Foil printed business cards have been around a very long time and although still requested there seems to be a slow decline in their popularity for use on business cards. Foil material can be 'printed' onto quite a few different materials, card, plastic, leather etc. In fact there is a very large market for foil-printed products. Books, especially novels, utilise the foil medium very well, Desk Diaries have traditionally been produced using foiled covers as have school yearbooks etc.
Christmas cards and wedding stationery utilise foil printing on a massive scale.
Many foil printers still use a small hand-operated machine where each card is placed singly onto a flat plate and then the card is propelled towards the foil (on a roll) which has the dye behind. Heat is applied at this stage, the card is then removed, and the plate is ready to take the next card. To print 1,000 cards for instance, as you imagine, can take some time hence the higher cost than litho printing. Foil specialists, christmas cards and wedding stationery suppliers for instance however, use a fully automated system and can offer good pricing on larger runs.
The main downside for today's fast-print client, who typically is looking for a quick turnaround, is the fact that a zinc dye has to be manufactured from the artwork, which can delay the job by a few days, as the dye is usually made by a specialist company.
A mixture of foil and traditional lithographic printing can look very classy, but unfortunately, the costs can overstretch many budgets.
As with any printing project, ask to see a few samples of foil-printed cards. The foil should not show any signs of peeling off, usually where the heat applied hasn't been sufficient.
It's also worth noting that many companies providing foil-printing as a service can also supply the promotional products often used in the process. So for instance, if you're looking for some diaries to give away as 'freebies' to your clients at Christmas, ask the foil-printer if he/she can also supply the diaries, as they will know which products are best suited for foiling from past experience.
Supplying artwork to your foil printer.
It's important to understand the foil process, as outlined above.
- Try and aim for bold text wherever possible as this gives the best results.
- Steer clear of small or thin type as this may cause problems.
- Check with your foil printer in what format your artwork should be supplied in.
- Many foil printers still use bromides for sending to the dye makers, so a high-res laser print may suffice in many cases.
- Keep the amount of colours to a minimum. If your cards are being produced singly then this will help to keep costs down.
When requesting a quote from your printer for foil-printed business cards try and give as much information as possible, especially if there is a particular business card material you wish to use.
