Foil and emboss are beautiful processes that can make a design really special, but setting up the art for these processes can be tricky, not to mention figuring out how many areas you have and how they should be priced. Below you’ll find a variety of dos and don’ts and other information to help you prep for a successful foil/emboss/deboss project.
Quoting/Pricing
Please note right off the bat that nearly all of the quotes we do for foil/emboss projects are done sight-unseen, meaning that when you say your foil is within 36 sq. inches or your emboss area is smaller than 24 sq. inches, we’re taking your word for it. And you may very well be correct, but we often find that the quote and the actual artwork don’t match. Maybe your customer made changes between quote and order submission. Maybe there was simply a miscalculation or misunderstanding. There are many reasons why this incongruity may occur.
Because these things happen, when we receive your artwork, we will re-evaluate the price and let you know if any adjustments are needed.
If you want to avoid this situation, feel free to send your artwork when you request your quote so that we can be sure to get you accurate pricing.
Artwork Requirements
All foil/emboss/deboss art needs to be either vector set as 100% black or a 100% clean bitmap image. We highly recommend vector art just in case it needs to be adjusted or worked with (especially if it needs to be enlarged!).
NOTE: A stamping die cannot be made with any screens or gradients.
Artwork Minimums
One of the biggest areas of concern with these processes is maintaining the integrity of the art during both the making of the stamping die and the actual stamping process. You will always be better off following our artwork criteria, which varies by process, and we do not guarantee the final quality for any art that does not follow these guidelines.
Small text, serifs, registration marks, and trademarks usually present the largest issues.
PRO TIP!: Serif fonts are not a friend to foil! If using serifs, enlarge the art as much as possible, and avoid knocking out (reversing) serif fonts, which are especially problematic for embossing and debossing.
To avoid loss of image…
All areas of foil need to be at least 1/2 point (0.5 pt) thick.
All areas of emboss and deboss need to be at least 1 point (1 pt) thick.
The following example shows areas of concern over possible lost image and the likely result.
PRO TIP!: Add a 1 pt white outline to your art and see if you lose any important details. If you don’t, then your art should be OK. If you do lose details, bump up the thickness of those areas to preserve them.
To avoid plugging…
Plugging occurs in areas where there are knockouts that are too thin, causing those areas to fill in.
All knocked out areas of foil need to be at least 1 point (1 pt) thick.
All knocked out areas of emboss and deboss need to be at least 2 points (2 pt) thick.
The following example shows areas of concern over possible plugging and the likely result.
PRO TIP!: Add a 1 pt black outline to your art and see if you lose any important details. If you don’t, then your art should be OK. If you do lose details, bump up the thickness of those knockout areas to preserve them.
Foil/Emboss Areas and Measurements
Pricing for foil, emboss, and deboss is based on both the number of different areas and the size of each area.
The base foil price includes 2 areas that total up to 36 square inches.
Three or more areas require special pricing—even if the total area remains within 36 square inches.
An area exceeding 36 square inches requires special pricing—even if there is only 1 area.
The base emboss and deboss price includes 1 area up to 24 square inches and the same rules apply as those for foil.
Sizing/Measurements
The size is determined by measuring the length and the width and rounding up each measurement to the next whole number, then multiplying those two numbers.
The smallest die size we can run is 2″ x 2″, so anything that measures smaller than 2 inches needs to be rounded up for measuring purposes.
The following example will round up to 3″ x 2″ for a total of 6 square inches.
Any areas of foil/emboss/deboss that are within 2 inches of one another must be combined into one larger area—even if the art is located on different folder panels (because a flat sheet doesn’t have panels!). So be sure to measure the distance between areas as well as the areas themselves, because if they’re too close together, that will change your pricing, perhaps considerably.
The following example shows how two areas that seem separate actually count as one much larger area.
PRO TIP!: If you have multiple areas and you’re concerned about their proximity to one another, draw a 2 sq. inch box and position it between the areas in question. If the box touches the art, assume those areas will need to be combined into one. If the box does not touch the art, then the areas are separate.
Standard Foil Colors
Our standard colors are Copper, Flat Gold, Shiny Gold, Flat Silver, Shiny Silver, Metallic Black, Metallic Blue, Metallic Red, Metallic Green, and Pigment White.
FAQs
How can I ensure that my foil/emboss/deboss quote is accurate?
The only way to come anywhere close to a guarantee that the price quoted to you won’t change is to send us your art—and then don’t change it!—when you request your quote. Any time we do a quote sight-unseen, the price is not guaranteed.
What type of art should I provide?
Foil/emboss/deboss art should be set up using 100% black vector graphics. Alternatively, we can also accept 100% clean bitmap images. Set up the art to size and in the correct position, preferably on our template, and send as a high quality PDF.
My art has screens or gradients in it. Is that OK?
Foil stamping and emboss/deboss cannot accommodate art with screens or gradients. Conventional foil stamping, embossing, and debossing—those processes that require a metal stamping die—screens and gradients are not reproducible. (There are fun things that can be done with dimensional UV effects, but that’s a completely different process that we are happy to discuss!)
What is an “area” and how do I know how many I have?
A single area for foil stamping or embossing/debossing includes all graphics and text that are no more than 2 inches apart*. For example, a company name with a logo 1/2″ away from it is one area, but if the logo is 2-1/2″ away from the name, then they are two separate areas. Conversely, if you think you have 2 areas, but they are less than 2 inches apart, they are actually only one area.
Areas matter because they determine how many dies are needed (one per area). Our base pricing is for two areas (2 dies) of no more than 36 sq. inches for foil and one area (1 die) of no more than 24 sq. inches for emboss/deboss. Additional areas or larger sizes will increase the price.
*There are rare exceptions to the 2-inch rule. If we find that we can combine areas that are more than 2 inches apart into a single area in order to save everyone time and money, we’ll adjust the price accordingly. However, in the vast majority of cases, 2+ inches apart means separate areas.
What is the minimum size for an area?
Your art can be as small as you want—assuming the details aren’t too small or too fine—but the smallest die size is 2″ x 2″. So no matter how small your art is, the smallest area is 2 x 2.
What are the thickness minimums for reproducible art?
Solid Graphics/Text:
- Foil: 1/2 point (0.5 pt)
- Emboss/Deboss: 1 point
Knockouts:
- Foil: 1 point
- Emboss/Deboss: 2 points
