Foiled Business Cards
Short answer
Foiled Business Cards is available through Craftarea in Tbilisi. Foiling transfers a metallic layer — most often gold or silver — onto a business card using heat and pressure. The result is a genuine metallic shine that printing cannot reproduce. Timing is agreed after the project review. Send the card dimensions, stock, printed sides, finish and quantity, required date and collection or delivery location.
Foiling is the only finish that gives a business card true metallic shine — printing in gold ink never achieves it, because ink does not reflect light the way a metal layer does. That is why foiling is the standard device of the premium segment: law firms, jewellery brands, wine companies, hotels. This page covers how hot stamping works, what the artwork requires, which colours are available, and why minimum run length matters more here than in ordinary printing.
Key facts
- Technology
- Hot foil stamping
- Popular colours
- Gold, silver
- Other colours
- Bronze, red, blue, holographic
- Artwork requirement
- Separate layer, 100% K, vector
- Minimum element
- ~0.5 mm line
- Additional lead time
- Timing by agreement
- Background
- Most effective on dark stock
- Compatibility
- Lamination, spot UV
How hot foil stamping works
In hot stamping, a metallised film is bonded to the card surface by a heated die: the die touches the card only where the artwork sits, and heat plus pressure leaves the foil layer there. That is why foiling requires a die to be made — the one-off setup that raises unit cost most on short runs. On a large run the same die is amortised and the unit price falls sharply.
- Metallised foil + heated die
- Heat and pressure leave a metal layer
- A separate die must be made
- Die cost is most noticeable on short runs
Artwork requirements
Foiling needs a separate layer, just as spot UV does: a vector shape marked in 100% black showing exactly where the foil goes. This layer must be vector — a raster image cannot be used to make the die. Minimum line weight is around 0.5 mm, finer than spot UV allows, though very fine elements remain risky: die pressure can merge them together. Minimum type size is around 8 pt, preferably in a bold weight.
Choosing the background and combinations
Foiling is most effective on a dark background: black, deep blue, dark green or burgundy. On light and white stock, gold foil looks softer, almost quiet — desirable for some brands, but far less dramatic. Combining with soft-touch lamination gives the best result. Gold foil on kraft stock is especially popular with handmade and eco brands — the natural brown texture against metallic shine creates a strong contrast.
- Dark background — maximum contrast
- White background — soft, restrained effect
- Soft-touch + foil — the premium combination
- Kraft + gold — eco and handmade brands
Foiling technical parameters
| Parameter | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Hot foil stamping | Die + pressure + heat |
| Artwork layer | Vector, 100% K | Raster will not work |
| Minimum line | ~0.5 mm | Finer is risky |
| Minimum type | 8 pt | Bold preferred |
| Colours | Gold, silver, bronze, colours, holographic | Availability confirmed at order |
| Additional lead time | Timing by agreement | Including die preparation |
| Best background | Dark (black, blue, burgundy) | Maximum contrast |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are gold ink printing and foiling the same?
Why does foiling cost more?
Which colours are available?
Can you foil a laminated card?
Can both sides be foiled?
Can the whole card be foiled?
Does the foil wear off over time?
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