By Jeff Peterson, executive director, Foil & Specialty Effects Association

As the FSEA Executive Director, one question continuously comes up: What method of applying a metallic finish is best for a specific application? Through my past experiences and continued communication with both our active and associate (supplier) members, I have achieved a basic knowledge of the different processes and usually can point a printer, designer or brand owner in the right direction.

I have told this story several times through presentations at events such as PRINTING United or our own FSEA events, but it wasn’t that many years ago when an application called for the addition of a metallic finish, hot foil stamping virtually was the only choice – at least 80% or more of the time. Today, however, these options have expanded and evolved, offering the end user a range of choices based on both aesthetic appeal and the most cost-effective approach, depending on the final printed and embellished product.

What is more interesting is that the new or improved metallic decorating processes (such as cold foil transfer or digital foil processes), for most applications, provide a solution that hot foil stamping doesn’t fit. In so many cases, newer processes have opened up opportunities for the use of metallics that simply were less feasible through hot foil – based on the process or the cost. Additionally, I’ve observed that with the growth in areas such as cold foil transfer and digital foil processes, doors have opened for more hot foil stamping because the increased exposure of metallics for print has elevated the overall demand.

Another interesting trend that I believe has contributed to the popularity of embellishments and overall growth is the investment of commercial print and packaging companies in embellishment processes – including cold foil retrofitted to a new or existing offset printing press or the addition of a hot foil stamping or offline digital embellishment machine. With all of these cases, the addition of in-house metallic processes provides a salesperson something new and exciting to sell. In the past, when all the printer offered was 4-color printing, that is what the salesperson sold. The addition of foil only came into play when a customer asked for it, knowing it would be sent out to a trade finisher to complete.

This might sound like bad news for our FSEA print finishing operations. In truth, it has not worked out that way. Because commercial printers and carton/label producers now have the capabilities in-house, they have learned more about adding embellishments and how to sell it. What this has done is help grow the pie and provide more opportunities for embellishments overall. A printer may have cold foil or digital foil capabilities in-house and the job may fit one of those processes, or the job might be a better fit for hot foil stamping that the printer cannot do in-house.

Advantages and Disadvantages

This brings me to the discussion on choosing the right metallic decorating method. As I previously mentioned, I receive this question quite often and have outlined key questions for inquiries and presentations that should be considered before deciding on the most suitable process.

What is the run length of the job that is adding the metallic effects?

Run length and the finished quantity are going to help eliminate certain metallic processes right away. If the run length is a massive quantity for something such as a folding cartons, trading cards or magazine covers, one option is to apply foil through cold foil transfer and print 4-color inline. The amount of metallic used within the image of the printed piece also can affect the best choice. Even for extremely large runs, if the foil image is a simple headline or in one area on the front of the printed piece, hot foil stamping may be the best option even though it is applied in a separate run on a large platen foil stamping press.

Another option for very large runs is utilizing a foil board that is provided with the metallic pre-applied (transfer process) or pre-laminated. In either case, this can be the right choice if the design incorporates the metallic look in several places, such as on a carton or magazine/book cover. One challenge with full metallic coverage is, in many cases, certain areas still need to be white. This is possible when a fifth station is available to apply the opaque white ink. However, there can be challenges with coverage and working with the foil board.

When quantities fit somewhere in the middle, whether on the larger side or leaning toward smaller runs, hot foil stamping likely still is the best choice. Again, the design and location of the foil image or images will help determine if hot or cold foil is best.

For smaller up to medium/large quantities, utilizing a digital inkjet metallic may be the best fit. Again, the placement and size of the image can affect this, but certainly for smaller runs, using a digital foil process can be the most cost effective, eliminating tooling and plate costs.

When discussing digital foil, it is important to point out that there are both digital inkjet embellishment processes where the varnish is used as the adhesive, and digital foil processes where toner from a digital printer is used as the adhesive. Toner-based digital foil typically is for shorter-run work. However, there are machines available today for production runs. The challenge with a toner-based process is that three or four separate passes are involved in the process, so smaller runs for such items as posters, short-run invitations or cards are proper fits.

Will the job have multiple metallic colors?

If the job incorporates several metallic colors and the run length is at a higher quantity, cold foil transfer will be the best choice – where silver can be applied in the first station of the offset press and then an infinite number of metallic colors can be created through overprinting translucent ink inline. While multiple foil colors can be applied using separate webs on a foil stamping press, this is limited to the design being compatible for it to effectively work. With digital inkjet, only one metallic can be applied at a time. With a toner-based system, multiple metallic colors are achievable by applying the silver foil over the toner in one pass and then digitally printing over the silver metallic areas to create a multitude of colors. 

Will the job include embossing?

If the job is going to be embossed, whether embossing the print or the metallic image, it only can be accomplished through a secondary process, either separately or in conjunction with the foil stamping process. And, if the foil stamped image is embossed, this can be accomplished through foil stamping and embossing in one pass (combination). A cold foil transfer image can be embossed in a separate run, as well. Again, questions on quantity, image placement(s) and paper stock will determine this.

In a digital inkjet foil process, the coating/adhesive can be raised to a certain level to create a single-level embossed look to the foil; however, this is limited in its depth. The advantage of a raised digital foil look is that there is no indent on the backside of the printed piece from the embossing.

What type of paper stock was selected?

This can be a deal breaker when selecting the metallic finish for a printed piece. If the job requires a thick, porous, uncoated stock, especially a recycled stock, hot foil stamping may be the only choice for adding a metallic finish.

With both cold foil transfer and digital inkjet foil, an adhesive is applied first to the paper and the foil adheres to the adhesive in an additional section of the press. An extremely porous, uncoated stock will absorb the adhesive and make it very difficult for the foil to be applied. However, there have been new breakthroughs introduced for both cold foil and digital that are working with uncoated stocks, but there are limitations. Testing always is the best advice with paper stocks, regardless of which metallic process is chosen. 

What is the design and overall coverage of the metallic finish?

As mentioned earlier, the placement of the metallic image(s) and the overall design and coverage of the foil can have an influence on choosing the best process. A larger image or coverage of foil is not as feasible for a digital inkjet process, especially in larger quantities. And, if the metallic image is in one specific area on the design, hot foil stamping or digital inkjet probably is the best choice. If the metallic design is incorporated throughout the entire design, the best choices would be cold foil transfer or a metallic pre-transferred or pre-laminated board/paper that then is overprinted.

The bottom line when selecting a metallic finish: It’s important to look at the job from several directions. Answering the aforementioned questions before moving forward is a good start. Depending on the application, it may be worth considering more than one option and then determining the best fit based on the customer’s expectations and overall costs. 

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), in cooperation with PaperSpecs (an online platform developed to communicate easy-to-understand tips and tricks on print and paper technologies), has developed its Foil Cheat Sheet – a go-to source explaining the different techniques available for creating metallic finishes. From hot and cold foil to toner-based and varnish-based digital foiling, the guide describes each technique and provides the advantages and disadvantages of each. Specific samples of each process are included in the guide. For more information on the Foil Cheat Sheet, visit www.fsea.com and click the Education link on the navigation bar. For more information on PaperSpecs, visit www.paperspecs.com.