Gold Foil
A thin metallic film on a carrier, transferred to the surface under heat and pressure.
| Carrier | Polyester film, 12–25 µm |
| Metallic layer | Aluminium, or real gold on premium foil |
| Transfer temperature | 90–140 °C for pigment, 110–160 °C for metallic |
| Dwell time | 0.5–2.0 seconds |
| Pressure | 1.5–4.0 MPa |
| Roll width | 25–300 mm |
| Colours | Gold, silver, copper, pigments, holographics, clear |
| Shelf life | 24 months in a cool dry place |
| Temperature | 90–160 °C depending on foil type |
| Dwell | 0.5–2.0 seconds |
| Pressure | 1.5–4.0 MPa |
| Suitable stock | Uncoated and lightly coated paper, board, cloth, leather |
| Processes | Hot foil stamping, blocking, edge gilding (with leaf, not foil) |
| Compatible materials | Paper from 100 gsm, board, book cloth, skiver |
| Minimum detail | 0.2 mm stroke width; below that the foil tears |
| Foldability | Pigment foils yes; metallic foils crack on a fold |
Foil is not ink. It is a carrier film — polyester, usually — coated with a release layer, a pigment or metallic layer, and a size that bonds to the substrate. Under heat and pressure the size activates, the layers transfer, and the carrier lifts away leaving the metallic layer behind.
Real gold leaf is a different process with a different result. Foil is the industrial method and it is what almost all commercial work uses. It is available in metallics, pigments and clear holographics, and the metallic foils are the ones that cause trouble: they are less flexible than pigment foils and will crack on a fold.
Safety
Using it well
- Test the temperature on scrap in 10 °C steps before you touch the real job. Every combination of foil, stock and die has its own window, and it is narrow.
- Too little heat gives a patchy, sparkly transfer; too much gives a dull, blown image with halo around the edges. The window is usually 15 °C wide.
- Do not foil across a fold with a metallic foil. Use a pigment foil, or foil the two halves separately and accept the join.
What it works with
Papers and substrates
- Uncoated card 250–400 gsm
- Cotton rag
- Book cloth
- Skiver leather
Type and fonts
- Any die or type 6 pt and above
- Brass dies for fine detail
Processes
- Hot foil stamping
- Blocking
- Spine lettering
- Cover decoration
Tools that go with the gold foil
Hot Stamping Tool
A heated die and a press, or a heated hand tool for small work.
Edge Gilding Kit
Gold leaf, size, and a burnisher, for gilding the trimmed edges of a text block.
Debossing Die
A raised relief that presses an image into the sheet without ink or foil.