and we do it all right here at DVC.
How does hot foil work?
Unlike cold foil, hot foil processes require a custom metal die to be created and are done offline. The die is created based on the area of the design that will be foiled. The die is then mounted on a foiling machine and heated. And when pressure is applied, the die comes into contact with the foil and transfers the foil onto the paper. Because of the pressure, the foil has a subtle dimensionality.
We love foil!
Don’t get us wrong, we love foil stamping and the results you get from it. We help our customers with hot foil stamping & printing all the time. After all, adding foil to your printed piece whether it be cold or hot will do one thing for sure, and that is shine and get attention.
At DVC, we continue to see the trend of foil in print design grow, and we know what it takes to consistently deliver the most creative printed products that dazzle the most demanding designers. Let’s work together and produce award-winning projects using our foil solutions. Reach out today, and let’s explore how your business can benefit from foil.
