OFT launches Foiltone

Lancashire, UK-based OFT Technology Limited has launched its latest product, Foiltone, which ‘experts claim will transform the way lithographic printers embellish their foil enhanced, printed sheets’, according to a statement. This recent addition to the OFT product portfolio follows on from the company’s formation in early 2006 which was marked by the launch of its OnePass Technology, the result of four years of development.

OFT’s Foiltone offers further cost reductions and enhanced product appearance for printers. Foiltone allows all of the embellishments previously possible with hot-foil stamping and also those which are difficult to achieve with the hot-foil method, to be created with a cold-foil single pass on the lithographic press. The Foiltone process, allows for metallic foil to be applied to the printed sheet in the lithographic print process without the need for die, heat or multiple handling.

The system can produce many of the effects produced with ink including full sheet solids, small font reverse outs and a range of half tones, ultimately offering higher productivity, lower costs and immense design possibilities.

The process of laying down the pattern of foil is purely lithographic using a standard fitting lithographic printing plate, which is produced by conventional means, so the fit of the foil to ink becomes the same as the fit for ink to ink. 

The technology means that there are no stamping die costs, and make-ready time is only that required to change the printing plate used to achieve the pattern of the foil, which is radically lower than traditional methods. Furthermore, overall application speed is the normal speed of the lithographic printing process.

The Foiltone module comprises a four axis unit, to enable two webs of foil to run on two units of a press without being invasive to the press. When foil is not being applied, the units can be used for their original application without the need for mechanical or electrical intervention. Compatible with most printing machines in the 74 and 105 format ranges, the necessary equipment could be two print units, or one print unit and one coating unit.

Depending on the desired finish effect, the positioning can be anywhere on the press. For example a post print application, with the module located on the last print and first coater unit, would create a look similar to that of hot foil stamping, where foil is introduced to an already printed surface. The absence of pressure ensures there are no impression marks into the substrate and that textured boards maintain their appearance.

Furthermore, a preprint application with the module located on the first two units of the press, permits ink to be registered to the foil, or the foil to be overprinted. Overprinting the foil, eradicates the need to store large volumes of colored foil as all CMYK colors can be produced by using conventional or UV inks for overprinting.

The system also allows for a specially formulated cold foil adhesive to be printed onto the sheet substrate on the first print unit, using a standard litho plate.

At the second unit, the cold foil is then applied, which adheres to the adhesive in the printed pattern with high resolution, including a range of half tones and full solid coverage. Both of these installation positions allows for the high speed application of foil in patterns which is not possible to achieve via conventional methods of hot stamping, without incurring extra tooling costs.

OFT Technology sales and marketing director John Hopkinson explained: ‘This technology not only offers lithographic printers a printing process which lowers their overall operating and unit costs, but the options now available to designers are unlimited, as 3D images can be achieved directly on the litho press. Consumers will certainly see more 3D printing on carton packaging, cards, book covers and other printed materials over the coming months and this market looks set to boom over the next 18 months.

‘Both OnePass technology and Foiltone have been developed using over a century of experience in the printing industry. The demand for our OFT OnePass technology has been extremely positive and our business has gone from strength to strength. This is reflected not only by our recent recruitment of Roger Preston as MD, but also with a move to larger premises at Walton Summit, Preston, enabling us to increase our unit production for the retrofit printing market.’