Cold Foil

Lollipop Envelope Design Encompasses Multiple Embellishments

March 18, 2024

By Jeff Peterson, editor-in-chief, PostPress

Kenmore Envelope Company, located in Richmond, Virginia, specializes in high-end envelope manufacturing, which includes everything from the printing and finishes to the final envelope converting. Special finishes and embellishments always have been an important part of what Kenmore offers.

To showcase Kenmore’s abilities, the company believes creating specialty embellished envelope samples for its customers and prospects is an important part of the selling process. In a recent envelope design, the Kenmore team decided it wanted to highlight ‘scent’ coating with its newest sample creation.

“We had a meeting with about a dozen Kenmore team members to throw around ideas and came up with the lollipop idea,” said Scott Evans, Kenmore Envelope president. “From there, we discussed how to make each embellishment impactful and not only shine by itself, but as a whole to the entire design.”

The goal was to have a cutting-edge envelope to showcase the technological investments Kenmore offers without getting too busy with the look and design.

The Kenmore team wanted the colors of the lollipop to pop off the envelope design. Once the flat art was created, the team needed to determine what to add to improve the existing design with Kenmore’s available embellishments – which effects to combine, where to place the embellishments, and what design elements on the envelope to highlight.

The lollipop envelope includes cold foil transfer, 4-color process, Cast & Cure™ clear holographic and spot scent coating that smells exactly like a lollipop. The amazing aspect of the project is that the embellishment and finishes all were accomplished in two passes. The cold foil and 4-color process printing was the first pass, and the Cast & Cure and scent coating were applied in the second pass. All of these were done on a K+B Rapida 106 LED UV offset press with an Eagle Systems’ cold foil module. The final steps in the production were the embossing of the word ‘Color’ and the lollipop on the front side of the envelope and the diecutting. Both were accomplished in one pass on Kenmore’s in-house platen 40″ diecutter. The final envelope was converted on a W+D 628.

The envelope included a silver cold foil in specific areas of the envelope and then the 4-color process was applied inline for the vivid, colorful lollipop and the black background of the envelope. There also was overprinting CMYK over the silver cold foil in the ‘splash’ below the lollipop and the word ‘COLOR’ in the headline. The next pass applied the Cast & Cure film on the black background to showcase a clear holographic pattern over the entire envelope except over the printed lollipop. The Cast & Cure process was applied through Eagle Systems’ cold foil module for the second pass. The scented spot coating then was applied over the lollipop on one of the offset stations inline with the Cast & Cure. Lastly, the wording ‘COLOR’ and the lollipop were embossed in the final pass.

“We limited the amount of cold foil so we didn’t overwhelm the envelope as there’s beauty in having focused cold foil in certain areas,” explained Evans. “The combination of the cold foil and embossing also had a beautiful impact.”

The cold foil used for the lollipop envelope was supplied by Univacco, the Cast & Cure film was supplied by Breit Technologies and the scented scratch-off coating came from Scentisphere.

Kenmore Envelope strongly believes that tailored envelopes have a higher chance of being opened than ones that lack distinction. Clients have shared with Kenmore that the specialty embellishments increase their lift vs. a non-embellished envelope, including feedback from clients that the increase has been three to five times more than in previous non-embellished envelopes.

“I believe our clients and the agencies we have worked with for years have always challenged us about what’s new and next. What can differentiate them from their competitors?” Evans said. “There’s a luxury feel to being a bit different and to stand out.”

The cover of this issue of PostPress was produced by Kenmore Envelope Company, which supplied the covers through the inspiration of the lollipop envelope project.

DVC Highlights Striking Foil Capabilities Using Cast and Cure™ and Cold Foil

March 15, 2023

edited by Erin La Row, editor, PostPress

A company’s success is tied to its employees telling the brand story and effectively showcasing capabilities to potential clients – something the crew at D’Andrea Visual Communications (DVC), in Cypress, California, knows all too well. The company began in 2005 as a lithographic printer. It has since expanded in-house with grand format printing and custom fabrication. Today, the company is a visual communications producer for Fortune 500 brands as well as start-ups.

Cold foil is a DVC hallmark – the company needed a visual way to demonstrate its capabilities to clients. Using previously designed graphics the company had on hand, designer Franz Dreikorn, prepress/pressroom manager at DVC, got to work designing a sample booklet.

“We needed to show what we can do as far as foil and Cast and Cure™,” Dreikorn said. The result: an eye-catching booklet that pops with color and shine – showing potential clients the DVC team knows how to help their businesses get noticed and excite customers. Dreikorn said 100 lb. book-weight stock was used. “We wanted to show the difference between cover stock and book-weight stock,” he added.

The Cast and Cure film was supplied by Breit Technologies and the cold foil was supplied by Univacco Foils Corporation. The machinery used in the production of the booklet included a KBA Rapida 106 press with an Eagle Systems cold foil unit. The six-page booklet took home Best Use of Film Casting (Cast and Cure) from the Foil and Specialty Effects Association’s 2022 Gold Leaf Awards.

“I was pretty happy,” Dreikorn said about the award.

The inside pages of the DVC booklet include an example of cold foil only, showcasing its ability to do both larger solids and reversed-out type. Another page demonstrates reversed-out 4-color litho with a Cast and Cure clear holographic background, and the middle of the booklet includes a beautiful two-page spread of a city skyline with a pass of silver cold foil that then was overprinted with 4-color litho – all inline on the KBA press and Eagle cold foil unit. The last two pages showcase a color chart of CMYK colors available for printing or overprinting with silver foil.

The DVC booklet includes a reversed-out, 4-color image with a Cast and Cure™ clear holographic background.

