Ed #6 Embossing / Foil Stamping

Foil stamping also differs from embossing when it comes to choosing paper. While uncoated papers can be a good choice for embossing, they are less well suited for foil stamping, because it can be difficult to make the foil lie smoothly, and special foils must be used if a shiny effect is desired. Even so, foils are used with uncoated stock—on pocket folders, for example— because pigment and gloss foils can provide better color coverage than conventional inks, especially on dark colored or highly textured surfaces.

In most cases, the best paper to use with foil stamping is a smooth, coated stock. The foil will lie flat and adhere well. Highly reflective gloss coated papers, which reflect the greatest amount of light, will make the foils shine more brightly and accentuate any holographic effects. For combination work involving both embossing and foil stamping, a dull or matte coated paper may offer the best balance of smoothness, embossability and color reproduction. 

Even with the right paper, producing a foil project can be challenging. You need to work with an experienced finisher, one who knows how to achieve the results you’re looking for. You also need to get your printer involved, especially if the job includes stamping foil over ink. Wax-free or Teflon-free inks, like those used with UV coatings (see Ed #4), should be used, because the foil does not adhere well to inks and varnishes that contain high percentages of wax, Teflon or Silicon. Special inks must also be used if you want to print on top of foil. It’s likely that you’ll also need to allow for increased drying time on press. Give your printer the information—and the time required—to plan the job right, and make sure that everyone is on the same page, for every phase of the project.

While embossing and foil stamping can yield dramatic results, they can run up time and costs and create some design hurdles as well. And there may be other ways to achieve similar effects. Metallic inks on gloss paper, highlighted with a spot coating, can almost rival the reflectance of a metallic foil. Typefaces that include printed shadows mimic the effect of embossing. Such alternative techniques may be attractive for the time and budget impaired, but they will never have the same richness, feel or impact as the real things.

Applied wisely, the right finishing techniques can enhance the quality of many print projects. But quality printing begins with premium coated papers, such as the the gloss, dull and matte papers showcased in this website. That’s because the hard, nonporous surface of coated paper holds inks, varnishes and films on the top of the paper, without letting them sink into the valleys found in the surface of uncoated stocks. The smoother the finish, the better the quality. Simple.

You can find the right kind of coated paper for practically every project, and different coated paper finishes help you achieve different effects. Gloss allows you to print highly reflective art, such as photography, with wonderful clarity and sharpness of detail, and also provides the brightest reflective light source for foil coatings. Dull combines lower light reflection with better readability and uniform print and surface smoothness. New, glare-free, easy-to-read, matte has a rich, tactile feel that can help show high-gloss spot varnishes and foils to advantage, and works well with embossing. Contact your NewPage representative for more information or visit www.NewPageCorp.com.