Special Effects

Decorative foils continue to hold a strong presence on consumer product labels and cartons. Studies show that more than 70 percent of purchasing decisions are made once they are at the retail store. This provides brand managers and packaging designers the opportunity to set their products apart from others on the shelf through eye-catching labeling and packaging. Foil has proven to have a significant impact on the buyer’s decision when choosing an item off the shelf. A study conducted through Perception Research Services tested shoppers on the appeal foil has on a brand’s shelf impact. It showed that foil-decorated packaging had a consistently positive impact on aesthetic appeal, product expectations, and brand imagery.

Wine products highlight the value placed on the labels that brand the beverages inside. Even more than other consumer items, wine purchasing decisions are mostly determined once the consumer is in the wine section of a grocery or liquor store, according to Jeff Peterson, executive director of the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA, formerly known as the Foil Stamping & Embossing Association). Because of this, a large majority of the labeling is decorated with foil and/or embossed images. This is an effective and creative way to get the customer’s attention, says Peterson.

Latest in application machinery

With larger folding carton applications, especially when the decorated foil is concentrated on the front of the carton or in a certain area of the carton, conventional foil stamping equipment is still the ideal choice for adding a metallic foil look, according to Peterson. But in recent years, the industry has learned new ways of applying foil that have opened up opportunites in different markets of the package-printing industry. For example, the latest foil stamping technology allows sheets to run in excess of 6,000 sheets per hour in perfect registration—ideal for large-run folding carton applications, he explains.

Many changes have taken place with foil application in the label industry—labels are now foil-stamped inline on a flexographic press as the label is printed, for example. Although this is not new technology, says Peterson, it has only become a popular addition for flexo printers in recent years. Previously, flexo presses had to run at decreased speeds to accomodate the rotary foil stamping on one of the units. “Inline rotary foil stamping can run at much higher speeds due to the machinery and foil technologies available, providing an efficient option to apply the foil inline with flexographic printing,” Peterson explains.

Cold foil also continues to grow as an option to apply inline on a narrow-web flexo press for labels. “Cold foil is not a new technology, but the ability to consistently provide a quality foil label is fairly new,” he says. “Better chemistry with the adhesives used and foil improvements have made using cold foil possible for a variety of health-and-beauty and consumer labels.”

Cold foiling is also beginning to grow in popularity for larger applications where the foil is applied inline on a sheetfed offset printing press. The most common application for this type of decorating is applying foil to an entire carton or package and overprinting it. “The ability of using a standard carton stock versus a more expensive foil board is where the niche seems to be for this process,” Peterson shares.

To help your customers succeed, it is vital to offer packaging materials that help sell their products. And, it seems that foil decorating and embossing are playing a major role in getting packages to jump off of the shelves. The following companies offer equipment to help you create these special effects.

T.D. Wright’s Modular magnetic cylinders
Effective up to 550°F, the Modular™ magnetic cylinders feature uniform magnetic attraction, without edge lifting, cogging, and plate/die creeping. They are available in a variety of magnetic strengths to fit applications from super strong Rare Earth to cost-effective ceramic.—T.D. Wright, www.tdwright.com

Bunting Magnetics’s HoLo cylinder
The HoLo magnetic holographic embossing cylinder magnetically holds holographic shims or plates and performs at temperatures exceeding 400°F. It is suited for narrow and wide film applications, and allows for a 50-percent increase in press speed.—Bunting Magnetics, www.buntingmagnetics.com

Gietz FSA 870 Compact
Suited for the security industry, the FSA 870 Compact sheetfed foil stamping machine is used in the print finishing of folded boxes, in segments such as chocolate and confectionery, cosmetics, and labels.—Gietz, www.gietz.com

Kocher + Beck Hot-stamping cylinders
These stamping tools offer contour precision and accurate reproduction of even the finest scripts and logos. Machine- related clamping mechanisms are included. Hot stamping cylinders can, depending on their condition, be taken down to a smaller repeat size.—Kocher + Beck, www.kocher-beck.com

Unisphere stamping and embossing cylinders
Manufactured by UEI Group Companies and distributed by RotoMetrics, UniSphere® Hot Stamping Rotary Cylinders and Embossing Cylinders provide detailed hot stamping, sculptured deep embossing/debossing, and precision registration and engraving.—RotoMetrics, www.rotmetrics.com

Foil Commander 41˝ Foil Stamper
Originally designed to flat stamp, emboss, combination stamp, and transfer holograms, this foil stamper now comes in a larger format—FSA1060. The 41.7˝ x 29.5˝ stamper includes quick honeycomb lockup, and it runs at speeds of up to 7,500 sheets per hour.—Matik North America, www.matik.com pP