Cast and Cure is a decorative process that uses UV/EB varnishes and specialty films to create diffractive surfaces that produce unique finishes for the printing and packaging industries. It forms a consistent high-quality surface that can incorporate ultra-high gloss, matte and holographic finishes on a variety of substrates.

“It gives you a better sheen,” Dreikorn said. “It’s brighter – more of a mirror effect.”

Tim Cain, president of Breit Technologies, Overland Park, Kansas, said, “D’Andrea understands that the Cast and Cure process is more of an overall effect and not just a highlight. Many people use foil as an accent. Due to the reusability of the casting film, an overall Cast and Cure effect can be applied to the whole piece for the same cost as a traditional foil highlight.”

Cain added, “One of the undiscussed benefits of the Cast and Cure process is the enhanced gloss level. The casting film works to calendar the coating to a consistent level, enhancing the gloss level and offering an additional boost with the holographic effect.”

Breit Technologies is credited with introducing Cast and Cure in North America. PostPress previously sat down with Cain to talk about the Cast and Cure process. Cain said it is used in everything from liquor and beverage labels, printed collateral and direct mail to magazine and book covers, and even food and pharmaceutical cartons.

“Brand owners find the clear holographic patterns are an excellent way to grab the consumer’s attention when they’re applied to a carton or label,” Cain said.

The process has many benefits. Since the Cast and Cure film works as a type of mold for the cured UV coating (the film is not actually applied to the substrate), it can be used up to a dozen times – sometimes more – and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are eliminated with the use of UV/EB varnishes. Less money is spent on shipping fees and warehousing compared to other decorating methods, and the casting films are recyclable.

When asked about clients’ reactions to the booklets, Dreikorn said, “Everybody loves them!”

Cold Foil Process Continues to Grow

September 16, 2022

By Jeff Peterson, executive director, FSEA

The application of cold foil for labels, folding cartons and other printed materials has been available for some time. However, in recent years, there has been an acceleration in the acceptance and use of cold foil in both roll-to-roll and sheet-fed applications. PostPress magazine sat down with Michael Rivera, general manager – Cold Foil Business Unit, K Laser Technology, and Mike King, president, Eagle Systems, to discuss frequently asked questions as they pertain to cold foil transfer.

Cold foil continues to grow in popularity for labels and folding cartons. What are some of the reasons that cold foil has become more popular in recent years?

Rivera: For many applications, the process of cold foiling can be more cost effective vs. hot foil because it can be completed all inline, which has afforded more printers access to adding metallic decorating to its line of services. Overall, there is less set-up time and less costly for many applications.

King: One of the key reasons that cold foil has become more popular is that the quality and shine is now equal to, or in some cases, surpassed that of a hot foil stamp. Other reasons for its popularity include the efficiency of the cold foil transfer and the fast-to-market ability of the process. The cost savings can be as much as 80% vs. other processes depending on the application.

What are some of the advantages of using cold foil vs. other metallic decorating choices?

Rivera: Cold foil offers a more appealing, vibrant brilliance versus metallic inks, thus catching the consumer’s eye much quicker. Furthermore, more brand owners and designers are learning more about cold foil and how it can add real value to their designs at a reasonable cost.

King: Cold foil offers flexibility including the ability to be performed inline with the printing, and when applied in the first station of an offset press, the foil can be overprinted inline to create a variety of metallic colors. Cold foil also offers amazing detail, including applying half tones with the cold foil process. This is not obtainable with hot or digital foil processes.

Also, a huge advantage of cold foil versus overprinting a foil laminated or transfer foil board is that areas on a carton or other printed materials that have small type on a white background can be “knocked out” when the cold foil is applied. This eliminates the need to have a separate station on the printing press to apply a white opaque ink, which can be difficult to work with and adds costs to the project.

When is hot foil a more practical choice than cold foil? What are some of cold foil’s limitations?

Rivera: Cold foil excels at short-run work, especially with label applications. However, one disadvantage of cold foil is limitations with paper stocks.

King: For sheet-fed applications on a large sheet, hot foil is more efficient if the metallic image of a folding carton or other printed material is in a small specific area. In addition, if the customer if wanting to emboss or deboss the image or take the grain of the paper out in the foil stamped area, then hot foil is a better choice. If the run lengths are long, cold foil inline with the printing and then embossing or debossing with the diecutting still may be the most efficient choice. Run length, image size, and if the image is embossed/debossed will have an impact on the final decision of hot versus cold.

What new applications have been seen for cold foil? What has sparked the use of cold foil in these applications?

Rivera: We have seen cold foil becoming more popular for wider web applications. This includes labels, smaller-sized folding cartons and especially shrink sleeve applications in the beverage market. The ability to run a wider web for roll-to-roll applications can increase overall throughput and save costs for larger runs.

King: Brand owners are always looking for something new and different. Something that we have seen lately is using cold foil on the inside of a carton to create a high-end look to the entire box. They cold foil the entire uncoated inside of the carton and commonly with an overprinted color over silver foil, giving the inside a truly unique look.

Are there any new technologies with the cold foil process that has been introduced lately or will be available in the near future?

Rivera: Sustainability has become a huge topic for packaging and printing. Transfer cold foil paperboard has become a popular choice versus laminated foil board. Transfer cold foil paperboard will most likely continue to become a popular choice for printers who are concerned with sustainability and recyclability. Another new technology is using digital print heads to apply the cold foil adhesives. This can be done for both roll-to-roll and sheet-fed formats and create raised cold foil images

King: Cold foil equipment now has the ability to register holographic images or Fresnel lens inline on an offset press. This new technology has allowed printers with cold foil capabilities to provide the type of quality needed for this application through the cold foil process.

