Hot Foil Blocking

Hot foil blocking (also known as foil stamping) is a premium printing technique that uses a combination of heat, pressure, and metallic or pigmented foil to create a striking, tactile finish on selected substrates such paper, card and treated leather.

Often found on luxury packaging, this method is perfect for business cards, letterheads, and wedding stationery, adding a touch of elegance and professionalism by highlighting names, logos, or decorative details with a reflective or matt sheen.

The Process

Unlike the highly automated and high-speed printing presses used for digital and lithographic printing, our foil blocking process is a more old-school and labour intensive with each item individually stamped by a human using a manually operated foiling press.

Whilst using traditional methods results in a finish not possible via standard printing, the process does take a little longer.
For the majority of foil jobs, we generally advise a turnaround of 10-14 working days to allow for any delays in the die manufacturing process or delivery of particular foils or substrates from our suppliers.

The turnaround will also depend on the other factors such as the size and complexity of the job as well as current workload although we will provide an estimated delivery date prior to payment being taken.

The Foiling Die

In order to foil your chosen item, we first need to take your foil artwork and manufacture a stamping die (also known as a plate or block), which we mount onto the press to produce your foiled design.

The cost of this is based on the size of the foil print required and level of detail involved, as this dictates the die material used.
Because of this, we will need to see the foil artwork in order to calculate out your price.

The artwork requirements for foil are a bit different to standard colour printing, so please ensure you check out the specifications.

VIEW FOIL ARTWORK SPECS

Foil Colours

Foil blocking isn't just limited to gold and silver. Our standard foil colours are:

Silver

Old Gold

Rose Gold

Copper

Green

Indigo

White Gold

Matt Gold

Light Copper

Red

Cyan

Magenta

Other colours and finishes such as pigment and holographic are also available but may be subject to manufacturer minimum order requirements.

Bespoke Items

Whilst all foiling jobs are technically bespoke, we're also open to foiling items not featured here.
Previous foil projects have included beer mats and leather drinks coasters, clothing tags, gift cards, certificates and diaries.

Simply let us know what you're looking for and we'll do our best to make that a reality...and if it's something we can't do, wherever possible, we'll point you in the direction of somewhere that can.

Key Info

Maximum item size: A4 (210 x 297mm)
Maximum foil print size: 150 x 100mm
Minimum font size for foil: 10pt
Full artwork specifications: Click HERE to view

We can only foil one colour at a time. If your design features multiple foil colours, each of these will need it's own artwork (and die manufacturing).

Foiled Business Cards

Make an impact with foil printed business cards.
Our cards are manually stamped by hand from your design onto a range of plastic and pulp-based cardstocks, and guaranteed to get you noticed with a print that you just don't get with standard printing methods.

Foil Only Cards

For business cards featuring foil print only, we offer a variety of smooth and textured stocks including the iconic Colorplan stock from UK paper maker GF Smith.
This select and versatile premium uncoated stock has a proven compatibility with traditional printing techniques such as foil blocking, and is still widely considered to be indispensable within the design industry.

Foil only print is also available on plastic credit-card sized cards, available in a choice of colours and great for loyalty cards.

Foil+Print Cards

For the best of both worlds, we can foil stamp post-print onto our colour printed 450gsm silk business cards (with or without lamination), combining both full colour and foil print on a single card and making these ideal for membership and loyalty cards too.

Foiled Business Stationery

Foil blocking is perfect for adding a touch of elegance and professionalism to your letterhaeds and compliment slips by highlighting names, logos, or decorative details with a reflective or matt sheen.

Foil Only Business Stationery

Perfect for minimalist stationery where only a logo or name is required, our Foil Only letterheads and compliment slips are available on smooth stocks in 120gsm, 135gsm & 170gsm weights.

If your stationery won't be going through a printer, such as headed writing paper for use by hotel guests and conference delegates, it also opens the door to creative and textured stocks.

Foil+Print Business Stationery

Ideal for adding foil elements to otherwise printed stationery, foiling is available on our 120gsm & 170gsm colour printed letterheads and compliment slips.

