Foil Blocking, Hot Foil Stamping or Foil Printing.
Whatever you call it, you’ll get the same outstanding results from our foiling service. Each and every product is individually hand foiled on our early twentieth-century presses to ensure a flawless finish every time.
What is a foil print?
The process of hot foil printing (sometimes known as foil blocking) begins with the creation of a brass die that is machined to your artwork (like a metal stamp). This die is then heated, a sheet of foil laid onto the product and the die brought down onto the foil with pressure, leaving a print of your design on the surface of the item. The temperature required and pressure needed very dependent on the intricacy of the design, the nature of the product and the type of foil used. Unlike a deboss, a foil print generally does not have any real depth to it, as the print sits on the surface of the item and not in it. However, depending on the product, the nature of the artwork and foil being used, we may be able to add some depth to the foil print. If you are looking for a foil print with depth, speak to one of our knowledgeable sales team who will be able to advise you on the options.
Foil Print Colours and Finishes.
A foil print does not have to be silver or gold! Foils are available in a wide variety of colours, along with a number of finishes, including matt, metallic and gloss. Our skilled foil printers are able to print in multiple colours on products, even when those colours are extremely close together and have to be millimetre perfect in positioning, as the Founders Factory notebook example shows. Whilst a foil print is often of a logo or strapline, it can be of any artwork and can flood the entire surface of a product, as you can also see above.
A foil print can also be effectively combined with other branding techniques for maximum impact. You’ll see examples below of an orange foil print combined with a tactile, colourless deboss, and a classic silver foil print combined with a full-colour UV digital print. The combination of techniques creates an interesting mix that adds an extra element of originality to any promotional product.
The Versatility of Foil Printing
Foil blocking is possible on the majority of our products, such as notebook and diary covers. However, it does not have to be confined to the outside of a product; it can be used on the inside of a journal to convey additional brand information or personalise in a way that makes it look like an integral part of the book itself. Furthermore, foil printing is a popular method of branding for our gift packaging. We can take a standard gift box or gift bag and add a foil to give it a premium look, or of course we can make bespoke packaging.