How to choose a hot foil stamping machine ?
Hot foil stamping is a great way to stamp a name or logo onto books, napkins, matchbooks, photographs and much more. Foil stampers are easy to use and operate and the end result looks great! Many think that foil stamping is a complicated process, but it is actually much easier than it looks and can be done by just about anyone. Here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself prior to purchasing a foil-stamping machine.
How many items do you foil stamp per day, week or month?
Both manual foil stampers and semi-automatic (air-powered) foil stampers are available. The model you use will depend entirely on the stamping volume you plan on having. Manually operated machines are just fine for custom names on books, but if you plan on stamping a company name or logo on hundreds of items, you may want to consider using a pneumatic (air powered) hot foil stamper.
What to foil stamp ?
Foil stampers can be used with leather, paper, wood, plastic and more. Be aware that different types of foil are used for stamping different material.
If you would like to foil stamp paper, you may want to consider using a foil fuser (found here). Foil fusers put foil on paper in a different way than a foil stamper. Foil fuser foil adheres to toner. This means anywhere toner (from a laser printer) is on the paper, the foil will be shown. The end result is metallic and looks very similar to foil stamping.
Be aware that special guides are available for stamping napkins, matchbooks, pencils and other items. While a guide doesn’t necessarily have to be used, it does make the stamping job go faster and the stamped area is more aligned.
How much hot stamping area do you need?
Foil stampers use type holders to hold text and logos. You will be limited to how much text you can use based on the size of the type holder. Be sure to check the size of the type holder before purchasing a foil-stamping machine. Some foil stampers can use different sizes of type holders, but some cannot.
Where to keep the hot foil stamper?
Foil stamping machines vary in size. Some models can be used on a countertop, but some larger stampers are floor models that require more area. It is always a good idea to make sure you have a place to keep your foil stamper.
Which hot foil do you use?
Foil is available in a wide variety of colors. Be sure the foil you purchase will work on your machine. Different brands often use different sizes of foil and sometimes are not interchangeable. Also be aware that different types of foils often require different heat settings. The heat setting required is usually listed next to the roll of foil.
