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Foiling Troubleshooting Tips

December 2, 2022 by Mallory Morsa

Foil fusing is a fantastic technique to transform regular printed pages into magnificent metallic prints without the need for specialized foiling equipment. Just your dry toner print, a foil roll in the color of your choice, a pouch laminator, and a shielding material called a pouch carrier are required. Here in our resource center, you can find various foil resources, such as guidelines, how-tos, FAQs, and more. You may purchase foil by clicking here.

But let’s get to the main purpose of this piece, which is to troubleshoot your foil lamination. Foiling is enjoyable and simple, however there are occasionally problems that arise. You should be able to solve most, if not all, of the foiling issues you might encounter with the help of this troubleshooting guide.

Foil Not Transferring:

To solve the issue if the foil isn’t transferring, there are a number of possible solutions you can try, all of which are fairly straightforward.

Is the toner in your ink dry? Keep in mind that dry toner is the only thing that will make foil stick, so if you aren’t using the suitable ink, the foil won’t transfer. To determine whether it uses dry toner, check your printer and the cartridge. If not, you might be able to order your prints there, pick them up, and foil them when you get home or to the workplace. Most print and copy businesses offer these machines.
Is the stock of your paper smooth? Remember that textured paper stocks will not transfer foil; the paper must be smooth for the foil to adhere correctly. The foil doesn’t become solid in the creases because of the texture.
Do you have uncoated paper? On coated paper stocks (often written as C1S or C2S on your box of paper), foil will not transfer well because the coating stops the ink from getting the foil to connect correctly.
Is the laminator hot enough? Your laminator should be heated to a minimum of 300° F. However, hotter is preferable. Various foils, such as holographic and translucent foils, as well as some paper stocks, such as larger sheets, will require more heat to transfer well. If the foil laminator is already operating at maximum heat, consider reducing the speed. If your heating or cooling system isn’t adjustable, try simply running it once more. You might need to use fresh foil because it can only be heated a few times before the foil becomes useless. You shouldn’t peel the foil and then run it again because it might not stick after being peeled up. The impression of your design in the foil is usually visible when a transfer has been done successfully just by looking at the sheet.

Foil Transferring onto Pages Without Ink:

Are you using a hot foil laminator? Your laminator can be too hot if you have brushed your paper and the speckles have not been erased (or too slow). To test if the speckles disappear, try reducing the temperature or speeding up the process while running a fresh sheet.
Tool Tip: Since some speckling on the page is natural, it is a good idea to keep a paint or cleaning brush on available to lightly dust the page after foiling. This will assist in removing such flecks.
Tracking Dots: Every sheet of color-printed paper has tiny, invisible-to-the-human-eye yellow tracking dots printed on them. These readable dots can be used to determine the printer’s location, date, and purchaser. This is done so that if someone threatens someone in a printed letter, they can trace the message back to that person. You will be able to see the tracking dots if you print something in color using a loop. Although not all, the majority of printers now have tracking dots. Additionally, Google “tacky dots” and “printers.” When printing in deep black, these dots have no effect on the foil fusing procedure. Therefore, if you purchase a printer that prints tracking dots and you need to print rich black, you must omit the yellow else the sheet will end up covered with tiny foiled specks after going through the foil fuser.

Foiling Tips, Tricks, and Hacks:

Techniques for foiling with thermal toner that will produce the greatest results every time.

Foil on your Pouch Carrier: Always lay a thin scrap of paper on top of your design before foiling to stop any foil from transferring to your pouch carrier folder page. If your foil “bleeds” over the edge of your print, you should always place a scrap of paper behind it. The intention is to keep the carrier and foil from making touch. It is a good idea to have additional foil carriers on available for mistakes like this because foil can transfer onto your carrier otherwise. They are fortunately quite affordable.
Choosing the Best Ink: Solid black ink works well for grabbing solid foils. It can give the most saturated foil finish since it is the most saturated “color.” Additionally, since you won’t be able to see the ink underneath, using a different color wouldn’t matter. Only if you are using a transparent underlay foil, like our holographic foil, would you want to use colored ink instead (which comes in either a silver or transparent underlay). This would allow the ink color beneath the foil pattern to be seen, enhancing it. Your laminator will require more heat when using foils other than black and when utilizing more specialized foils, like translucent or holographic. Also, keep in mind that for this heat transfer foiling to function, your printer must use dry toner ink.

Ready to Get Started?

