What Exactly Is Foil Stamping?

Foil stamping uses pressure and high heat to release a thin film onto the substrate. The image to be stamped is etched in relief on the plate (so it is raised, rather than recessed). The pressure of stamping tends to slightly deboss the stock. The registration of foil to foil, or foil to embossing/debossing, is excellent – and this layering can create touch me-tilt me effects.

Foil Colors are limited compared to litho inks, but foil comes in several “effects” – matte pigment, gloss pigment, metallic, holographic, tint, and special effects. Metallic foils are a good choice for smallish type – they tend to be the most opaque, and to release the most cleanly. For large type, the foil is great for tone-on-tone – black-on-black, pearl-on-anything.