Foil blocking is a beautiful addition to any piece of stationery, adding a new layer of texture and luxury.
A slightly cheaper alternative to die stamping, foil blocking is an excellent way to add consistent, rich colours (particularly metallics) to any piece of print.
Foil blocking is in many ways, very similar to the process of letterpress printing.
To begin with a metal block is produced of the desired text or artwork to be foiled. This block is then attached to a press and heated. Once at the correct temperature a thin piece of film carrying a foil colour is fed into the press over the top of the metal block. The material being foiled is then pressed against the metal block, trapping the foil in between.
Through a combination of the heat and pressure the foil releases from the film carrier and is transferred onto the material.
Things to bear in mind:
- The detail in the image or text to be foiled cannot be too fine as if the lines are too fine or too close together the foil will start to fill in and the result will not come out properly. If you are looking for ultra-high detail in this manner, the best option would be die stamping
- Die stamping or foil blocking are the best ways to print in a metallic colour
- Foil blocking is one of the best ways to print a light colour onto a darker coloured stock (E.g. white foil onto a black sheet of paper). However, some foils can appear slightly different once applied to certain stocks. Please do let us know if you require a printed proof of your chosen foil and paper before proceeding with the full order
- Foiled stationery such as letterheads are normally laser compatible so should not be an issue for corporate stationery that require overprinting back at the customers office
- Foils come in a huge array of colours, designs and finishes but if a specific Pantone colour is required it is best to print using ink so we can mix up the desired shade.
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To discuss an upcoming project or book an appointment with a member of the team please call us on +44 (0) 20 7923 5960 or
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