Check out the vast selection of thermal reactive toner foil we provide, which includes hundreds of choices like iridescent patterns, holographic patterns, sparkly foil, metallic and matte colors, and more. Additionally, we provide formal foil fusing machines for bigger volumes, a number of high-quality pouch laminators that have been tested and approved for foiling, as well as foil roll cutters to reduce the width of your rolls.

Lamination and Laminators Troubleshooting Guide

November 15, 2022 by Mallory Morsa

Laminating is a combination of art and science. Here are some pointers to help you use your roll laminator to produce the highest quality laminations. MyBinding provides a wide selection of hot and cold laminators.

Making Heat Settings Modifications:

When first starting off, it is important to stick to the laminator’s recommended heat settings. Nevertheless, depending on the film you’re using and the materials you’re laminating, those settings could need to be changed. Here are the fundamental principles and theories guiding the proper heat settings.

When the laminate comes out of the laminator, it will be transparent but wavy if there is too much heat present. This is because there wasn’t enough time for the film to cool in between two pairs of rollers. The laminator’s temperature needs to be lowered as a fix. To give the laminator a chance to cool, you must wait before running more material.
Your document will become silvery or cloudy if you don’t have enough heat if the heat is applied unevenly. If this occurs, you will have to raise the heat’s temperature in order to “wet out” the glue. After a lengthy laminating session, you might also need to give your laminator adequate time to regain heat because the rollers’ temperature will decline as heat is transferred to your documents. The kind of printing techniques being used could be another factor contributing to silvering. For instance, the ink and toner used in inkjet and color copier output contain additives that call for specifically made films.

Secondly, ensure that you have the correct thermal laminating film for your hot laminator.

Making Speed Modifications:

Your laminating machine may be a single-speed or a variable-speed machine, depending on what it is. Only laminators with adjustable speed settings should be used, according to these remarks. The quantity of heat that is delivered onto the film can be directly influenced by changing the laminator’s speed setting.

When the laminate comes out of the laminator clear yet waved, this indicates that the film has absorbed too much heat. The film will spend less time on the heaters when the laminator’s speed is increased, minimizing the amount of heat it absorbs.
By slowing down, you extend the time the film spends on the heaters, which increases the amount of heat the film absorbs if your document has silvering or cloudiness.

This example demonstrates how temperature and speed work together harmoniously. Finally, to select the ideal setting for the kind of paper you are laminating, you must strike a balance between heat and speed.

Making Tension Adjustments:

How tightly the laminate is stretched when it exits the laminator depends on the tension setting. You want your movie to have as little stress as possible.

The goal is to impart just the right amount of tension to the film just before it hits the nip rollers, the first set of rollers, to smooth out any creases. If the wrinkle disappears before it reaches the nip where the two rolls of film come together, a small amount of wrinkling at the top of the roller or heat shoe is OK.

Remove all the tension from the film mandrels before adding your film.
After inserting the film into the device, gradually tighten the top and bottom rollers. If you don’t do this evenly, the film will cup or bow as it comes off the rollers.
The top or bottom rolls of film are stretched more than the opposite roll, which is what causes this. You might need to change your tension settings because when the film on the roll is utilized, the roll of the film will weigh less.

Just keep in mind that if you are running the same kind of film on both sides, the tension on both rollers should be always set at the same level.

Issues with De-Lamination:

De-lamination has grown to be a source of issues as the print industry transitions to digitally produced output. The biggest problem is with color copies or output from digital printing that contains a lot of fuser oil. If you are experiencing this issue, you might find that when your finished documents are face trimmed, the laminate will simply peel off. Consider utilizing a high-tack laminating film like Color-Bond if you are using this kind of digital output. To assure attachment to this coated output, this kind of film utilizes specialized adhesive chemistry.

In conclusion, the lamination process involves components of chemistry and physics. However, when you, as an operator, comprehend the science underlying lamination and can modify your equipment accordingly to produce the ideal output each time, then lamination becomes an art.

Foiling – Everything You Need to Know

October 24, 2022 by Mallory Morsa

Have you ever wondered how to foil print and what supplies you’ll need? I will explain everything you need to know about foiling in this extensive manual. To ensure that everyone can glitter and shine with their own foils, save it as a bookmark and use it as a reference. You can also share it with your friends on social media.

