From the cosmetics industry to fashion, hotels and property, through to food and drink, there is hardly a sector that doesn’t benefit from using the timeless process of foil blocking on packaging.

Also known as hot foil stamping, this process can cater for almost any production budget or brief. Foil is supplied on large master reels which is trimmed according to the dimension of each project, meaning that it is suitable for both small and large areas of coverage. The process is suitable for both long and short production runs, with two different machines and methods available for application to the surface of the paper or board being used. One method is machine fed with multiple sheets, the other, by hand individually.

Both brass and copper plates are used to create the die / stamps for the finer detailed designs which are created by chemically etching the plate to create the design. Zinc alloy is used for bolder artwork that is less reliant on detail.

Traditionally, gold or silver are the most common colours used for foiling, but a wide range of pigment and gloss foils are available in solid, pearlescent and holographic colours / effects.