Eye Catching
Hot foil stamping experts discuss how package printers can effectively turn heads.
November 2006 by Missy Smith
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Every day, people walk the aisles of stores. No matter what they are looking for, somewhere during their shopping trips metallic glimmers are likely to catch their attention. Thousands of products sit on store shelves, but the ones that are likely to stand out the most in the competitive world of packaging are those adorned with foil. To achieve such an alluring look, package printers must make effective use of the hot foil stamping process.
What glimmers is gold
Brand owners know that adding hot foil stamping to packaging will elicit a second glance from consumers. “The primary reason to use expensive, shiny materials on a label or carton is to catch [people's eyes] and make potential customers want to take it home,” says Gerry Stanford, sales and marketing manager for DMS, Inc. “Cold foil and overprinted metallic substrates present a flat mirror-like surface. This surface reflects light back to the
potential customer’s eye from one and only one direction, often the floor.” The difference between hot stamping and other methods, he says, is that the impression created in the substrate and its foil-covered bent edges reflect light from various angles.
“When compared to metallic inks, the mirror reflection is unmatched for brilliance and reflectivity, making the finished product really stand out on the shelf,” says Chris Raney, vice president, Bobst Group, Inc. “When compared to cold foiling, the finished stamped surface is of a much higher quality. Cold foil is like a label stuck on the surface of the board. As a result, any imperfections in the board tend to show through, and the surface therefore, tends to be much less smooth than with hot foil.”
Metallic inks are most successfully applied with gravure or flexo, where there is the possibility of laying down metallic particles, according to Raney. The volume of ink applied in offset is extremely low, leading to limited results compared with hot foil stamping, he says.
Brass is the way to go
Relative to the cylinders used in the hot stamping process, industry experts find that brass is most effective in achieving the most accurate and detailed foiling. According to Stanford, this is because the typical size of the equipment, and the speeds required, make brass the material of choice.
“The material is ideally suited for the manufacturing processes of machining and engraving, [and] it provides adequate heat conductivity properties that are necessary to apply the foil,” says Steve Lee, vice president and director of technical support, RotoMetrics. “RotoMetrics is the exclusive worldwide distributer for UEI Group’s (Universal Engraving Inc. and UEI Fine Cut) rotary hot stamp and embossing tooling. We have chosen brass because of its inherent characteristics for engraving, hardness, durability, and heat conductivity.” As part of its full line of hot stamping and embossing rotary tools, RotoMetrics offers UEI’s custom-designed UniSphere rotary cylinders and UniFlex flexible dies that can adhere to a heated magnetic cylinder in minutes.
What glimmers is gold
Brand owners know that adding hot foil stamping to packaging will elicit a second glance from consumers. “The primary reason to use expensive, shiny materials on a label or carton is to catch [people's eyes] and make potential customers want to take it home,” says Gerry Stanford, sales and marketing manager for DMS, Inc. “Cold foil and overprinted metallic substrates present a flat mirror-like surface. This surface reflects light back to the
potential customer’s eye from one and only one direction, often the floor.” The difference between hot stamping and other methods, he says, is that the impression created in the substrate and its foil-covered bent edges reflect light from various angles.
“When compared to metallic inks, the mirror reflection is unmatched for brilliance and reflectivity, making the finished product really stand out on the shelf,” says Chris Raney, vice president, Bobst Group, Inc. “When compared to cold foiling, the finished stamped surface is of a much higher quality. Cold foil is like a label stuck on the surface of the board. As a result, any imperfections in the board tend to show through, and the surface therefore, tends to be much less smooth than with hot foil.”
Metallic inks are most successfully applied with gravure or flexo, where there is the possibility of laying down metallic particles, according to Raney. The volume of ink applied in offset is extremely low, leading to limited results compared with hot foil stamping, he says.
Brass is the way to go
Relative to the cylinders used in the hot stamping process, industry experts find that brass is most effective in achieving the most accurate and detailed foiling. According to Stanford, this is because the typical size of the equipment, and the speeds required, make brass the material of choice.
“The material is ideally suited for the manufacturing processes of machining and engraving, [and] it provides adequate heat conductivity properties that are necessary to apply the foil,” says Steve Lee, vice president and director of technical support, RotoMetrics. “RotoMetrics is the exclusive worldwide distributer for UEI Group’s (Universal Engraving Inc. and UEI Fine Cut) rotary hot stamp and embossing tooling. We have chosen brass because of its inherent characteristics for engraving, hardness, durability, and heat conductivity.” As part of its full line of hot stamping and embossing rotary tools, RotoMetrics offers UEI’s custom-designed UniSphere rotary cylinders and UniFlex flexible dies that can adhere to a heated magnetic cylinder in minutes.
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