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What is foil fusing?
Foil fusing is a process
where foil is bonded to a toner image area that was created using either
a laser printer or a copy machine.
What types of foils are
available for foil fusing?
Gold, sliver, metallic
colors, pigment colors, and special application foils like glitters, as
well as, decorative and security holographic patterns.
Is a die required to produce
foil fusing?
No. Foil fusing does not
require any type of die. Laser printer and/or copy machine toner is used
to bond the foil to the paper.
Can a foil fuser be used to
produce blind or foil embossing?
A foil fuser can only
apply flat foil and be used to "Therm-O-Fuse" sheets with a toner image
area. While a blind emboss effect can not be created, a foil embossed
effect can be created with certain papers using a process called
"Therm-O-Embossing".
Are all laser printer and
copy machine toners compatible for foil fusing?
No. Certain laser
printers and copy machines, and certain toners are not suitable for foil
fusing. If you have any questions about the suitability of your printer
and/or toner, we will be happy to run compatibility tests on your
samples.
Does fusing foil only stick
to black toner?
No. Foil will fuse to all
toner image areas regardless of color.
Are any special skills
required to produce high quality foil fusing?
No. There is no "makeready"
or other special skills required to produce foil fusing. When using
compatible papers, printers/toners and foils, operators are only
required to set the appropriate speed and temperature for the type of
foil and paper being run.
How much does it cost to foil
fuse an 8 1/2" by 11" area with gold foil?
Foil costs vary but
customers usually figure about $.04 per 8 1/2" by 11" sheet. Keep in
mind that metallic colors, pigment and special application foils are
typically more expensive than gold and silver.
Do I need a foil cutter?
Yes and no. Customers can
purchase foil pre-cut to specific widths but this is often inconvenient
and wasteful if you wind up being forced to run a job with a roll that
is wider than necessary. Purchasing foil in 24"-25" wide rolls, then
cutting the specific width required for each job will minimize foil
waste and cost.
Do you have to run a foil
width that matches the paper width?
No. Foil fusing only
requires that the foil width be slightly wider than the toner image area
to be foil fused. Using foil cut slightly wider than the image area,
plus the ability to run sheets portrait or landscape helps to minimize
foil waste and expense.
What is the maximum paper
thickness that can be foil fused?
The limiting factor in
maximum paper thickness while foil fusing is based on the maximum sheet
thickness you can run on your laser printer/copy machine.
Can the foil draw be
controlled to match the length of the image area to minimize foil waste?
No. There is no foil draw
control on a foil fuser. When paper is being fed through the machine and
the impression is engaged, foil is drawn at the linear rate of the
paper. Foil waste can be minimized using the proper foil roll width and
by how the sheet is run through the fuser.
Can rewound foil or Mylar be
reused?
No. Foil and Mylar that
has been through the fusing mechanism and rewound is waste.
Can I foil fuse on both sides
of a sheet in one pass through the Foil-Tech?
Yes. Latest generation
automatic and manual Foil-Tech models can apply up to two rolls of foil
to the top of the sheet and one color of foil to the bottom of the sheet
in one pass. Foil-Tech models are sold with a single foil unwind/rewind.
Additional unwind/rewind stations are optional.
What is "Therm-O-Fusing"?
Therm-O-Fusing is a
process where a sheet that has been imprinted with toner is run through
a foil fuser with clear Mylar film instead of foil. As the sheet passes
through the fuser, the toner is aggressively remelted under pressure
from the fusing rollers with the smooth Mylar surface in contact with
the toner. Therm-O-Fusing enhances the toner image area in three ways.
It improves the durability of the image on the sheet, it smoothes out
the toner density across the image area, and it changes the surface
finish of the toner image to a gloss finish.
Can I "Therm-O-Fuse" and foil
fuse at the same time?
Yes. Foil fusing requires
a higher temperature than Therm-O-Fusing with Mylar film. However, by
using Mylar film with a release agent coating, foil fusing and
Therm-O-Fusing can be run at the same time.
What happens when toner
is applied over offset ink?
The foil will only adhere
to the toner image area and will not transfer to the offset ink.
Can I lay down two or more
colors of foil within the same image area if the foil areas don't
overlap?
Yes. Imprint toner and
foil fuse the first color, then apply the second toner image area and
foil fuse the second color. All foils have different "laser proof"
characteristics, customers need to understand these and their laser
printer/copy machine characteristics (see Important Notice on Foil-Tech
page of this web site).
Can I produce tight
registration, multicolor foil images by running the sheet through the
laser printer/copy machine and fuser multiple times?
