Foil blocking

 

Advances in technology have meant that our processes for designing and printing now allow a customer to play around with a design digitally with a 3D visualisation, before the printing begins, taking the risk out of any new project.

 

All artwork, design, logos, and content are created using illustrator or photoshop, easily amended on screen, until the desired result is achieved. We have a Kongsberg CAD machine which we use to cut Epson printed samples allowing you to see a full visualisation of the final look.

 

When considering foil blocking for a project it is important to not only think about the design itself but to consider the board stock as these two decisions go hand in hand. Foil blocking ideally needs crisp line art to achieve the best finish, remember to set type loosely and with more leading than you might ordinarily consider. Designs with intricate patterns can achieve crisp results on coated or smooth paper stocks, be aware that fine detail may not reproduce clearly on heavily textured paper stocks.

Traditionally, gold or silver are the most common colours used for foiling, they instantly give a premium feel to any project. A wide range of alternative metallic colours, pigment and gloss foils are available allowing a static design to be brought to life. To be sure of colour appearance a proof can be sent in advance of the desired foil on the specified paper before a job is run.

 

To implement hot foil blocking we have two methods available, but for either machine, the foiling process is roughly the same. We have a pneumatically, air-powered machine for higher volume requirements and for any small run or one-off items such as book covers, boxes, or invitations, we have a manual handfed Impress machine.