Digital foiling looks virtually identical to traditional foil stamping, but rather than manufacturing a “stamping die” and melting foil onto the card, the image to be foiled is digitally printed and a different type of foil is used which sticks to the printed image. If you see printed material with a metallic imprint that looks like a mirror, you’re probably looking at the foiling printing technique. Foiling adds a “wow” effect to your printed items, catching the light in a way that other printing methods can’t. Foiling is an excellent technique to set your printing apart from the competition by adding depth and almost crystal quality. Foiled spots gleam in the light, giving your printed pieces a high-end quality.

What is traditional Hot Foil Stamping?   

In a traditional method, the term “hot foil stamping” is used in the industry, it usually refers to the process of hot foil stamping. This method involves using a metal plate with a raised impression of the design to be foil stamped onto the substrate’s surface. When the plate comes into contact with the foil, a thin coating of the foil film is transferred to the paper’s surface. The foil sticks to the surface of the paper on the parts of the required imprint while the plate is heated. The image becomes reflective as a result. Separate metal dies for each color must be prepared if multiple colors in a design need to be foiled. The dies are then applied one by one to the medium to create the desired result.