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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.
Pairing Paper with Design
If you’ve found yourself endlessly staring at your design with one of our sample packs glued firmly to your lap, questioning how you can possibly know which paper type to choose, you’re in the right place.
Pairing your design with the right cardstock can seem like an impossibly daunting task, especially if you’ve spent time and money pulling together the perfect print project, but we’re here to help you make the right decision. By asking yourself 2 simple questions, we hope you’ll have a little more clarity when it comes to choosing the perfect paper, so let’s get into it!
Is Your Design a Full-Print Background?
If your design has a fully printed background – whether it’s a photo or a solid block of colour with foil layered over the top – our best recommendation is silk paper.
This option offers a smooth, even surface that makes printed colours and images pop, helping your design look as polished as possible, whether you're printing silk metallic foil business cards or silk metallic foil flyers.
However, if your design relies on the natural colour of the paper, like a clean white background with foil-only details, uncoated paper might be a winner.
Uncoated paper provides a subtle texture and a crisp, cool white tone that complements metallic foil beautifully, perfect for uncoated metallic foil business cards and uncoated metallic foil flyers.
For those wanting a sustainable, natural stock packed full of character, why not consider recycled uncoated? Loaded with natural imperfections, recycled stock adds a charm to wedding invitations, flyers, and more.
Is Colour Key?
If your design dreams include foil on a coloured background, we’ve got just the canvas: our selection of G.F. Smith Colorplan papers! With an enormous catalogue of colours curated to match most design themes and aesthetics, G.F. Smith Colorplan stocks are renowned in the print world for their rich colour and premium feel.
Imagining a sleek gold foil business card with a deep black backdrop? Our Ebony colourplan would be the choice for you! Prefer something more understated? G.F. Smith’s Colorplan range also includes artist favorites such as White Frost and other softer tones that allow you to mix metallic foil and print on natural, sophisticated hues. From coloured paper metallic foil business cards to coloured paper metallic foil flyers, you can't go wrong with Colorplan!
Looking for something that’s not only visually stunning but luxuriously thick? Meet our Colour Core Triplex paper, crafted in-house with that famous TheFoilPrintingCo innovation.
This premium option combines a crisp white printed front and back for your foil design with a bold, coloured middle layer that adds a unique, eye-catching edge resulting in stunning triplex metallic foil business cards or showstopping triplex metallic foil flyers. Made by layering three sheets, including a duplexed middle core, this paper is as sturdy as it is stylish, ensuring your design stands out from the rest and ensuring your prints get noticed!
Wrapping It All Up
And there you have it - our current like up of papers perfect for making your metallic foil designs shine! We're constantly expanding our paper options, so be sure to check back here for the latest additions as we continue to bring you even more ways to make your print projects stand out.
Our Foil Paper Range And Their Best Uses:
Silk
Description: A smooth satin paper which is ideal for giving prints a flat surface.
Thicknesses Available: 250gsm / 300gsm / 350gsm / 400gsm / 700gsm
Shade: Warm White
Best Use: Designs with lots of printed and foil elements.
Gloss
Description: A smooth, shiny paper which is ideal for giving prints an extremely smooth-to-touch surface.
Thicknesses Available: 250gsm / 300gsm / 350gsm
Shade: Brilliant White
Best Use: Designs with not much print with one side of foil elements, ensuring a smooth gloss finish on the print-only side.
Uncoated
Description: Standard paper with a natural grain to it.
Thicknesses Available: 250gsm / 300gsm / 350gsm / 400gsm / 700gsm
Shade: White
Best Use: Designs with foil elements and not much print.
Recycled Uncoated
Description: Essentially the same look as uncoated but more eco-friendly.
Thicknesses Available: 250gsm / 300gsm / 350gsm / 700gsm
Shade: White
Best Use: Designs with foil elements and not much print.
GF Smith Colorplan
Description: Similar to uncoated paper but has a much more natural texture and is available in many different colours.
Thicknesses Available: 270gsm / 540gsm
Colours 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 coloured paper stock.
Colour Core
Description: Our thickest paper available. Made by sandwiching three pieces of paper together: two outer silk papers with a thick-coloured center of your choice.
Thicknesses Available: 800gsm
Colours Available: White front and back with a coloured 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 colours and to add an extra touch to help stand out.
Sticker Paper
Description: Similar in nature to our silk paper option but with a peel-off adhesive backing.
Thicknesses Available: 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.
