Techniques / Printing
White Foil Printing
The brightest white in printing. White foil is stamped, not printed: a fully opaque layer of gloss or matte film pressed onto the sheet from a heated copper plate. Crisp, bright, and near zero show-through from the stock beneath. Ask about double hitting the white for max opacity.
On black paper, navy, charcoal, or saturated color, white foil brings contrast that white ink can't beat. The pigments in the white foil are more dense than in ink, so you get maximum opacity, with a little bit of debossing added in. We have to press it slightly to get it to work.
The alternate white print is white ink, and we print both. Foil is great for a bold white on dark stock, thick papers, and the most iconic effect. Ink works best for large areas, halftones, and variable data. Sometimes we use foil for the logo, and white ink for everything else.
Where white foil works
- Business cards: the definitive effect for black and dark stocks; white foil plus a painted edge is a house favorite.
- Invitations & announcements: formal white on black paper, sharp even at smaller sizes and down to about .25pt line weight.
- Hang tags & packaging: bright branding that pops on dark, saturated colors.
- Stationery: notecards and envelopes with bright and glossy branding effects.
White foil printing samples
FAQ
White foil or white ink?
Foil is stamped from a die: fully opaque in one hit, crisp edges, subtle sheen. Ink is printed and covers large areas, halftones, and variable data. Foil for the boldest mark; ink for the artwork.
Which stocks suit it?
The darker the better: true black papers, navy, charcoal, deep colors, and kraft. Maximum contrast is the whole point.
Can it hold fine detail?
Yes; the copper plate holds script, fine rules, and small type down to about .25pt. Very large solid floods are where we may steer toward white ink instead.
Is there a minimum run?
No hard minimum. The die is the setup cost, so per-piece price falls quickly as quantity climbs.