Foils can add a luxurious look to any printed piece. Whether it’s a decorative finish or anti-counterfeiting measure, the right foil can elevate your product. Foil can be applied to a wide variety of materials including paper, plastic, and even fabric. The process of applying foils to a surface is called hot stamping, and it uses heat and pressure to transfer a pattern or text to the surface.
The Difference Between Hot and Cold Foil
There’s no one definitive answer when deciding between hot and cold foil, as both processes have their advantages. One big factor is the size of the area to be foiled. Hot stamping is ideal for precise applications and defined patterns in small areas, while cold foil works best for moderate to full coverage of a carton or other piece. Another important consideration is color, as hot stamping allows for embossing or debossing in addition to printing and can produce CMYK and PMS colors.
Hot stamping can be applied to a wide variety of substrates, from light papers and carton board to laminated or corrugated material. It is a versatile printing technology that is ideal for enhancing packaging and labels with metallic finishes and holograms. It is also a popular choice for adding decorative effects to items such as books, greeting cards, and promotional merchandise.
A modern version of the days when literal gold was sealed to the covers of books, hot stamping involves a similar technique but with much more advanced equipment and technology. A chase mounted with a custom die (i.e., what you want to appear in foil) is dispensed against the substrate with a counter plate or cylinder that supplies the counter pressure. A combination of heat and pressure then activates the adhesive sizing on the foil, which adheres to the substrate. The excess foil is then peeled away, leaving a stunning finish.
Our hot stamping foil for pvc panel is printed with wood texture design, the final stamped products have vivid wood texture, it is suitable for PS wall panels, photo frame mouldings and other decoration material. It has excellent performance like abrasion resistance, heat resistance and light resistance, and is easy to use.