Every business owner wants differentiation for their product; for their brand stand out from the crowd. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve as the market changes. That’s where print finishing comes in. Packaging, literature and other print marketing can be a key differentiator either on the shelf, in the mail or at a trade show. And, special print finishing techniques such hot foil stamping and embossing can elevate product compared to others as well as provide consumers with a visual shortcut to the quality of what’s inside. Here at Larkin Industries we specialize in hot stamping for Chicago and the surrounding areas and are excited to tell you more about its many benefits.

Hot stamping is the process of using heat and pressure to apply metallic foil or holograms to materials such as papers, carton board, laminated board, plastics and more. With hot stamping, your design is first etched onto a piece of metal called a die. Then, a piece of foil goes between the die and the paper. This is all placed within a hot stamping press, which presses these layers together and creates a stamp on your paper using heat and pressure.

Any artwork that’s suitable for letterpress can also work well with hot stamping or foil stamping. However, designing for foil or metallic print effects requires a bit more preparation than designing for other print effects. For example, certain graphics and font styles will look way better with metallic effects than others. Metallic finished can make type appear a little larger so you should adjust your font size accordingly.

Whatever the design, there is no doubt great value in embellishments like hot stamping. According to a study by the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), hot stamping and other similar enhancements can help attract consumer attention faster and keep attention longer than ordinary packaging.

There are so many great applications for foil and hot stamping. For example, envelopes look beautiful with hot stamping! We can print on the back flap and the front of envelopes for a completely custom look for your mailers. Hot stamping even works well for anti-counterfeiting purposes!

And, when you have a company you can depend on like Larkin Industries, you can rest easy knowing you will receive beautiful, high quality work. Are you ready to learn more about hot stamping for your Chicago area business? Call Larkin Industries at 651-645-6000, or you can contact us to get a Free Quote.