Color Foils | Heat transfer foil Tips & Tricks

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HOW ABOUT "SUPER-HIGH" GLOSS

Color prints from either a color laser printer or color coper generally print as flat, dull colors (with a few printer exceptions). We have two foils that are pretty trick. One, the "OverCoat" foil will convert your color toner image into a super-high gloss. If you pickup some inexpensive "Chrome Coat" 10pt stock (or similar heavy, super-glossy paper) at any offset printing house for cheap - don't waste money at retail store for the same thing). Now, if you print on that, it will look pretty stupid because of pure white high-gloss paper with a dull looking color print... that is, until you cover the image with the "OverCoat" foil, transfer and peel it off. It will look every bit like a REAL photograph. AMAZING GLOSS!

Another similar but unique trick is to be able to get a PARTIAL gloss on any paper to get a really cool special effect. All you do is place a piece of regular "Mylar" film over the color toner print and run through the laminator. (The "Mylar" is included in both the "TRF Sampler Pack" and the "CarrierBoard" pack and available separately at our store called "Mylar Carrier TRF #1201). When you peel off the foil, you will get a very high gloss over the image... but it's not permanent like that of the "OverCoat" foil.

So why do this? Simple... this glossing effect can be easily removed by rubbing lightly over the glossy areas with a pencil erasure, giving you an interesting artistic ability to direct someone's eye over the color. This can also be done to B&W prints. The erasure won't damage the print. Try this on this M&M's image above and remove all the gloss except for one of the colors. It makes that color pop! It's a really neat trick when you want to emphasize a part of a print by flattening other areas.

EXCESS FOIL OVER YOUR IMAGE

Sometimes, with some foils, on some types of papers, you may find that after the transfer and peel-off, there is residual foil where there isn't any toner image. If this happens, it's due to simple "surface tension". It will lift off VERY easily you only want to use VERY low-tack tape.

We recommend the 3M Post-It brand "Cover-Up" tape over standard 3M "Temporary", mainly because the Post-It is available in 1" width, but the Removable is cheaper... so either one is good have around. Regular tape is going to be too strong and could easily damage delicate specialty papers.

PURE WHITE GRAPHICS

The "WhiteTRF" foil covers black toner to about 96% which means there is a very slight "off-white" but glossy effect. The human eye doesn't notice this very slight offset IF there is no "pure white reference" nearby. So for most all applications, the 96% white is seen as pure white... all day long. Looking at this white foil over the black toner image on the bag, your brain says that's pure white because there is no painted or otherwise pure-white reference. Now, put a reference next to it (see the Budweiser pics) and your eye can definitely see the difference. What we've done here is to apply a second white foil over the first. White is the one foil that you can make stick to itself. Since the base-white it's 96% white to start with, the second white is effectively "pure" white.

Since it's a bit of a hassle to do, look first to see how ONE white foil looks on your project. If you want a pure white "double-white"... here's how to do it:

1) PRINT the graphic and apply the WhiteTRF as per usual.

2) REMOVE EXCESS WHITE FOIL by laying down strips of light-duty tape recommended, slightly overlapping each strip.

3) WIPE DOWN WITH DENATURED ALCOHOL on a wet paper towel, then with a clean dry towel, buff up the surface of the graphic.

4) COVER WITH WHITE & APPLY like before EXCEPT do not use the Carrier Board this time. The image requires maximum heat from both top and bottom this time to get the second white foil to transfer properly to the first white layer. When it exits allow it to cool and then carefully peel back over itself and discard.

5) Optionally, you can get an even higher "Super-Gloss" white image by adding the OverCoatTRF. This is the other foil that will transfer over the WhiteTRF. (White and Overcoat are the only two foils that can be transfered to other foils). Clean with alcohol again and cover the graphic in the usual way with a piece of OverCoatTRF

PRINT "STRAIGHT-THROUGH"

Very heavy weight papers don't work well for the normal paper path of laser printers. Key to getting good prints without the paper jamming in the printer is to open the rear door of your printer.

Got a great Tip or Trick to share? Score yourself $20 worth of free foils of your choosing (and we pay shipping too!)

The "WhiteTRF" foil covers black toner to about 96% which means there is a very slight "off-white" but glossy effect. The human eye doesn't notice this very slight offset IF there is no "pure white reference" nearby. So for most all applications, the 96% white is seen as pure white... all day long. Looking at this white foil over the black toner image on the bag, your brain says that's pure white because there is no painted or otherwise pure-white reference. Now, put a reference next to it (see the Budweiser pics) and your eye can definitely see the difference. What we've done here is to apply a second white foil over the first. White is the one foil that you can make stick to itself. Since the base-white it's 96% white to start with, the second white is effectively "pure" white.

Since it's a bit of a hassle to do, look first to see how ONE white foil looks on your project. If you want a pure white "double-white"... here's how to do it: