Product Range Distribution: Foil Experiments

In order to further test the concept of adding value to design through production methods I've further experimented with foiling as my initial experiments didn't work very well due to the printer used. Consequently I went to James in digital print who printed the black images correctly which allowed the foil to adhere to the toner more effectively, however there where a few patches which is to be expected when using this method (see figures 1-3). Throughout these experiments a number of different foils where used, gold, platinum, silver and holographic. The main reason for experimenting with more foils than before was to see if the use of holographic foil gave a more official aesthetic to the presidential seal (see figures 4-6). Interestingly I personally found the experiments using the platinum and gold foil the most effective as they seem to stick to the toner more effectively (see figures 7-12). Furthermore they also create a more professional and official finish compared to that of the silver or holographic foil. Personally I felt the holographic foil cheapened the look of the invites as although the idea to create a 'holographic seal' similar to those seen on money and passports was interesting I feel the foil used didn't effectively achieve this outcome.

In relation to the patches and finish achieved within these experiments, I spoke to Susie one of the print room technicians about the best way to achieve a even finish. She suggested either using a textile screen and screen-printing texi-flox which the foil would then stick too more easily when placed in the heat press, however an issue with this method was that I might have difficulty when exposing my screen due to the fine lines within the presidential seal. Another method she suggested would be to screen print using a paper screen using metallic binder, created by adding metallic powder to regular binder. The only issue with this method was the inability to achieve a holographic effect as they only have powder in gold, silver, copper and some pearl colours. Therefor I plan to gain feedback on the experimentations below to see if people think the holographic foil is effective, as if not I could use metallic binder to achieve a higher quality finish compared to other methods available.

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