Fragrance Box Matches Its Floral Sensation

June 8, 2022

Edited by Erin La Row, editor, PostPress

The Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb rigid box (a recent winner in the Foil & Specialty Effects Association’s 29th Annual Gold Leaf Awards) was a showcase of McLean Packaging Corporation’s production capabilities.

Established in 1961 as a small box manufacturing facility outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McLean Packaging’s facility and expertise has grown over time, now operating three manufacturing facilities with over 200 employees. McLean’s specialty is helping its customers enhance their presence in the marketplace.

“Our customer wanted to create a set that showcased the product and created visual dimension and interest,” said Stephanie Deisley, McLean Packaging.

The award-winning rigid box included a pearl coating that was used on the pink background of the box to match the brand’s color. The flowers were created out of silver cold foil supplied by ITW Foils with a gloss coating all printed inline on McLean’s KBA offset press. It was then embossed to help show definition of the decoration on a Bobst using embossing dies supplied by Metal Magic.

The corner ribbon is printed black with silver cold foil to display the Viktor&Rolf logo. The ribbon also includes an embossed pattern to mimic a real ribbon. The cartouche was formed on McLean’s thermoformer and applied inline during production to give the seal a shiny, wax like look.

One of the challenges the team faced in the production of the display box was the intricacies of the floral pattern diecut around the window.

“From the original concept, we had to round a few corners and made less-severe angles to limit any concerns of tearing or lifting during production,” Deisley stated. “We worked closely with the customer on what needed to be edited and they supplied artwork to the modifications.”

The result is a box as enchanting as the now iconic fragrance. The lid is a heavier weight wrap for smoothness and firmness of material around the diecut glued to a 58 pt Wood White board. The window is .012 APET with 25% PCR. The cartouch seal is .017 Black rPET.

“In the end, the final production piece came together beautifully and showcased the product on shelf,” Deisley said.

Embellishing with EB

December 9, 2021

By Sage M. Schissel, Ph.D., PCT Ebeam and Integration, LLC

From glitz and glam to texture and realism, embellishment can provide an added layer of pizzaz to any package. When competition for the consumer’s attention has never been so fierce, embellishment can be the differentiator that makes a package fly off the shelf – figuratively speaking, that is. Embellishment has not quite yet risen to the level of magic, though what some producers have created is nothing short of remarkable!¹ Whether it be Cast and Cure™, cold foil transfer or spot embellishments, often these techniques are achieved with UV, but did you know that they also can be accomplished with electron beam (EB)?

A popular embellishment, Cast and Cure™, uses a specialty film to emboss a pattern into an overprint varnish (OPV).² The film is temporarily laminated to the OPV while still wet, allowing the surface of the OPV to conform to the features of the film. Then, the OPV is polymerized with EB, freezing the pattern into the coating. Finally, the film is removed and rewound separately for future use. Using Cast and Cure™ in combination with EB brings a holographic ‘wow’ to photoinitiator-free, indirect-food-contact-safe, EB-curable OPVs. According to Tim Cain, president of Breit Technologies LLC, “We think there are significant opportunities to expand Cast and Cure™ within the EB market. We have had success with the food markets, and this is an area that could see a great deal of expansion.”

Need a metallic finish? Cold foil transfer is the process of transferring a metallic foil from a carrier web to the packaging substrate.³ A laminating adhesive is applied to the substrate and the foil nipped to the adhesive. The system is exposed to the beam, polymerizing the adhesive and adhering the foil, and finally, the carrier web (with any remaining foil) is removed and rewound separately. Since EB has no trouble penetrating through the opaque foil, the adhesive does not need to be activated prior to being nipped to the foil. The location of both Cast and Cure™ and cold foil transfer embellishments can be controlled by selective placement of the OPV or laminating adhesive, respectively.

The equipment requirements for both types of embellishment are identical. Both require a secondary unwind and rewind for the addition and removal of the embossing film or foil carrier web. Moreover, a laminating nip is required before the beam entrance, and another adjustable web-guiding roll is needed after exiting the beam to ensure the proper release angle of the secondary web. Any ebeam line with these capabilities is, by default, also capable of laminating and curing coatings (or inks), and thus considered a 4-in-1 line. To accommodate the thickness of the secondary web, the maximum accelerating voltage of the EB is generally 150 kV.⁴ Since nitrogen inerting is only required for coatings, the beam also can be set up for both inerting and ozone exhaust.⁵

Want an embellishment that can be both visual and tactile? Spot embellishment might be the solution. This broad term encompasses multiple methods to achieve the selective placement of coating or ink. The embellishment can be applied with a patterned flexo plate, or digital inkjet heads can be used so that the embellishment can be changed frame by frame to match a digital print. Figure 1 shows an example of the latter method; indirect gravure was used to flood coat the HP Indigo-printed substrate with a matte OPV, then clear gloss inkjet ink was patterned over top in a wet-on-wet process.

Figure 1. (A) Web path for wet-on-wet spot embellishment using an indirect gravure coater and digital inkjet. (B) Examples of EB-cured spot embellishment on HP Indigo-printed substrate (left/middle, natural light and right, blacklight). Samples were flood coated with Ashland matte and embellished with Kao Collins clear gloss inkjet ink.

The contrast of the gloss between the embellishment and the flood coat is visually appealing, but also it resulted in a tactile effect from the contrasting coefficients of friction and the additional coat weight of the embellishment. Furthermore, the ink used in this example naturally fluoresces under blacklight, providing more creative opportunities. Voltage requirements vary depending on the thickness of the embellishment but most often fall between 100 and 125 kV for packaging applications.

When considering whether to use UV or EB for an embellishment application, it is helpful to review a few key aspects of the two technologies. Both UV and EB can be used to apply embellishments on a variety of substrates for a variety of different applications; however, the fact that EB doesn’t need an initiator gives the technology an advantage when used in sensitive applications, such as pharmaceutical or food packaging. No photoinitiator in the formulation eliminates any worry of photoinitiator-fragment migration.

