What is Hot Foil Printing?
Hot foil printing is a process whereby coloured foils are used in place of the more conventional inks.
Metallic hot stamping foil is the bright and shiny print, commonly seen in gold or silver,
used in many applications from the front of passports and books to greeting cards and pencils
and to enhance product packaging.
The foil product is in a dry form and coated on to polyester film on rolls in many widths.
Before printing commences, we have to produce a plate (one for each colour to be printed)
bearing your design.
The plate itself is similar in concept to a rubber stamp,
but is made of magnesium or zinc metal.
The process involves the use of foils in place of inks.
The plate carrying the design or text is mounted onto a heated block which can reach high and extreme temperatures.
The foil literally lies between the design plate and the material to be printed.
It is then a combination of the correct pressure, precise temperature and the length of contact,
that we are able to produce the finished foiled product.
Each object, is individually printed. If a second colour foil is required,
the item is passed through the hot foil printer a second time and so on.
