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What Papers Can You Print Metallic Foil To?

What Papers Can You Print Metallic Foil To?
20 July 2020
What Papers Can You Print Metallic Foil To?

Are All Paper Types Suitable For Foil Printing>?

Knowing what paper we can print foil on is a common question we’re asked. You might think we can foil onto any type of paper in the world, and although we wish that was true, it takes an incredible amount of testing and perfecting the results to find out what paper types produce a metallic foil finish we’re proud of and are happy to offer to you.

We hold ourselves to high standards, so making sure the paper is luxurious and the foil looks amazing are our top priorities.


What Is The Best Paper For Foiling?

Knowing what is the best paper to use for metallic foil is really dependent on your taste and the design you wish to print. You essentially have five questions to ask:

Does Your Design Have A Fully Printed Background?

By this we mean are you printing a photo, or perhaps a solid color as your background and then having foil printed over the top of it. If so, then our best advice for this type of design would be to use our Silk paper option as it offers the most even texture and surface to allow printed images and colors to look their best.

Silk Metallic Foil Business Cards
Silk Metallic Foil Flyers

 

Does Your Design Have A Blank Background?

If your design uses the natural look and color of the paper, for example the design is the solid white of the paper with only foil print on, then we’d say go for uncoated. We recommend uncoated paper for this type of foil printing as it has a nice subtle texture but is also a clean white shade, where as the silk paper is much more of a warmer white. We even offer a recycled uncoated option that is made from 100% recycled stock.

Uncoated Metallic Foil Business Cards
Uncoated Metallic Foil Flyers

 

Are You Wanting A Textured Paper To Print Foil Onto?

This question is less about your design and more about the feel you’re wanting to achieve for your foil prints. If you’re wanting a paper with a textured feel we have a few options. You can go with Conqueror Contour which is hammer embossed and has a cloud like texture to it. Alternatively, you can go with GF Smith Colorplan which has more of a natural paper texture. Both textured papers are a great choice and the texture applies through to the foil and really enhances the look and depth of it.

Conqueror Metallic Foil Business Cards
Conqueror Metallic Foil Flyers

 

Wanting To Print Foil Onto Colored Paper?

If you’re wanting to print foil onto colored paper, then we have a full range of GF Smith Colorplan papers in over 15 different shades for you to choose from. Well known in the print industry for having amazing color and a lovely texture. If you're looking for a gold foil business card that is printed onto a black background, this would be the paper to choose. We still offer this paper in white and more subtle shades so you can still mix print and foil elements together on the more natural colors.

Colored Paper Metallic Foil Business Cards
Colored Paper Metallic Foil Flyers

 

Are You Wanting Our Thickest Paper To Foil Onto?

If you’re wanting to print foil on a paper stock that’s incredibly resolute and luxurious then we’d struggle to find anything better than the paper stock we create right here in house. We’re talking about our Color Core triplex paper option!

This paper offers a white front and back to print any foil design you want, but it comes with the added benefit of having a chunky layered core that can be colored to match your design. We make this by layering up three pieces of paper, with the middle being extremely thick so that the colored core is eye catching and great at standing out from a stack of other business cards. Our top tip if you want your foil prints to be noticed!

Triplex Metallic Foil Business Cards
Triplex Metallic Foil Flyers

Our Foil Paper Range And Their Best Uses:


Silk Paper Texture

Silk

Description: A smooth satin paper which is ideal for giving prints a flat surface.
Thicknesses Available: 10pt (250gsm) / 14pt (300gsm) / 16pt (350gsm) / 18pt (400gsm) / 32pt (700gsm)
Shade: Warm White
Best Use: Designs with lots of printed and foil elements.


Uncoated Paper Texture

Uncoated

Description: Standard paper with a natural grain to it.
Thicknesses Available: 10pt (250gsm) / 14pt (300gsm) / 16pt (350gsm) / 18pt (400gsm) / 32pt (700gsm)
Shade: White
Best Use: Designs with foil elements and not much print.


Recycled Paper Texture

Recycled Uncoated

Description: Essentially the same look as uncoated but more eco-friendly.
Thicknesses Available: 10pt (250gsm) / 14pt (300gsm) / 16pt (350gsm) / 32pt (700gsm)
Shade: White
Best Use: Designs with foil elements and not much print.


Conqueror Contour Paper Texture

Conqueror Contour

Description: A heavily textured paper with cloud like embossed pattern all over. Adds great depth to prints.
Thicknesses Available: 14pt (300gsm) / 28pt (600gsm)
Colors Available: Diamond White / Cream
Best Use: Any designs with the focus on a textured finish.


GF Smith Colorplan Paper Texture

GF Smith Colorplan

Description: Similar to uncoated paper but has a much more natural texture and is available in many different colors.
Thicknesses Available: 12pt (270gsm) / 25pt (540gsm)
Colors Available: White Frost / Natural / Real Grey / Azure Blue / Lavender / Candy Pink / Sorbet Yellow / Stone / Factory Yellow / Citrine / Bright Red / Scarlet / Fuchsia Pink / Purple / Tabriz Blue / Marrs Green / Forest / Sapphire / Amethyst / Bitter Chocolate / Dark Grey / Ebony
Best Use: Any designs with the focus on using a colored paper stock.


Colour Core Paper Texture & Side View

Colour Core

Description: Our thickest paper available. Made by sandwiching three pieces of paper together: two outer silk papers with a thick colored center of your choice.
Thicknesses Available: 38pt (800gsm)
Colors Available: White front and back with a colored sandwiched center in: White Frost / Natural / Real Grey / Azure Blue / Lavender / Candy Pink / Sorbet Yellow / Stone / Factory Yellow / Citrine / Bright Red / Scarlet / Fuchsia Pink / Purple / Tabriz Blue / Marrs Green / Forest / Sapphire / Amethyst / Bitter Chocolate / Dark Grey / Ebony
Best Use: Any design with any print or foil elements. Ideally suited to match your branding colors and to add an extra touch to help stand out.


Silk Paper Texture

Sticker Paper

Description: Similar in nature to our silk paper option but with a peel off adhesive backing.
Thicknesses Available: 115lb (170gsm)
Shade: White
Best Use: Any design with any print or foil elements. Available in a high tack and standard tack. We always recommend ordering samples of stickers to check they stick to what you need them to.


Let's Wrap This Up

So, there we have it, our current range of papers that we can print metallic foils onto. We’re always expanding our offerings so we'll update this page as and when we bring out new paper types.


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