Elizabeth Leeper, technical developer at Daybreak Technologies, said, “The photoinitiator (PI) package has to be carefully curated around the application. Different PIs absorb light at different wavelengths, and certain films, like those used for cold foil, can block portions of the UV spectrum. Also, by weight, PIs typically are the costliest component of any UV or UV-LED formulation.”

Another difference between EB and UV is the mechanism that governs depth of cure.⁴“In UV, the bulb’s spectral output coupled with the PI’s screening of the light makes for cure gradients. This can result in poor adhesion properties,” according to Leeper. Attention must be given to UV lamps as the bulbs decay over time and reflectors become dirty, since these factors influence the spectral output.

In contrast, the filaments that produce the electrons for EB equipment either function or don’t; there is no degradation in the interim. Electrons also are not influenced by optical clarity; rather, the depth of cure is determined by material density of the coating/film and the accelerating voltage (kV) of the machine. Monte Carlo simulations can be used to determine a voltage that avoids cure gradients. Additionally, working with color-blind electrons means more flexibility when it comes to embellishing with richly pigmented and/or metallic inks and coatings.

An area where UV technology excels in comparison to EB is cost. Historically, UV has been much less expensive than EB, providing new adopters a low barrier into the market, and, over time, establishing a broader base of users. Today, EB only makes up a small fraction of the radiation curing market. However, progress has been made in the last 15 years by efficiently scaling EB to the application. With the availability of units specifically designed with maximum voltages of 100 to 150 kV, there’s significant cost savings (and reduction in footprint) in comparison to the original low-energy electron beams, which can handle accelerating voltages up to 300 kV. Furthermore, as demand increases for faster line speeds and wider webs, the cost differences between UV and EB diminish. Where UV generally requires additional lamps as line speed increases, a single EB can accommodate line speeds up to 1,300 ft/min (400 m/min).

In summary, consider the advantages of EB the next time a package calls for embellishment! Whether it’s Cast and Cure™, cold foil transfer, spot embellishment or maybe even a new embellishment technique, EB can help push the bounds of possibility.

References:

2021. FSEA Gold Leaf Awards Celebrate UV Curing. UV+EB Tech. (3).
DeDonder, M., 2015. Cast and Cure: A Game-Changing Decorative Application Process. UV+EB Tech. (3).
Embellishments: foil stamping process. https://www.labelsandlabeling.com/label-academy/article/embellishments-foil-stamping-processes
Schissel, S., 2021. EB Operation 101. UV+EB Tech. (1).
Schissel, S., 2021. Comparing EB and UV: Common Questions. UV+EB Tech. (2).

Cold Foil: Best Applications, New Markets and Debunked Myths

September 2, 2020

By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) recently hosted its virtual FSEA Online Learning Experience. As part of the programming, there was a presentation and panel discussion on cold foil. The panel included Tim Cain, president of Cast and Cure film and specialized equipment supplier Breit Technologies LLC; Mike King, president of cold foil equipment manufacturer Eagle Systems; and Stefan Congram, technical print expert for Cartamundi, a global manufacturer of playing cards, trading cards, board games and packaging. The panel discussion covered many topics, including the best applications and new markets for cold foil, as well as debunked myths surrounding the technique.

Over the last several years, the foils, adhesives and technology all have improved to help make cold foil a feasible option for many print decorating applications, replacing more expensive foil laminated board in many situations. Discussing where cold foil is most commonly used, Cartamundi’s Stefan Congram explained that his company uses cold foil for consumer products packaging, especially for the cards and games that are Cartamundi’s forte. “We see a lot of cold foil applications in the folding carton and rigid packaging industries,” said Congram. “We also see applications in direct mail and, obviously, in publications.” He noted that cold foil also is seen frequently for the collectibles, cosmetics, confectionary, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Eagle Systems’ Mike King pointed to the cold foil work used for premium brands and deluxe products. “For high-end packaging – like Estee Lauder, Polo, Godiva – these are all brand owners that are out there with cold foil in the perfume business, chocolates, and wine and spirits,” said King. He also has seen a dramatic increase in certain market applications, partially attributed to the onset of the pandemic. “Now, with COVID-19, the wine and spirits market seems to have gone through the roof when it comes to foil,” he said. “And, believe it or not, even some of the cannabis markets are actually going after cold foil.”

Breit Technologies’ Tim Cain agreed with King’s comments concerning the opportunities in cannabis packaging. “The cannabis markets really have been a growth industry,” said Cain. “As we start to see more manufacturers with different products and different categories – whether it’s edibles or other cannabis products – we are seeing the same challenges that our consumer products companies see in their retail spaces. They are dealing with a highly educated consumer who is looking for product differentiation on the store shelf, so we are seeing quite a bit of interest in embellishment in that market.”

While the wine and spirits market has been using foil and specialty effects for a long time to add distinction and to differentiate its products, most high-end labels were using hot foil stamping, which was perceived to be of higher quality and add more sheen. Today, there are more labels being produced in a sheet-fed format with cold foil than ever before. Even uncoated stocks for high-end wine labels are incorporating cold foil successfully, according to King, which is somewhat new to the market.

Advantages and disadvantages of cold foil

Even though cold foil doesn’t replace conventional foil stamping or digital foil equipment, it provides significant advantages for certain applications, filling a special niche in the print embellishment industry. King, who has been involved with hot foil for 45 years, said that he is on both sides of the fence when it comes to hot vs. cold foil. “But I’ve learned over the years,” said King, “that with the cold foil, we will get a lot fewer defects in registration.” This is because cold foil is printed inline, and the registration from the first sheet carries over to the last sheet, he explained.

