Hot foil printing provides a simple way to make your products stand out. This is a finish that adds an appealing silvery or golden glow, the kind of sparkle that can make a customer reach for your product over any others. It’s a simple printing technique that has a lot to offer when it comes to getting the right look for your packaging or products and making them feel just a bit special.
What is hot foil printing?
Metallic or pigmented foil is applied to the surface of the product or packaging. This is done using a metal plate called a foiling die, which contains the design that you’re looking to have appear in the metallic finish. Almost any design can be etched into the die, whether that is your logo or simple wording. The die is heated up to a certain temperature and when it is hot enough it is applied to the printing surface with the foil. The end result is a shiny version of your chosen design on whatever the surface you wanted to apply it to. This is the more traditional type of hot foil printing and will require a different die for each colour if your design has more than one.
What kind of foil can you use?
There are lots of different options when it comes to hot foil printing and that’s what creates the choice in terms of making your products and packaging look really special. The most common type of foil is metalized foil, which will give your final design a smooth, shiny finish in a metallic shade such as gold or silver. A pigmentised foil can be used to deliver texture in the final design, whether that is glossy or matte, while scratch-off foil is the kind that you’d normally find on a scratch card, for example. Foils can also come in a number of different colours, including distinctive metallic shades.
Where is hot foil printing most often used?
Hot foil printing is incredibly versatile – you may have seen it used most often on paper but that’s not the only surface where it can make an impact. In fact, hot foiling can be used on a wide range of different materials. Business cards, gift cards and magazines are just some of the most common paper surfaces where you’re likely to see hot foil printing being used to create a special finish. Packaging will also often feature hot foil printing because it creates a unique and distinctive finish and one that attracts attention on the shelf. In terms of brands, it’s often the luxury and high end brands that select hot foil printing for materials and packaging, as it conveys a sense of decadence and a feel of superior quality.
There is no doubt that hot foil printing is special. It can be used to create eye-catching textures and finishes that bring a sense of luxury and credibility to any design and to provide a distinctive aesthetic that really stands out from the crowd.