Stamping Foils

Hot Stamping Foil Types We Supply

Foil selection starts with the decoration effect and the press format. The families below cover the vast majority of packaging, label and commercial print work.

• Metallic foils — gold, silver, copper and rose gold for cartons, labels and covers; the highest-reflectance grades for luxury packaging.
• Pigment and matte foils — opaque colour without metallic sheen, used for tone-on-tone branding and soft-touch cartons.
• Holographic foils — generic patterns or custom-mastered designs for shelf impact and light brand protection.
• Security and anti-counterfeit foils — demetallised registration, micro-text and custom holograms for pharma, tobacco and excise applications.
• Cold foil — reel-fed, UV adhesive transfer on offset and flexo presses; see the cold foil printing guide before switching from hot to cold.
• Specialty foils — textile, scratch-off, toner-reactive (digital), washable and fluorescent grades for niche finishing.

How to Choose Foil by Substrate

Adhesion failure is almost always a substrate/release mismatch, not a machine fault. Coated folding boxboard, uncoated kraft, UV-varnished stock, BOPP film and PVC each need a different release and size layer.

Send us a substrate sample with your enquiry and we ship matched A4 test sheets, so trials happen on your press rather than in a lab.

• Coated cartonboard and art paper — standard release, 100–160 °C, general-purpose sizing.
• Uncoated and recycled board — soft release with heavier size layer to bite into the fibre.
• UV-varnished and laminated surfaces — high-adhesion sizing, higher dwell, lower speed.
• Plastics (PVC, PET, BOPP, PP) — plastic-grade sizing at reduced temperature to avoid distortion.
• Textile and leather — textile foil with elastic binder rated for wash cycles.

Roll Widths, Thickness, MOQ and Lead Time

Standard carrier thickness is 12 µm (packaging) and 16 µm (heavy-duty industrial work). Slitting is done to order.

• Roll widths: 20 mm to 1,280 mm, slit to ±0.5 mm.
• Roll lengths: 120 m, 200 m, 400 m and 1,200 m cores (25.4 mm / 76.2 mm).
• MOQ: 1 roll for stock colours, 500 rolls for custom-mastered holograms or private-label branding.
• Lead time: 7–15 days for stock grades ex-works Shanghai or Ningbo; 20–30 days for custom masters.
• Incoterms: FOB, CIF and DDP; air freight available for sample and urgent orders.

Quality Control and Sample Testing

Every batch is checked for adhesion (cross-hatch tape test), rub and scratch resistance, gloss uniformity, colour delta against the approved standard, and edge definition at production speed. Certificates of analysis ship with the order on request; the factory is ISO 9001 certified and REACH/RoHS declarations are available for EU buyers.

Request Foil Samples or a Quote

Tell us the substrate, effect, press type and annual volume, and we come back within 24 hours with a matched grade, price break and free A4 sample set shipped worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum order quantity for stamping foil?

One roll for stock colours and widths. Custom-mastered holographic designs and private-label branding start at 500 rolls per SKU.

Can you match a Pantone or an existing foil sample?

Yes. Send a physical swatch or Pantone reference and our lab produces a matched pull for approval, typically within 7 working days.

What is the difference between hot stamping foil and cold foil?

Hot stamping transfers foil with a heated die and gives the sharpest edge and the option of embossing. Cold foil transfers inline with a UV adhesive image and no die, which is faster and cheaper for large fields and variable artwork.