King went on to discuss the speed at which cold foil can be applied: “We’re able to run at high speeds all day long. We have machines running at regular speeds of 13,000 to 14,000 sheets an hour, and we have large-volume companies that are running closer to 16,000 and as high as 18,000 sheets per hour. Cold foil does not hold you back from speed.”

Cain agreed with King: “The ability to do cold foil inline with the printing also offers some speed advantages, especially when you are talking about these long-run markets, as we are starting to see a backfill taking place because of COVID-19. So, I think there are definitely some manufacturing benefits of doing cold foil above and beyond just some of the highly decorative aspects that people are going for.”

Another advantage of cold foil, especially when compared to foil laminated board, is that the operator does not have to cover “non-foil” areas with white opaque ink or do anything special on glue flaps for folding cartons. Cold foil allows users to knock-out the non-foiled areas on the sheet, making it a much easier process to overprint.

CastCure_Multifoil_silver — The equipment utilized for cold foil transfer also can be used, in many cases, to apply Cast and Cure.

Congram said printing small black type on top of opaque white can be problematic. “When you are overprinting on top of opaque white ink, the black is going to end up gray,” he said. “It’s really, really tough to get a true black over an opaque white.”

Congram went on, describing aspects of cold foil that stand out. “The thing I like the best about cold foil is it allows for so much flexibility when you are trying to cost-engineer a project with a customer,” he said. “Cold foil is unmatched in flexibility for pricing. You can rotate cartons to get better foil utilization.” Congram went on to point out that webs of foil can be used where the foil needs to be located vs. a foil laminated board that has a full 40 inches of metallic. Another advantage that Congram sees with cold foil is its design potential, “as well as the fact that you can overprint on top of silver to make any color under the rainbow.”

In terms of productivity, Congram said, “There is no need for secondary stamping processes, so your throughput is going to be through the roof when compared to all of your other options. It’s certainly the fastest and the most productive way to put foil on a sheet.”

The equipment utilized for cold foil transfer also can be used, in most cases, to apply Cast and Cure – a technology that allows operators to add a clear holographic pattern over the printed sheet using a film that can be used several times over. “Having cold foil on offline equipment also gives you some other design capabilities,” stated Cain. “We have several customers in the finishing market that are using Cast and Cure as a secondary embellishment after the job has been printed. So, if a customer is making an investment into a two-color press to have cold foil capabilities, they could utilize that equipment to do other things besides just cold foil.”

Cain also commented on cold foil and Cast and Cure as they fit into the short-run and digital markets. “We are starting to see the embellishment side increase on the digital market,” he said. “Equipment from companies like Scodix and MGI is definitely starting to take the foil into the short-run market where, up until a few years ago, there weren’t any embellishment options available. And so, with the ability to look at adding cold foil capabilities without any of the tooling costs to enter it, we are definitely starting to see some expansions of cold foil in those markets, as well as with Cast and Cure.”

But Cain noted that cold foil and Cast and Cure cannot fill every embellishment requirement. “As an example, when we were doing the recent Gold Leaf Award judging, one of the products that showcased very well was the souvenir Super Bowl magazine cover,” he said. “The cover had multiple levels of holographics on it and multiple levels of transitions taking place, with print over the top of it, all in register.” A complicated, sophisticated item such as this magazine cover is at the upper echelon of embellishment. “The ability to create truly customizable holographic images, where cost is of no concern, where there are multiple tiers either from a security standpoint or from an embellishment standpoint, shows that there always is going to be a need for those markets. I don’t think Cast and Cure or cold foil will ever be able to overtake those markets.”

In other examples, cold foil usually is not the best choice to apply a metallic finish if the foiled area on the carton or other printed product is relatively small. And, if the image or images include embossing, cold foil may not be the best choice. Hot foil stamping, in many instances, is the better choice for these types of applications.

Debunking the myths

Because of some of the initial challenges created by cold foil transfer, there still are myths and overblown concerns about the process. King shared a handful of misconceptions that have proven untrue. “One of the myths was that roll changes took a long time – took an hour – which wasn’t true even way back when. We have tested it out to see what we can do, and we can get it down to a five-minute roll change – or even less if we have to, depending on how we do it.”

King said that an additional misconception was that cold foil only worked on certain substrates. “Today, we work on literally every substrate,” he said. “It’s also a myth that cold foil cannot be embossed, because my business cards have been embossed for years and it’s all cold foil. They have one bit of hot foil on them and that was done flat-stamping.”

Congram described his cold foil myth experiences. “I think the biggest one that I hear most commonly is that cold foil is not as shiny as other processes,” he said, “but clearly with the advancement in technology and materials, it’s right up there today, in my opinion.”

Congram noted that shine can be a relative quality and offered a helpful tip: “People have to remember that if you are going to put shiny foil on a gloss sheet, you are not really doing yourself any favors on the contrast side. This isn’t a design conversation, but I like to always include these little tidbits – I like to put a matte wherever my cold foil is not, to really bring it to the front.”

As these industry veterans have attested, cold foil – a technique no longer shrouded in mystique and myth – can be a fast, manageable and highly effective option for adding stand-out embellishments. It’s an effective way to provide a metallic look to a variety of printed material.

For more in-depth information on this subject and to hear more from Mike King, Stefan Congram and Tim Cain on this topic, listen to the entire webinar presentation, “The Impact of Cold Foil on the Embellishment Landscape” – as well as other videos – by visiting the FSEA Online Learning Experience’s YouTube playlist.

Eagle Systems’ Cold Foil Module

March 10, 2020

by Lara Copeland, contributing editor, PostPress

Nearly all types of lithographic printing presses, six towers or greater, can be adapted to include a cold foil module and realize the effects that can be achieved with cold foil and 4-color overprinting in one pass. The Eagle Cold Foil Module from Eagle Systems, Ocean, New Jersey, can be retrofitted to almost any new or existing offset press without altering or interfering with the functions or electronics of the existing press.

