There's nothing quite like the shine of a perfectly foiled logo, a delicate monogram or a fine botanical illustration. But the secret behind that crisp, beautiful finish starts long before the foil touches the material. It begins with the artwork.
At Metallic Elephant, we make brass and magnesium hot foil dies every day, and we know that great results come from great preparation. Whether you're personalising leather goods, stationery or packaging, these tips will help you design artwork that translates beautifully into a high-quality foil die.
1. Always start with vector artwork
Foil dies are made from precise outlines, so your artwork needs to be in a vector format, such as an AI, EPS, SVG or vector PDF file. Unlike photos or JPEGs, vector artwork is made of clean lines and shapes that can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
If your design only exists as a JPEG or PNG, it will need to be redrawn as a vector before a die can be made (we can help with this). Simply saving a JPEG as a PDF doesn't turn it into vector artwork.
2. Keep it solid black
Hot foil is a one-colour process: an area either receives foil or it doesn't. Your artwork should be 100% solid black with no shades of grey, gradients, shadows or transparency effects.
Anything in between, such as a soft fade or a grey tone, can't be reproduced in foil and will need to be simplified. The foil colour itself is chosen separately, so design in black and let the foil bring the colour and shine.
3. Respect the minimum line thickness
This is where fine detail is won or lost. Lines that are too thin may not hold foil properly, can break up on textured materials, or may wear quickly on the die.
As a general guide, avoid hairlines and keep your finest lines no thinner than around 0.18mm / 0.5pt. Bear in mind that the material you're foiling on matters. Smooth papers and card can hold finer detail than textured leather or fabric, where slightly bolder lines will give a cleaner result.
If your design includes very fine detail, get in touch before ordering and we'll advise whether it will reproduce well.
4. Give your design room to breathe
Just as important as line thickness is the space between elements. If lines, letters or shapes sit too close together, the foil can bridge the gap and fill in, especially on softer or textured materials.
This is particularly important with reversed-out details, such as white text inside a solid foiled shape. Small gaps can easily fill in, so make reversed details a little larger and more open than you would for standard artwork.
5. Choose fonts carefully
Delicate script fonts and tiny lettering look lovely on screen, but they need care in foil. A few tips:
- Avoid very small text. As a rule of thumb, keep text to around 6pt or larger, and bigger again for fine serif or script fonts.
- Watch out for fonts with extremely thin strokes, as these can break up or disappear.
- Convert all text to outlines (curves) before sending your file. This ensures your font displays exactly as intended, even if we don't have the same font installed.
6. Be mindful of large solid areas
Large blocks of solid foil can be more challenging than fine detail. Big solid areas need even heat and pressure across the whole surface, and on some materials they can be prone to patchiness or trapped air.
If your design includes large solid areas, consider whether they could be broken up with a pattern or outline, or speak to us about the best die type for the job.
7. Supply your artwork at actual size
Always create and send your artwork at the exact size you want it to appear on the finished product. This lets you see how fine details will really look and ensures your die is made to the correct dimensions.
There's no need to mirror or flip your artwork. We'll take care of preparing the die so that it prints the right way round.
8. Choose the right die for the detail
The type of die you choose also plays a part in the level of detail you can achieve:
- Brass dies are the premium choice for fine detail and longevity. They're ideal for intricate designs, long production runs and businesses that will use the same design again and again.
- CNC magnesium dies offer excellent precision at a lower cost than brass, making them a great all-rounder.
- Etched magnesium dies are a cost-effective option for simpler designs, logos and lettering, and are available in a wide range of thicknesses.
Not sure which is right for you? Our team is always happy to look at your artwork and recommend the best option.
Your quick artwork checklist
Before you send your file, run through this list:
- Artwork is in vector format (AI, EPS, SVG or vector PDF)
- Design is 100% solid black, with no greys or gradients
- Fine lines are no thinner than around 0.18mm / 0.5pt
- There's enough space between lines, letters and shapes
- Text is a sensible size and converted to outlines
- Artwork is supplied at the exact finished size
Need a hand with your artwork?
Great foil results come from the right combination of artwork, die, foil and machine, and that's exactly what we specialise in. If you're unsure whether your design will work, or you'd like advice on getting the very best detail, get in touch with our friendly team. We'll check your artwork and help you turn it into a foil die you'll be proud of.
Visit www.metallicelephant.co.uk or email hello@hotfoil.co.uk to get started.
