Cold foil is not a replacement for hot foil but instead an opportunity to expand the use of foil into more markets and applications. While hot foil is stamped into a surface using heat and pressure, cold foil is transferred onto a surface as a flat application.
Small accents: Foil is indexed in the hot foil process, so if the foiled image is positioned only on a small area of a sheet, hot foil stamping may be more cost effective.
Porous stocks: The cold foil process is not as effective on dry, porous stocks. On these, hot stamping process far excels in performance and brightness.
Combination stamping and embossing: Hot Foils are the best choice, as the cold foil process is a flat application only.
Finally, the brilliance possible with hot foil stamping process is like none other. Certain applications demand the recognizable premium look and feel of hot foil. Some applications could employ either hot or cold. But there is a vast new area, previously inaccessible to foils that will benefit from the versatility and efficiency of cold foil.