Foil Printing

As a textile manufacturer, chances are high you’re a foil printing enthusiast. We’re with you on that foil printing process. Foil printing on fabric is one of the old technique in the textile industry as it brings more flexibility and more speed. Those are all welcome advantages, given the high customer demands and a large variety of designs produced daily.

What is Foil Printing?

Foil printing is the process of applying designs to the fabric in definite patterns. In properly foil printing the color is bonded with the fiber, so as to resist washing and friction. Textile printing is related to dyeing but, whereas in dyeing proper the whole fabric is uniformly covered with one color. But in foil printing in one or more colors are applied to it in certain parts only and in sharply defined patterns.

In foil printing process heat, pressure and metallic paper are used to printing. This is used to create different shiny designs and graphics on fabrics. Foil printing gives the focus area an incredible look and is quickly becoming the preferred method of printing in the textile industry.

How it’s done

Actually foil printing is the process of transferring foil from a paper roll onto a fabric using heat and adhesives.Foil printing on fabric is a great way of adding shine and luster to a product. We love how designers have used foil printing in so many creative ways from adding a classy baroque look to a table runner to adding fun and bling to a cushion cover.

Today, there are a range of foil papers available in market. Metallic like gold, silver and copper and regular colours that can give our material a royal and shiny makeover.

You can view some of our textile foils right here.

For bulk manufacturing, rotary screen foil printing is commonly used.

Initially, a rotary screen is made using the design that needs to be printed. This screen is then used along with the foil paper, heat and adhesives to transfer the foil onto the fabric. The cost of making the screen is much more expensive for foil printing that it is for regular rotary or flatbed printing – this makes sampling or customised short runs more difficult to do.