Foiling has become one of the best decorative methods for a number of products. It has made a massive impact in many areas, particularly packaging for things like cosmetics. However, it can be a challenging process and several things can go wrong. We want to look at the four major challenges today and how to solve them. Then, if you want reliable foiling services from one of the UK’s best, you can come to us.
Backside transfer
One of the most problematic issues is adhesive penetrating through the foil. What you want with foils is for the adhesives to remain on the frontside, ensuring it forms a strong bond with the substrate. You don’t want them coming through to the backside because it can cause mess and ruin the look. However, it can happen. Typically you see if because it is forced through tiny pinholes in the foil.
There are a few solutions here. One of them is to select thicker foils. They tend to have fewer pinholes because of the thickness. Another solution is to use more viscous adhesives; the viscosity means it is less likely to get forced through any pinholes.
White spots
Whatever decorative method it is, people don’t want to see any kind of blemishes or flaws. Sadly though, they can easily happen. Something you can see with foiling is the formation of white spots. It happens because viscous adhesives can result in unevenness in ink distribution.
Once again there are a few different things you can try to solve the problem. Firstly, is to choose ink with finer particles to ensure a more even distribution with more viscous adhesives. Plus, you can try adjusting the machine speed. Finally, you can ensure you optimise the temperature settings to suit the type of rolls and adhesive properties.
Roll slippage
A major challenge with foiling services and lamination is accuracy. While the goal is to ensure they are as accurate as possible, there can be some degree of wandering. It can be especially bad because of roll slippage.
What you need to do here is carefully control the application rate of adhesives. It can help to slow it down as you slow equipment. You also need to ensure you maintain an appropriate level of roll tension. You may need to adjust the pressure of the roll too.
Soft wrinkles
Finally, you may notice wrinkles develop. It is most common at joint areas and near the core. The wrinkling can ruin the aesthetics and may even lead to more serious issues in the future such as peeling.
Typically wrinkles happen because of problems with the equipment. To resolve the issue you should use high quality cores and rollers. Plus, ensure there isn’t excessive vibration. Controlling the winding tension and taper is vital too.
Do you want the most reliable foiling services?
As you can see above, there are solutions to all of the major challenges with foiling. One of the best things you can do though is leave it to the experts. If you work with us, we can do it for you. We’ll use our expertise and quality equipment to deliver the highest standards. It will make sure your products look fantastic.
So, if you want to trust a UK expert with your foiling services, speak to us. We can cater for a massive array of applications.