Traditional Foil Stamping 

This method begins with the desired design being etched onto a metal plate called a foiling die, which can be compared to a conventional rubber stamp. The die is heated up, and a thin layer of foil is placed between the die and the substrate. The die then applies pressure to the foil and the printing surface, causing the foil to permanently bond to the surface in the shape of the etched design. 

For multiple colored designs, separate dies need to be created for each colour, and several runs of the press machine are required to produce the final design. Special effects such as embossing or raising may be achieved through the use of another specialized die. 

Digital Foil Stamping 

Digital foil stamping, also known as digital foiling, is visually similar to traditional foil stamping. However, instead of using a stamping die to press the pattern onto the substrate, the image is digitally printed using a special type of foil that adheres to the printed surface. 

Digital stamping eliminates the need for multiple dies in multi-coloured and multi-patterned projects. This method can be compared to conventional inkjet printing. 

Pigment Foils – These are foils that are either matte or gloss colors, but have no metallic sheen. Their primary use, when it comes to graphic design, is where you have a product that won’t be printed but still requires some graphics. For example, you may be making a black packaging box. Rather than print black, you are using a black paper. This means inks printed on it won’t appear. So you use a white pigment foil to put the name of the product on the box.

Pearl Foils – These are foils that are transparent/translucent and have a pearlescent shine. You will commonly see these on wedding invitations. They do add some color, but are primarily used to give a shine to some element of your design.

Holographic Foils – These are foils that have a “rainbow” effect, similar to the back of a CD or DVD. As light shines on the foil, it is reflected back in a rainbow of colors. Also in the category of holographic foils are those that have a holographic pattern in them, such as a repeating starburst, dot pattern, etc.