With more than 40 years of experience with foil machinery and process, Eagle Systems always has strived to improve upon its machinery and add technological developments to its Eagle products – specifically engineering highly productive equipment to meet the need of the printing industry and the needs of the environment. Recently, Eagle Systems has added new and exciting features for cold foiling with the introduction of its Eagle Low Profile (LP), Eagle High Volume (HV) and the new Eagle Foil Sync.

The multitude of new features on these Eagle cold foil units offer several advantages for users. Eagle LP is perfect for companies that do not have the appropriate ceiling height in their production areas to accommodate the cold foiling unit and crane. The LP unit can offer the same cold foiling technology with the ability to be installed and fit into much less space and height.

Eagle Systems also has introduced the Eagle HV, which offers fewer foil changes to companies that have extremely high-volume runs with the ability to hold foil rolls as large as 32,000 meters. Newly installed units also include the Non-Telescoping System (NTS) that helps simplify the winding and rewinding of the foil on the cold foil unit.

The third introduction from Eagle Systems – Eagle Foil Sync – is added to its cold foil modules when the area that is to be foiled is in a smaller, specific spot on the sheet. This new feature allows one web of foil to be used several times by syncing the position where the foil is applied in each run, which can result in major foil savings. Finally, the Eagle Cold Foil Modules now include the new Eagle Information Center (NEIC) that is totally informational and mounted near the delivery of the machine.

All the features above save time, money and create less downtime, which can translate into a greater return on investment. The new internal features of the Eagle make it easier for set-up and allow for less operator involvement. This provides more time to work on the printing process instead of cold foil concerns. Furthermore, the new NTS feature is either on or off and is no longer adjustable, so the operator is either using it or not, providing less for the operator to be concerned with when moving from a cold foil job back to a printing job. In addition to being an information center, the NEIC includes a video feed and an error/error history screen for press operators.

The goal for these new additions to the Eagle Systems Cold Foil Module is to create a unit that is easy to set up and run. Many of the changes and additions come about by listening to press operators and applying those suggestions. Eagle Systems’ Cold Foil Modules will be on display at drupa on stand 16C16, June 16 to 26, Dusseldorf, Germany.

Alternative Available for Hot and Cold Foil Waste

September 4, 2018

by Carson Weisbord, Channeled Resources Group

Photo courtesy of Channeled Resources Group.

For many manufacturers, waste is an out of sight, out of mind problem after it leaves the facility. The garbage truck comes, waste is loaded up and it’s hauled away. That’s it. Many believe there is no choice when it comes to the destination. This certainly applies to hot and cold foil roll waste. A large majority of it is currently disposed of through the landfill.

Recently, the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) has partnered with Channeled Resources Group to work toward changing this mindset and creating an alternative for foil waste disposal. The Chicago-based organization has long been an advocate for responsible environmental practices in manufacturing. Utilizing a global network, Channeled Resources finds sustainable alternatives for nonrecyclable waste and other obsolete materials. “We are delighted with the new relationship with FSEA. This partnership is a win-win for both: it allows for the development of needed feedstocks for Convergen’s engineered fuel, while providing a sustainable solution for FSEA members,” said Calvin Frost, Channeled Resources Group chairman.

A sustainable alternative for foil waste

Convergen Energy uses a variety of obsolete waste materials, including spent hot and cold foil rolls, to manufacture EPA-approved combustible fuel pellets shown here. Photo courtesy of Channeled Resources Group.

For many years, Channeled Resources focused exclusively on materials resold in secondary markets. In 2008 that changed. As the manufacturing world continued to increase focus on sustainability, Channeled Resources Group partnered with Convergen Energy, out of Green Bay, Wisconsin, to pursue a new venture: Waste-to-Energy. The new program provides a sustainable alternative for materials that have no value in secondary markets and would otherwise be sent to landfills. Convergen uses a variety of obsolete waste materials, including spent hot and cold foil rolls, to manufacture an EPA-approved combustible fuel pellet. These pellets remove and reduce coal usage in industrial power plants, burning far cleaner.

For eight years, Convergen sold these pellets to coal-burning power plants across the Midwest. At first, the volatile energy market led to struggles with revenue and inconsistent outlets for pellets. That all changed in 2016 when Convergen purchased a commercial power plant in L’Anse, Michigan. Pellets now are trucked from Green Bay to L’Anse daily to be used as fuel for energy generated by the plant and sold to the grid. Vertical integration has allowed the firm to focus on increasing material volume, growing revenue and closing the geographic loop for waste. Convergen’s processing volume has increased threefold since July 2017.

Cost effective and environmentally friendly

The Waste-to-Energy program is also easy for companies to join. Manufacturers send full truckloads of gaylord boxes filled with obsolete foil rolls to Convergen’s Green Bay facility. Upon arrival, rolls are guillotined, shredded and mixed with other nonrecyclable materials to produce fuel pellets. This solution offers an environmentally-friendly means of removing used or obsolete rolls from the waste stream with minimal changes to waste disposal practices. A gaylord box of foil material accounts for around 1,000 to 1,500 pounds. Once about 15 to 20 of these boxes are filled and stored, the manufacturer simply schedules a pick-up. The process minimizes freight costs and carbon emissions by shipping truckload quantities of material to Convergen.

While foil stamping produces a beautiful end product, more than 50% of the material used in the manufacturing process often is sent to a landfill. Disposal costs are on the rise, as landfill tipping fees in the Midwest increased nearly 27% in 2017. Increased tipping fees and efficient shipping methods allow manufacturers to make a transition to sustainable waste disposal at equal or lesser cost compared with landfill disposal.