No. Laser printers and
copy machines can not accurately register multiple images imprinted in
multiple passes.
Can I fuse "foil on foil" by
running the sheet through the laser printer/copy machine and Foil-Tech
twice?
Yes and no. Foil can
sometimes be fused on foil. However, the top layer of foil often doesn't
bond aggressively to the bottom layer of foil. As a result, the top
layer of foil may not adhere uniformly or may be scrapped off the lower
layer if it is exposed to rough handling. Due to unpredictable results,
we do not recommend this process.
Can I foil fuse stocks that
are not perfectly smooth, like laid?
Some lightly textured
papers can be foil fused. However, foil fusing will not crush the
texture flat like traditional foil stamping. As a result, the paper
surface texture will show through the fused foil. Foil fusing results on
even lightly textured stocks can be unpredictable.
Do different papers affect
the foil finish when foil fusing?
Yes. Compatible very
smooth or coated stocks will provide more of a mirror finish when fusing
bright finish gold, silver and metallic colors. Compatible uncoated
stocks will foil fuse well but with less of a mirror finish. Keep in
mind, paper type and finish also affect the foil finish that can be
achieved using traditional foil stamping.
How does paper thickness
affect foil fusing?
Foil fusing is a heat
process. As a result, thicker papers will require a higher fusing
temperature and more dwell (slower out put speed) than thinner papers.
How can I maximize foil
fusing speed?
Foil fusing productivity
is based on a linear fusing rate for a given type and thickness of
paper. Running sheets landscape, whenever possible will maximize through
put.
What is the smallest type
that can be used with foil fusing?
We recommend 6 pt type as
a minimum size that can be foil fused without letter plugging. Results
may vary depending on the type of printer/toner, foil and paper used,
and the fusing speed and temperature.
Can I combine large solid
areas at the same time I am fusing small type?
Yes. One of the
interesting characteristics of foil fusing is that you can fuse large
solids at the same time you are fusing small, fine line type.
Can sheets be run through an
offset press after they have been foil fused?
Yes. Offset printing
and/or printing with a digital duplicator will not affect the foil image
area.
Can sheets be thermographed
after they have been foil fused?
Yes. During all our
testing, foil fused sheets can be thermographed without damaging the
finish on the fused foil.
Can foil image areas be
embossed on a second machine after being foil fused?
No. Laser printers and
copy machines do not apply the toner image area accurately enough on the
sheet to allow the foil fused image to be accurately embossed.
Can you foil fuse pre-printed
greeting cards and other products that have embossed or foil embossed
image areas on the sheet?
Pre-converted social
stationery and greeting cards that are to be run on a foil fuser must be
design for this process. First, these products must be able to run
through a laser printer or copy machine to create the toner image.
Embossed areas must not be too deep, too sharp edged or too close to the
toner image area. Personalization of pre-converted social stationery and
greeting cards has proven to be the largest foil fusing application to
date. The fusing mechanism does not seem to flatten or harm the embossed
image areas.
Can you run envelopes through
the foil fuser?
Standard (lick and stick
style) envelopes are usually not "laser printer compatible" and may seal
as they pass through the heated fusing rollers. Laser printer compatible
(peal and seal style) envelopes foil fused well during our tests.
Can you run pressure
sensitive (crack and peel) stock through the fuser?
Many pressure sensitive
paper stocks are suitable for foil fusing. All plastic and synthetic
pressure sensitive materials may not be suitable.
Can foil fusing be used for
security applications?
Yes. There are three
transparent and three silver holographic security foils currently
available. These foils have micro text patterns. Some customers also use
standard holographic pattern foils as a security enhancement.
How can I find suitable
papers for foil fusing?
THERM-O-TYPE provides a
list of papers that have been successfully tested for foil fusing on our
web site. This list is an excellent resource for customers. In general,
papers with a smooth surface finish work best.
What are transparent
holographic pattern foils and how are they used?
Transparent holographic
pattern foils are used to apply a holographic pattern effect over
single, spot or full color text and graphics. These foils can be used to
create a wide range of visual effects.
What is "Therm-O-Embossing"?
Therm-O-Embossing is a
process that allows a foil embossed effect to be created while foil
fusing. By applying varying amounts of toner within the image area, the
image appears embossed after foil fusing. While this effect can be
dramatic, it can only be used on certain stocks.
Can I use white fusing foils
on dark colored stocks?
Yes. White pigment foil
can be fused on dark stocks, including black. White is currently a very
popular fusing foil color. |