Foil printing is a special kind of printing procedure where heat, pressure, and a metallic paper (foil) is used to create different shiny designs and graphics on various materials.Foil stamping gives the stamped design a shiny and incredible look and is increasingly becoming the preferred method of printing in many an industry.
In the foil stamping process, the die or the sculpted metal plate comes in contact with the foil and transfers a thin layer of the foil film onto the intended surface. As the metal plate is heated, the foil sticks to the surface only in the design of the plate and in the required areas with the desired imprints
Foil printing is to print some pattern with the foil on the fabric for shiny effect. There are two kind of foil printing method. In the first method, the pattern is printed by a foil/transfer adhesive on the fabric, and then pressed with foil paper by hot steel roller. The pressure is generally 5–6 bar on printed portion and at 190 degree Celcius on fusing machine for 8–12 seconds.
In foil printing, the quality of the adhesive is very important. Generally it is made up of acrylic co-polymer with water as diluent. Cheaper qualities show very poor stretch, loss of softness and smoothness after five washes and look very unlike the original print. The foil should not stick to cured inks under pressure. Normally a matting agent is added to avoid sticking.
In the second method, printing is done on the foil paper first, and then foil is pressed on the fabric with hot steel roller or iron.
Foil paper is called the stamping foil paper. Actually it is not the paper but the detachable foil film on the plastic base. Generally it is PET film of 15 micron thickness, available in widths of 640 or 1500mm