Sustainable alternatives are becoming critically important as landfills begin to reach capacity. If waste flow continues at current volumes, it is expected that landfills could be full within 14 years. Additionally, when waste sits in a landfill, it releases large quantities of methane, a pollutant 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Residential waste also continues to rise, increasing tipping fees. Waste-to-Energy curbs methane emissions and helps avoid the construction of more landfills by decreasing demand.

Accessibility and future expansion

Convergen’s facility receives material from all over the Midwest on a daily basis, working with Green Bay-based freight carriers to coordinate backhaul pickups of Waste-to-Energy material. This minimizes carbon footprint as the trucks picking up this material would otherwise come back to Green Bay empty. Channeled Resources utilizes a trusted network of freight carriers to offer rapid, seamless pickup services.

The current service area includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Missouri and North Carolina. As capacity grows, the program plans to add collection sites and increase the service area in Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City by early next year.

Almost all pre-consumer paper and plastic products can be utilized in this process, including printed products. However, no PVC, metal or food grade material can be used in the fuel in order to maintain a high level of quality and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Convergen also provides certificates of destruction for all materials, ensuring confidentiality for its customers. The certification also allows manufacturers to promote their conservation efforts to customers.

Waste-to-Energy is a valuable first step toward building a circular manufacturing economy. Through this process, waste generators can provide a renewable energy input at a comparable cost to landfilling.

Users of hot and cold foil now have an early opportunity to pursue sustainable waste management and work toward mitigating the long-term impacts of climate change.

For more information on the new partnership between FSEA and Channeled Resources Group, please visit www.fsea.com or email Jeff Peterson at jeff@fsea.com.

Started in 1978, Channeled Resources has grown into a global supplier of coated, treated, and laminated papers and films. In addition to manufacturing, Channeled Resources is a leader in developing alternatives to landfill use for pressure-sensitive adhesives, silicone-coated release liner and specialty films. Our goal is to provide cost-effective and environmentally responsible solutions to our global customers and suppliers. For more information: www.channeledresources.com

Cold Foil is the Hot Choice for Metallic Enhancements

March 19, 2018

The use of foil and other multisensory packaging effects has become more and more common in a crowded marketplace competing for customer attention. Metallic foils are often a simple, yet effective, way to enhance a product’s aesthetic and set it apart. Evolving out of the hot stamping process, the use of cold foil has become more and more common in the last few years. Despite its popularity, there are still areas of confusion when it comes to the cold foil process.

PostPress sat down with Eagle Systems President Mike King to discuss some of the most common questions finishers and printers have regarding the cold foil process. Well versed in the design and manufacture of foil stamping and print enhancement equipment, Eagle Systems has encountered many of the issues experienced by those switching to cold foil. King offered the following insights for those looking to expand their knowledge of cold foil and its benefits.

Is cold foil replacing hot foil stamping?

Yes and no. I started building hot stamping machines with my father more than 40 years ago. That’s where my background comes from. However, over the past 11 years, my focus has shifted to involve more cold foil machinery due to market trends and customer demands.

Hot foil stamping is still a better fit for many foil applications, but cold foil has come a long way in quality and feasibility. It can be used for many applications. Most cold foil retrofits are on 40-inch sheet-fed units, and cold foil is most effective for shorter run work. In fact, most jobs around the world are less than 10,000 sheets. This is where cold foil really shines with economics. Savings is extreme in these cases.

What are the main benefits of cold foil?

Because the foiling and printing can be done in a single process, cold foil can lead to significant savings when it comes to time and money: Time because it is one pass on a press and money because of no tooling costs (dies) that are needed. For example, a job that normally would take two separate machines – one machine for the printing and one to apply the foil – and take an additional eight hours of press time, can be accomplished in about 20 additional minutes with cold foil.

In addition, cold foiling can be an excellent alternative to printing on foil laminated board. Cold foil does not require special UV inks and dryers that can add costs to the process. The areas of the design that do not include a metallic finish can be reversed out on the sheet, so white opaque ink does not need to be applied in a separate station on the printing press, where sometimes even two hits are needed to cover the metallic laminated board.

What are the cost differences of cold foil vs. hot foil?

With the increased interest in cold foil today, the foil itself is more freely available, while the cost is similar to that of hot foil. However, cold foiling does consume more foil product if the entire full web of the foil is used. Cold foil equipment today can have up to eight narrow webs. The operator can select the foil width required according to the area to be foiled, which can save a great deal of overall foil usage.

The design of the piece or sheet will determine which method is best and which method will be the least costly. If there is only a small area of metallic foil on the design, then hot stamping may be the best choice. If there is a large area of metallic and several foil colors specified, cold foil is probably best.

Like hot foiling, cold foil has developed its own market. Printers and finishers offering cold foil to their clients can make it so that those clients only work with cold foil in their designs.

How is cold foil applied?

Cold foil is like a sticky offset ink, and it is applied using a conventional printing plate and blanket in the areas where the metallic foil is needed to adhere. Essentially, it works like a printable glue on the sheet. Today, there are a number of cold foil adhesive suppliers.

Does adding cold foil slow down the printing press?

Utilizing the right foil, adhesive and cold foil unit, a printing press can run at full-press speeds for many applications. Cold foil does not slow down the printing press process.

Why has the cold foil process taken so long to catch on in the offset sheet-fed market?

A few years back, cold foiling was still considered a risky process. Many finishers had bad experiences early on, which may have contributed to the slower acceptance of the process. However, developments in foils, adhesives, blankets, etc., have helped mature the process, and today cold foiling is widely accepted and becoming more and more common.

Where have you seen the most growth in cold foiling?

