Would you like to give your paper products a special look? With Foilco stamping foils, you can enhance your printed materials and stationery with metallic, satin matte or coloured hot foil finishes that stand out visually and to the touch from standard prints.
Equally effective are digital foils. They react with the toner from laser printers and enhance printed designs in a striking way. You can find out how this works in this article.
Read more: Paper finishing – Foilco stamping foils for hot stamping & toner-reactive foils for digital foil finishingEnhancing paper with foil stamping and toner foil finishes
There are various paper finishing techniques that allow you to enhance your printed products visually and tactilely, going beyond simple printing. Finished paper surfaces create an elegant, high-quality look that effectively conveys your message. Individual elements, such as logos, text or graphic details, can be highlighted in a targeted manner.
There are also functional finishing techniques such as die-cutting, or protective finishes such as lamination. In print design, however, the focus is on the stylish aesthetics of paper finishing:
Foil finishes using metallic, transparent and coloured foils are particularly striking. Two processes are used particularly frequently here: hot foil stamping and toner foil finishes.
What is the difference between hot foil stamping and toner foil finishing?
- Hot foil stamping is applied to the paper using a hot foil stamping machine under high pressure and heat. The embossing creates a striking visual and tactile effect, giving the paper a particularly exclusive look.
- Toner foil finishes are achieved using special foils that fuse with the toner on printed designs when heat is applied. No embossing takes place.
High-quality foils are essential for achieving optimal results and effortlessly producing intricate hot foil stamping designs. Foilco stamping foils guarantee excellent adhesion to a variety of materials, maximum contrast, outstanding edge definition and precise reproduction of intricate designs and lettering. Foilco’s digital foils also impress with their outstanding quality, simplifying digital foil finishing. In this article, we introduce you to the premium foils and their manufacturer, the family-run company Foilco from the UK.
By the way: Other paper finishes include varnishing and blind embossing.
- For coating, gloss, matt and soft-touch finishes are used, which can be applied either over the entire surface or in specific areas. They give the paper a glossy or velvety appearance.
- In blind embossing, relief-like motifs, patterns or lettering are pressed into the paper by displacing the material.
Stamping foils by Foilco – a company offering quality and expertise
Foilco was founded in 1987 by David Hornby and is based in the North West of England. The family-run business is still successfully managed today by David, together with his two sons, Paul and Matt. With over 35 years of experience, outstanding expertise in foil technology and a genuine commitment to service, they have made Foilco foils the absolute benchmark for foil finishing. The range offers one of the world’s largest collections of premium foils for hot stamping, cold transfer and digital transfer.
Brilliant impression, responsible corporate philosophy
Foilco impresses not only with the quality of its products. The company also places great emphasis on environmental friendliness and sustainability in its business practices. In 2018, Foilco was a founding member of the “ZeroFoil2Landfill” programme. This environmental initiative and waste management solution ensures that foil scraps and production waste are kept entirely out of landfill sites in the UK. Instead, they are collected and processed into “Solid Recovered Fuel” (SRF). This is a fuel used as a substitute for fossil fuels. The foil waste is therefore not simply disposed of, but recycled in a sensible and sustainable manner.
However, Foilco’s commitment is not limited to the recycling of waste materials. The company meets high standards in social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Foilco has therefore held B Corp certification since 2023. This is awarded by the non-profit organisation B Lab, which promotes a sustainable and responsible economy worldwide. B Lab assesses companies’ overall business practices and checks whether they operate fairly and sustainably.
And what about the finished products? You’re probably thinking that the metallic components of the foils are problematic, aren’t you? But that’s certainly not the case. All Foilco stamping foils are 100% recyclable. This means they can be used without hesitation by environmentally conscious users. Almost all foils are also vegan; only a small proportion contains a small amount of beeswax. Otherwise, the foils contain no animal-derived ingredients and have not been tested on animals.
What do the Foilco Grades mean, and how do they provide guidance?
To ensure you select the right Foil for your specific application and, where applicable, hot foil stamping machine, it is always best to check the Foil’s “grade”. Foilco categorises its foils into different grades. These are quality/product types, each optimised for specific requirements, machines and/or techniques. Some Foilco grades, for example, are ideal for uncoated papers and rough surfaces, whilst others adhere particularly well to coated paper and cardboard. The different grades of hot foil are suitable, for example, for various hot foil stamping processes (e.g. vertical, plate or rotary) and require specific operating temperatures for the hot foil stamping machine. We are happy to send you the relevant grade data sheet for all foils in our range.
How does hot foil stamping work?
Hot foil stamping involves transferring foil onto paper using heat and high pressure. This not only creates a glossy effect but also produces a tactile embossed pattern in the material. This raised texture gives a particularly high-quality finish. However, flexibility is often the limiting factor in hot foil stamping. On the one hand, you need a hot foil stamping machine; on the other, each analogue embossing requires an individual embossing die or a separate plate.
How does toner foil finishing work?
Toner-reactive foils, on the other hand, operate on a digital principle: first, the desired design is printed using a laser printer. The foil is then applied during a lamination process and adheres exclusively to the toner-based printed areas. No high mechanical pressure or embossing die is used, which is why no actual indentation is created in the paper.
The key advantage of this process lies in its flexibility – designs and changes can be implemented immediately without the need for additional tools. This makes the technique particularly suitable for short runs and personalised print products.
