Digital Foil Printing vs. Foil Stamping - Gold Image Printing Blog

Digital Foil Printing vs. Foil Stamping

For all of you who have ever gone out looking to purchase some products or packaging that makes use of foil printing, you’ve no doubt run into both digital foil printing and foil stamping. At a glance, these two specialties may appear to be the same, and often their names are used interchangeably as you search the web for top quality online printing services. At Gold Image Printing, we know better than to conflate the two. How else would we be able to provide so many specific customization services and a hassle-free ordering experience? We want to share our knowledge about the differences between digital foil print detail and foil stamping with you. That way not only will you know about all the splendors offered by our products, you’ll also be able to make an informed and detailed decision when it comes time to place your next order.

Similarities

Both custom foil printing options offer the shimmering elegance of metallic ink printed onto the surface of your choosing. When you choose either one of these specialties with Gold Image Printing, you’ll be sending your customers into the lap of luxury with eye-catching metallic foil. You’ll also need to make a request for a custom quote to apply each specialty unless the product already has it in the name. From here, the two specialties start to diverge.

What Makes Digital Foil Printing Unique

If you’re wondering, can you digitally print foil? Or how does digital foil printing work? The simple answer is with a digital foil printing machine. The more complex answer however is that it involves several steps, most of which vary from the foil stamping option. Digital automatic hot foil printing starts off with a piece of paper (or other material) that has soft touch lamination applied to the surface. From there, black ink is overprinted onto the paper where the digital foil is to be applied. Finally, digital foil is smoothly applied with a roller onto the designated areas. Since digital foil is on top of the paper, you’ll notice that unlike foil stamping, there is no indentation, meaning it produces a smooth final product. Another thing you’ll notice is that digital foil is limited to soft touch finish only. So, if you’re not after a soft touch feel to your paper, digital foil printing probably isn’t for you. With that sorted, let’s have a look at some products.

Digital Foil Printing Products Feature

A great starting point for deciding on your printing is by looking at our post: How Do I Make My Business Card Stand Out? From there, discover the amazing wow factor provided by our

digital foil business cards. You can also see the effects of this specialty through our digital foil invitations, whose smooth radiance will make readers do a double-take as they take the invitations out of the envelopes. Remember that with Gold Image Printing you can take advantage of our diverse foil color chart too! Check it out to see all the metallic foils at your disposal!

What Makes Foil Stamping Unique

When it comes to foil stamping the entire process is different. Instead of using a multi-stage roller to apply foil onto the paper, the hot foil stamp machine uses sculpted metal stamps, or dies. The heated dies seal a thin layer of metallic leaf onto a surface. Once heated, it presses the foil against the substrate material with enough pressure that the foil sticks only in the intended places, leaving a slight imprint, similar to the effect of letterpressing. Overall, this process tends to be a bit more expensive than digital foil printing. Since you’ll be pressing into the material, it is essential to have something a bit thicker, otherwise you’d end up with a torn and useless product after a long printing process. You don’t have to worry about that happening with our products though as you’ll find many pre-selected papers that are perfect for hassle-free foil stamping. So instead of going for whatever foil stamping near me option you find or just DIY foil stamping, get foil stamping that you can rely on. Look at the following products for some ideas.

Foil Stamping Products Feature

When you choose to get a foil stamping product, chances are you’re looking for the top of the line in whatever product or packaging you’re ordering. One example of such a top-notch experience is our foil stamp business cards, which boast hard-to-beat visuals. When you choose to invest in business cards like these, you’ll never have to worry again about going unseen. We also offer foil stamping in our popular foil stamped postcards. Check out either product or browse through the rest of our website and submit a custom quote when you’re curious about adding foil stamping to a product.

Which Should You Choose? (Conclusion)

As you may have already guessed, the answer to this question is that it depends. Digital foil printing boasts the same shimmer at a relatively lower cost and gives a smooth finish. The problem is, sometimes you aren’t looking for a soft touch to your product, in which case foil stamping is a better bet. Foil stamping offers a greater range of paper stock options, results in a textured letterpress-like feel, and is often considered among the top options when it comes to luxury printing. We recommend having a look at the various products we have to offer for each, then you can always contact us if you have any additional questions, or even if you want help from our dedicated team of professional graphic designers. We look forward to your order!