I would say packaging where brand owners need differentiation in areas such as cosmetic, pharmaceutical, healthcare and confectionery. We are even seeing a demand in food products as well and, of course, the tobacco and label industries are full of potential. Interest also has started with those producing magazines and catalogs, since this type of foiling does not leave an impression in the paper, allowing for perfect printing on both sides of the sheet.

Mike King is president/CEO of Eagle Systems, a leader in the design and manufacturing of cold foil, hot foil stamping and Cast and Cure print enhancement equipment. For more information visit www.thefoilexperts.com.

Sheet-fed Cold Foil Finding Niche with Folding Cartons

September 8, 2017

by Jeff Peterson, editor-in-chief, PostPress

Many companies have been making the switch from more expensive metallic board to cold foil applications.

The use of cold foil for large-format sheet-fed applications has certainly been on the rise in the last few years. Folding carton companies have been a prime candidate for cold foil technology. Why? First and foremost, the technology in equipment, foil and adhesives has continued to improve, thereby creating an efficient workflow for carton printers. This has led to a great deal of confidence that cold foil can be a reliable decorative choice for many packaging applications.

“The process of cold foiling is now recognized as a serious alternative to other systems,” commented Tim Self, president of Compact Foilers, manufacturer of cold foil and Cast and Cure™ equipment headquartered in the United Kingdom. “Foil manufacturers have improved the foil quality and consistency, and there also have been improvements with foil saving capabilities of the equipment.”

Increased confidence in cold foil technology has led many packaging manufacturers to begin replacing metallic foil board with the cold foil process, saving significant costs and helping with lead times as well.

“One of our largest customers had items that required foil board, which would have resulted in extended lead times, not to mention being quite expensive,” explained Jennifer Wozny, marketing communications manager for Rohrer Corporation, a blister card and folding carton manufacturer based in Wadsworth, Ohio. Having a close relationship with a printer in Germany (that was an early adopter of offset cold foil technology) gave Rohrer a better understanding of the benefits of the technology. “After evaluating our options, we knew that cold foil would be a good fit for us and our customer base,” she added.

Even lower-end packaging has begun taking advantage of opportunities provided by cold foil technology.

Jim Rutt, president of Keystone Paper & Box Co., a folding carton producer in South Windsor, Connecticut, added cold foil technology to help his company differentiate itself from the competition. “In the carton packaging business, there are not many things that we can speak to when seeking out new business,” he explained. “We all sell quality, service and the standard capabilities. Cold foil and Cast and Cure helps us bring something new to the table.”

Most cold foil equipment is set up to apply Cast and Cure as well. Cast and Cure applies a clear holographic effect to the printed sheet, where cold foil uses a special tacky UV coating to apply the foil. The Cast and Cure process lays down a special adhesive on the sheet in the areas where the holographic look will appear. However, the major difference in the process is that the Cast and Cure film is not actually applied to the sheet, and the roll can be used several times over on the same job. Rather than the foil being removed from the polyester film carrier, as with cold or hot foil, the Cast and Cure clear holographic look is achieved through micro-etched patterns in the film being pressed into the UV coating and instantly UV cured, with the pattern remaining on the printed sheet once the film is stripped away.

Potential new business with cold foil

With decreased cost potential when using cold foil vs. metallic board, folding carton companies have opened the door for more customers to consider cold foil technology. “Cold foil has attracted even lower-end packaging, such as soap boxes, pet food and breakfast cereal, especially on promotion packs,” Self said. “In many cases, cold foil has simply opened the door to more foil applications, not replaced current hot foil stamping.”

Rutt pointed out that adding cold foil/Cast and Cure equipment provided the opportunity for his compnay to land a job in the beverage carrier market. “Over time the account generated close to $250,000 in profitable revenue and gave us entry to an account we would not have had without it,” he said.

Rohrer has seen its cold foil capabilities help the company switch many of its existing customers to cold foil instead of more expensive metallic board. “We have been able to convert several customers from foil board to cold foil,” Wozny explained. “Just one pass on press delivers the high-end look without the high-end cost, making it a popular choice amongst new and existing customers, as well as setting us apart from our competition.”

Another advantage cold foil has over metallic board is the ability to reverse out the white areas on a printed layout instead of using white opaque ink, which is sometimes difficult to work with and may take more than one pass to cover up the metallic areas on the sheet.

Cold foil is not always the answer

There are many opportunities for cold foil, but it is certainly not the answer to every application. Many of the folding carton manufacturers that have added a cold foil module to a printing press have used it to help relieve capacity for their hot stamping equipment.

“Cold foil is not a direct replacement for hot foiling but an alternative process,” Self stated. If the job is predominantly longer runs and small coverage for the foiled area, then hot foil stamping is probably the better way to go.

If the customer is looking for embossing as well as foil, then hot stamping is usually the best choice because the foil and embossing can be achieved in one pass on press. However, this again depends on the overall coverage of foil the customer is looking for.

Conclusion

With the emergence of sheet-fed cold foil technology and the increased use of digital foil technology, metallic decorating is at an all-time high. Customers are demanding metallic decorating, and cold foil provides another alternative along with hot foil stamping and digital foil.

“The ability to offer inline foil to high-end cosmetic and confectionary accounts, among others, has generated some nice accounts with good margins and has created carton packaging that has done well for the customer,” Rutt explained.

He suggested folding carton manufacturers do their homework before investing and develop a marketing plan for the specific work cold foil technology provides. “It can make all the difference in a successful implementation.”

References

Rohrer Corporation – 330.335.1541, www.rohrer.com
Keystone Paper & Box Co., Inc. – 860.291.0027, www.keystonepaperbox.com
Compact Foilers LTD – +44-0-1823-283411, www.compactfoilers.com