To use digital foils, all you need is a (relatively inexpensive) laminator or a foil applicator. The heat causes the foil to react with the toner in the print and fuse with the paper
Practical tip: For DIY projects, you can also apply toner foil finishes using a standard household iron
– why not give it a go!
In our how-to video, we show you step by step how you can easily finish printed designs using toner-reactive foils:
Foilco hot foil stamping foils at Papier Direkt
We offer a select range of Foilco stamping foils, specially tailored to small-scale requirements. There are a total of 14 foils to choose from, allowing you to add brilliant metallic, silk matte or vibrant, fluorescent effects to your print projects. The rolls, which come on 25 mm cores, are 20 metres long. With a width of 15 cm, they cover a wide range of applications. At the same time, they offer a high degree of flexibility. The minimum order quantity per foil is relatively small, allowing you to respond effectively to customer requests. If you require larger formats or quantities, please contact us.
Foilco Metallic Foils Gold & Copper:
For luxurious, metallic effects and a sophisticated look for your embossed print designs. Choose from four shades of Gold with a magnificent glossy finish, a Gold foil with a matt finish, and a glossy copper shade.
Foilco Metallic Foils – Silver & Transparent:
You can also achieve elegant and stylish metallic effects using silver stamping foils. You can choose between a silver foil with a glossy finish and one with a matt finish. The transparent foil is ideal for more subtle, glossy embossing effects.
Foilco Neon Foils in Pink, Yellow & Orange:
For eye-catching, bold and ultra-modern foil stamping in vibrant neon colours. If you want to go all out with colour, combine these foils with our Neon paper, cards & envelopes.
Tip: To further enhance the colour intensity of the Neon foils, use them with the Foilco Stamping Foil White for under-embossing.
Foilco Coloured Foils: Black & White
You can achieve particularly striking contrasts by finishing light-coloured papers with black hot foil stamping and dark papers with white foil.
For elegant, shimmering, iridescent effects,
white pearlescent foil is the ideal choice.
Toner-reactive foils by Foilco at Papier Direkt
Foilco’s digital foils are also available on rolls with a 25 mm core. They are 20 metres long and 15 cm wide. As the minimum order quantity per foil is relatively small, just as with the hot stamping foils, this range also offers you a high degree of flexibility.
Foilco Digital Foils:
The range includes a variety of colours and finishes – from a classical Gold and Silver to Copper and an extraordinary Holographic Gold with Rainbow sheen.
Which papers are suitable for hot foil stamping?
Many hot stamping foils offer excellent adhesion to uncoated paper and cardboard. Papers particularly well suited to hot foil stamping include:
Colorplan fine paper is available in a wide range of colours. The sustainable alternative in the paper range, the coloured recycled paper Colorplan Extracted, also lends itself very well to foil stamping. Both types have a matt, slightly rough surface with a fine texture and a natural look. The wide range of colours available in the Colorplan range offers countless design and combination possibilities with Foilco foils. Technically, too, they leave nothing to be desired when it comes to paper finishing. Sophisticated hot foil stamping works flawlessly on Colorplan and Colorplan Extracted. The edge definition is outstanding and, thanks to the good bulk, even fine edges can be rendered excellently.
If you want to use structured papers, why not give this a try, for example
For coated papers, such as our
make sure you choose Foilco foils that are suitable for coated surfaces.
Which papers are suitable for toner foil finishing?
For best results, toner-reactive foils should be used on smooth papers. This is due to the low pressure involved in the process: unlike in hot foil stamping, the digital foil is not firmly ‘pressed’ into the paper surface, but simply adheres to the toner-covered areas under the influence of heat. Smooth papers offer the best conditions for even, full-surface transfer and clean edge definition.
In our own tests, these papers, among others, delivered good results:
- DCP printing paper White and Ivory
- DCP Green White Recycled Paper
- Conqueror CX22 Diamond White and White
- Edelpost Natural White
- Lucida Transparent
- Ivory Cards
Given the wide variety of devices on the market, we always recommend testing with your own device.
If you use uncoated natural paper or paper with structured surfaces, the adhesion of the toner-reactive foils may be less consistent. Due to the relatively low pressure, the foil does not always settle completely into all the recesses of the paper’s texture, resulting in a slightly mottled effect that does not provide full coverage. These visual variations are due to technical factors. However, you can make deliberate use of them as a design element. They lend printed products a unique aesthetic and open up exciting possibilities for creative designs.
Application examples of paper finishing with foils
Hot foil stamping and digital foil finishes are used in a wide variety of areas within print design. They are very frequently used for wedding stationery, for invitations and greeting cards for a wide variety of occasions, as well as for festive greeting cards, such as Christmas cards. High-quality gift boxes and packaging can also be finished with hot stamping foils and digital foils, as can gift tags and other labels. Finished business cards convey style and a high standard of quality in business communication. Finishes on special documents such as certificates, or on book covers, high-quality catalogues, magazines and brochures, leave no doubt as to the special attention that has gone into the designs.
A selection of various foil finishes, including metallic and coloured foils, on Colorplan fine paper and cardboard.
Do you use toner-reactive foils or hot foil stamping to enhance your print designs? Do you use only metallic foils, or have you ever tried coloured foils or even neon foils? We’d love for you to share your experiences with us!
All content is produced by our specialist writers and edited before publication.
