Types of Hot Stamping Foil
Hot Stamping Foil is an essential element of the hot stamping process. Serving the same purpose as ink or paint, foil is a thin film coated with the layer of color that will be transferred onto your product via the hot stamping process. Foil is composed of 3 functional layers:
- A clear film forms the carrier upon which the pigment is laid. The film is not transferred to the product.
- A main layer of pigmented sediments that form the actual color that will be seen. Metallica foils employ a vacuum metallizing process that deposits a mircons-thin layer of pigmented aluminums onto the carrier noted above.
- The release coating, a heat activated glue that bonds the pigmented sediments onto the product being hot stamped.
MOST POPULAR TYPES OF FOIL:
- Metallized Foil
- Pigment Foil
- Effects Foil
- Holographic Foil
- Scratch-Off
- Signature Panel
METALLIZED FOIL – figure 1
The best known hot stamping application, metallic foils provide a bright shiny metallic look to the finished print. Although gold and silver are most popular, metallic foils are available in a rainbow of colors.
PIGMENT FOIL – figure 2
Popularly used on plastics and papers, Pigment Foils are typified by their flat, non-metallic coloring.
EFFECTS FOIL – figure 3
There’s a wide world of foil beyond single-color tones. Options include:
- Stripes
- Sparkles
- Light diffractions
- Holographic patterns
- Stone and wood grains
- Figure 1
- Figure 3
- Figure 2
HOLOGRAPHIC FOIL – figure 4
We’ve all marveled at the holograms found on credit cards, security seals, and ID cards. Applied with a specialized foil feed system that precisely registers each image, holograms add value by improving both security and cosmetic appeal.
SCRATCH-OFF – figure 5
Conceal PIN #’s, prizes, or answers with scratch-off foil. Scratch-off foil hot stamps just like regular foil, but it does not adhere permanently. When your client later scratches the foil, the scratch-off patch strips away to reveal the information hidden beneath. Popular for phone cards.
SIGNATURE PANEL – figure 6
Ever wonder how they put the signature panel on the back of your VISA card? Chances are, it’s hot stamped.
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- Figure 5
- Figure 6