API develops new cold foil for sheet-fed market

API Foils, a manufacturer of hot and cold stamping foils, has developed its TS cold foil. The product is the result of close collaboration between API and various manufacturers of offset presses and cold foiling modules and adhesives.

Running on sheet-fed presses with conventionally drying inks, the TS cold foil claims to offer an economic means of printing colorful metallic effects in-line. It shows excellent adhesion properties whilst achieving the full range of printing capabilities from fine detail, lines and screens to large area coverage. Having been extensively tested, the new foil is already being used successfully on a number of commercial applications throughout Europe.

Historically centered on the narrow web label market, cold foiling has more recently seen growth in sheet-fed markets, creating multi-colored metallic effects for packaging, labels and commercial print jobs.

The sheet-fed cold foil transfer process uses the first two units of an offset press. In the first printing unit, an adhesive is printed in the design requiring the metallic effect, using a conventional offset plate. In the second printing unit, the cold foil is pressed onto this adhesive by the blanket cylinder, so creating the metallic design, whilst the remaining unused foil is rewound. Subsequent units can then be used to print inks onto the surface of the transferred foil, so creating the unlimited metallic color combinations. The TS foil’s ability to achieve both good adhesion onto the adhesive, and allow good adhesion of the conventionally drying inks enables the printer to gain the maximum efficiency of an in-line process.

Richard Fowler, market support manager at API Foils, said: ‘This is an exciting time for sheet fed cold foil. The interest in our products has been very high especially since drupa, and it’s great to see our new foil running successfully on commercial print jobs. We offer a full support service aimed at helping the printer get their investment working from day one. This includes supplying starter packs, experienced technicians during commissioning, local after-sales support and service. The imminent launch of our foil for UV printing systems will expand the use of cold foiling still further.’

In addition to the launch of the TS cold foil, API reports continuing development in cold foil technology and says ‘exciting’ results have already been seen in trials using UV adhesives and inks. The extra tack of UV inks makes the adhesion of the foil to the adhesive-printed substrate even more critical, but recent press trials have reportedly shown the latest API foils to give impressive results immediately off press.

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