Foil Stamping & Gold Foil Printing – 7 Classic Foil Colors

Foil stamping is the classic way to put real metal shine on paper. A heated die presses a thin metallic foil film into the card, leaving a solid, mirror-bright layer exactly where your design calls for it: a logo, a name, a border, a monogram. Nothing else catches the light quite like it. We foil stamp business cards, invitations, postcards, flyers, greeting cards, trading cards and hang tags in 7 foil colors, on one or both sides, with optional Spot UV and silk lamination.

• 7 foil colorsGold, silver, rose gold, copper, black, blue, red
• Foil on both sidesFront only or front and back, same color
• 32 pt Ultra ThickGold or silver foil business cards
• Square and rounded2.5″ x 2.5″ cards; 1/8″ or 1/4″ corners on 16 pt
• Foil + Spot UVMetal and gloss on 16 pt C2S
• 9 foil productsCards, invitations, mailers, tags and folders

Shop Foil Stamped Products

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  Foil Business Cards

  3.5″ x 2″, slim, square and more. 16 pt C2S, 14 pt uncoated, or gold foil on 32 pt Ultra Thick.

  From 500 (250 on 32 pt)

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  Foil Invitation Cards

  3″ x 5″ to 5″ x 7″. Weddings, galas, milestones and corporate events.

  From 500

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  Foil Postcards

  3″ x 5″ to 5″ x 7″. Mailers, save-the-dates and listing cards.

  From 500

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  Foil Flyers

  3″ x 5″ to 5″ x 7″. Handouts, menus, event and promo cards.

  From 500

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  Flat Foil Greeting Cards

  3″ x 5″ to 5″ x 7″. Thank-you, holiday and appreciation cards.

  From 500

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  Foil Trading Cards

  2.5″ x 3.5″. Foil-stamped sports cards, TCG cards and parallels.

  From 500

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  Foil Hang Tags

  9 sizes, 1.5″ x 3.5″ to 4″ x 6″, silk laminated, 1/8″ hole.

  From 500

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  Bottle Neck Foil Hang Tags

  2.125″ x 5″ bottle necker die cut, silk laminated.

  From 500

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  Foil Presentation Folders

  9″ x 12″ and more, 12 foil colors on 21 papers.

  From 50

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What Is Foil Stamping?

Foil stamping (also called hot foil stamping) uses heat and pressure to transfer a metallic film from a roll onto paper. A custom metal die, made from your foil mask, heats up and presses the foil into the stock; the foil bonds where the die touches and peels away everywhere else. The result is a single, solid foil color with a crisp edge and a slight pressed-in feel, brighter and more reflective than any metallic ink.

It’s different from foils that are printed on top of the card. Foil stamping gives you one pure foil color as a solid strip of metal, the look of engraved stationery and luxury packaging. If you want metallic shine in many colors or gradients, that’s Akuafoil; if you want foil you can feel standing up off the card, that’s raised foil.

The 7 Foil Colors: A Quick Guide

Pick one foil color per order. It’s used on the front, or on both sides, and is the same color front and back. (32 pt Ultra Thick business cards come in gold or silver.)

Tip: contrast makes foil shine. Foil on a dark background looks rich and dramatic; on white or cream it looks crisp and refined. Black foil on black ink makes a subtle, tone-on-tone gloss that shows when the card moves.

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Stocks and Options by Product

• 16 pt C2S cardstock is smooth and coated, so foil lands sharp and colors print bright. Add silk lamination for a smooth, satin feel.
• 14 pt uncoated has a natural, toothy feel that’s easy to write on with pen or pencil, and gives foil a softer, pressed-in, letterpress-like look.
• 32 pt Ultra Thick uncoated (business cards) is a rigid, heavyweight card (3.5″ x 2″) where gold or silver foil feels like engraved stationery. See more in our ultra thick printing collection.
• Foil sides: front only or both sides (with full-color printing on both sides), in the same color. Printing: full color on one or both sides.
• Spot UV: on 16 pt C2S, add glossy Spot UV on the front, back or both, next to your foil. It isn’t offered on 14 pt or 32 pt uncoated.

Foil + Spot UV

Foil and Spot UV work best as partners, not layers. Give your key elements foil and the complementary ones Spot UV, so each catches the light in its own way: bright metal here, clear gloss there. Used thoughtfully, the pairing gives a design depth and a clear order to read in.

Keep them apart: foil and Spot UV each need their own mask, in separate areas that don’t overlap, with a little breathing room between them. Spot UV is offered on 16 pt C2S (not on 14 pt or 32 pt uncoated). Want both finishes raised? That’s dual raised printing.

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Foil Stamping vs. Akuafoil vs. Raised Foil vs. Pearl

Want two raised finishes on one piece? See dual raised printing. Prefer earthy paper? Copper or gold foil looks beautiful in our brown kraft printing collection.

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Foil Design Guide

• Choose foil’s job. Foil works best on a few key elements: a logo, a name, a border. Keep long text and contact details in ink.
• Size it to stamp cleanly. Foil text 8 pt or larger; avoid hairlines and tiny reversed (knocked-out) text inside foil.
• Give it contrast. Gold and copper sing on dark colors; silver and blue on cool tones; black foil for tone-on-tone.
• Mind large solids. Big flat foil areas can show slight texture. Bold shapes, lines and type stamp most evenly.
• Leave room from the edges. Keep foil inside the safe area, 1/8″ from the trim.
• On uncoated stock, foil presses in a little deeper for a softer, letterpress-like look. Very fine detail is crisper on 16 pt C2S.
• Leave writing space free of Spot UV and lamination if you’ll sign or write on the card. 14 pt uncoated is the easiest to write on.

How to Set Up Foil Files

1. Download the template for your product and size.
2. Design in CMYK with 1/8″ bleed. Leave the areas under the foil free of artwork, or set them to the background color.
3. Make the foil mask: a copy of the layout with foil areas in solid 100% K and everything else white. Use vector art (shapes, outlined type) and save it as a PDF.
4. Foil on both sides? Make a mask for each side. The foil color is the same on both.
5. Adding Spot UV (16 pt C2S)? Make a separate Spot UV mask, kept clear of the foil.
6. Name files clearly: Front-CMYK, Front-Foil-Mask, Back-CMYK, Back-Foil-Mask, Front-SpotUV-Mask.

That’s up to 3 files per side: CMYK artwork, a foil mask and a Spot UV mask. We’ll send a free proof, and our prepress team checks every mask before stamping.

Who Uses Foil Stamping?

Explore Every Metallic Finish and Specialty Stock

• Akuafoil printing: full-color metallic foil, gradients and holographic-style effects
• Raised foil printing: raised gold, silver and holographic foil on velvet soft touch
• Dual raised printing: two raised finishes on one piece
• Pearl paper printing: all-over shimmer, pearlescent stock
• Ultra thick printing: heavyweight stocks, including 32 pt for foil business cards
• Brown kraft printing: natural, recycled kraft paper

Read the full foil stamping guide, or see our Foil Printing FAQs.

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Foil Stamping FAQs