We product foil tags with a choice of different coloured foils on either a white or black artboard. Please read about the different foiling methods so you know what type of foiled tags we produce.
There are a few answers for this simple question, mainly due to the kinds of print processes available for creating foiled tags.
- Go back 10 or 15 years and the only suitable answer would have been a tag that has been printed traditionally or digitally and then subsequently foiled using a foil blocking technique.The foil blocking technique is a hot melt transfer process. A metallic foil roll which has an adhesive on the reverse that melts at a certain temperature, is placed in-between an engraved metal die and the tag.When pressed together under slight pressure the design transfers from the foil onto the tag. Whilst this process is undoubtedly the best in terms of quality, this is a rather expensive technique as you are required to have a die manufactured with each logo.
The benefit of this process is that you are able to have full colour images as well as foil, or multiple foil colours.
- Nowadays with digital technology there is another process, we can also create foiled tags using laser printers. It’s not as simple as it sounds as you cannot yet print metallic colours using toner on a laser printer, however you can print in black onto the tag substrate and feed it through a toner foiling machine.This is what we do mostly and have some great machinery to complete this. Instead of the die in the traditional method transferring the metallic foil, the foil in this case sticks to the toner areas on the sheet, very accurately too.The advantage with this process is that it’s cost effective for short runs, variable data is achievable and turnarounds are very quick. The disadvantage is that you are limited to a single colour foil and no other colours or print.
- The last type of foiled tags is far simpler, it’s a tag that has been printed on a metallic substrate.We can source many different types of metallic board that can be digitally printed, get in-touch with us if you have any specific requirements.