Weddings & Special Occasions

If you're planning a party or special event, why not make your guests-to-be feel extra special before they even arrive with bespoke foil printed invitations.

Perfect for those seeking to make a statement, foil stamping elevates traditional invites and announcements into a timeless work of art.

These are great for all levels of functions from birthday parties right through to more corporate and formal affairs, creating a lasting impression right from the start.

Available in a variety of stocks, we can produce invitations featuring only foil or combined with colour print.

Full colour printed invitations (without any foil) are also available in a choice of sizes.

Packaging

We are also able to apply foil print onto certain paper and card-based flat packaging such as muffin and cake boxes, bags and product tags.

These are an ideal way for small cake makers, artisan bakeries, and anybody else who makes things to add a bit of sparkle to otherwise plain packaging.

Sadly, our press is unable to foil rigid / made-up packaging as it would be crushed during stamping.

The Order Process

To make it less daunting, we've broken the ordering process down into several steps so you know what to expect in advance

Choose your item & foil colour

We offer foil stamping on a range of products including business cards, letterheads, compliment slips and invitations.
In addition to silver and gold, we also have a selection of coloured foils for something a little different.

Create your foil artwork

Create your foil artwork at the size you want it to appear on the finished product, making sure to follow the artwork specifications.

Hot foil stamping is a completely separate process to our colour printing, so if your order requires both colour print and foiling, you will need to submit the colour and foil artwork separately, along with a mockup image featuring both colour and foil parts for our reference when setting up the alignment of the foiling die with your item on the press.

Request a quote

Calculating foil blocking prices is a bit more complicated than standard print due to the variables involved, each of which affect the cost.
To enable us to provide an accurate quote, please send us your artwork, along with the information listed below:

Item type and size

Print type - Foil only or foil+colour print

Single or double-sided print / foiling

Foil colour

Quantity required

Pricing the job

Our platemakers need to see the foil artwork in order to check it's suitable for die manufacture and to confirm the cost.
While they're busy doing that, we get to work calculating the other costs involved.

Receive your quote

Once we've done our sums, we'll email you a quote based on your requirements, along with an estimated turnaround time. Quote prices include die manufacture, materials, press setup, foiling and delivery.

Approve or decline

If you're happy, simply email us with your quote reference number and let us know you wish to proceed.
If you decline, we'll be sad but we won't hassle you to change your mind. That's just not cool. (We'll also delete any artwork provided for the quote)

Make payment

If you accepted the quote, we'll send you a Paypal invoice / secure payment link via email. This will need to be paid before we start processing your order due to costs involved.

Relax

Have a brew, go for a swim or put your feet up. Once payment has been received, we give the the platemakers the go-ahead to get cracking with transforming your artwork into a foiling die.
Meanwhile, we prepare the foil and items for foiling (including performing any colour printing), and once your foiling die arrives from the platemakers, we get to work foiling your order.

Receive your order

When your order has been completed and is ready to head your way, we'll send you an email to let you know, along with the delivery tracking number so you can keep an eye on it's progress.

Payment & Delivery

Payment

Payments for Print Shop checkout are processed securely by PayPal.

For other orders, you will be emailed a pro-forma invoice with a secure payment link.

In addition to offering a range of payment options, using PayPal also means we never see your card details, for extra peace of mind.
Unfortunately, we don't offer credit...although we do accept most major credit cards.
Please note that payment must be received before your order is processed.

Delivery

We deliver across the UK, using DPD or Royal Mail Tracked services for the majority of orders, with other carriers including UPS handling oversize deliveries.

Print Shop delivery options and prices depend on the weight and size of your order and will be shown at checkout.

Non-Print Shop delivery charges are calculated on total weight and size, and will be shown on your invoice / quote.

Deliveries to the following postcodes may take 1-2 additional working days:
BT | AB 31-38, 41-56 | FK 17-21 | KA28 | PA 20-78 | PH 30-31, 34-44, 49-99 | KA27 | PH 15-18 | HS 1-9 | IV | KW 15-17 | PH 19-29, 32-33, 45-48 | KW 15-17 | ZE | TR 21-25 | IM.
Unfortunately, we don’t deliver to the Channel Islands or the Republic of Ireland.