What Foil Fusing is

Standard toner-printed sheets can benefit from foil printing to get an attractive and polished appearance that isn’t possible with conventional printing methods. Foil fusing makes it simple to hot-foil foil invitations, certificates, awards, greeting cards, and more. You can produce personalized foiled papers for individual or high-production use using a variety of foiling techniques.

How does Fuse Foiling Work?

Your normal toner-printed sheets may look more attractive and professional when foiled, which is not possible with conventional printing methods. Business cards, invitations, certificates, prizes, greeting cards, and more are simple to hot foil with foil fusing. You can produce custom foiled paper for use in high production or for personal use using a variety of foiling techniques.

What types of foils are there?

Thermal/toner foil comes in a variety of hues and designs. In addition to holographic patterns with transparent or silver backings, glitter, and iridescent possibilities, solid colors are also offered in metallic, matte, or gloss pigment options. The various types of foil available right now are listed below:

Is die required to foil?

Thankfully, no. Our unique thermal-reactive foils aren’t heat-stamp foils; therefore, they don’t need a special die.

Will the foil stick to different colors of toner?

Although most foils will adhere well to any toner hue, black delivers the thickest saturation and will therefore produce the greatest results. Using colored toner is only advantageous when using a transparent holographic foil because the toner will be concealed by the foil anyhow.

What’s the price of foiling?

The actual cost of foil will vary based on several variables, including the paper stock, the printer and toner you use, the laminator or foil fuser, the type of foil, and the process (laminating or fusing). However, customers can often anticipate paying only $0.04 to $0.08 every 8-1/2″ x 11″ letter size page.

Should I get a foil roll cutter?

Your machine will have a core size restriction and might only accept a particular foil width when utilizing the foil fuser method. Therm-O-Type foil fusing machines, for instance, employ 1″. Each machine has a different tolerance for width and core foils. Foil rolls with a 1″ core, however, are only offered in 24 or 25″ roll widths. Thus, if your device requires a 12″ With a foil roll cutter, you can divide that single roll into several usable ones.

Is it possible to foil multiple colors on the same piece of paper?

Yes! By simply cutting the pieces and arranging them on the toner, you can use as many or as few colors as you like when laminating because you have complete control over where the foil is placed on your sheet. If using a foil fuser, print your first toner, run it with color number 1, then add your second toner, run it with foil number 2, and then add your foil.

Which paper works best for foiling?

A smooth, untreated sheet of paper is going to work best for foil fusing. Some very lightly textured pages might work, but real textured paper with hills and valleys won’t allow the foil to adhere correctly. Glossy coatings will resist foil and might not produce a fully foiled appearance.

Will your foils work with Minc machines?

Yes, thermal toner foils will function with almost any heat source, even the Minc machines (which are essentially little laminators). According to our experience, Minc machines are not hot enough to operate with all foils, and without a heat- or speed-adjustable feature, the finish might not always be flawless. Because of this, we advise using a foiling laminator instead.

What is the smallest print foil will stick to?

We’ve tested text with a nice foil sticking that is as small as 6 pt. Anything smaller typically lacks sufficient toner saturation to draw the foil.

Is it possible to make stickers with foil?

Yes, many of our clients create metallic stickers using our foil in combination with their sticker materials. For the best adhesion, just make sure the paper is smooth and uncoated.

How do you foil?

Okay, let’s get to the how-to now, shall we? There are two recognized ways to foil: using a pouch laminator or a foil fusing machine (for huge volumes). However, I haven’t had the chance to try that out yet so I can’t say how well it works. Some customers also get inventive and try it with irons. Let’s discuss foiling with a fusing machine and foiling with a pouch laminating machine now.

Foiling with a Foil Fusing Machine

Like a roll laminator, a foil fuser uses a heated roller to apply toner foil. But only in areas with dry toner will the foil bind. The procedure is more automated when the metallic foil is applied to documents using a Foil Fuser Machine. Instead of inputting individual cut sheets, foil fusers let the operator use whole rolls of foil. Both costs of labor and foil will be significantly reduced if large works are scheduled for use of foil fusers. They don’t need any training and are simple to use. They make it possible for novice users to quickly develop products that seem professional.

You’re going to need:

Foil fusing machine that’s compatible with Toner Receptive Foil
Photocopier or laser printer that uses toner instead of wax-based ink.
Roll of Toner Receptive Foil

Steps to Foil with a Fusing Machine

As each machine will have unique step-by-step instructions that differ, I won’t be able to offer detailed directions for foiling using a fuser. Therefore, looking at the foil fusing equipment we offer, you will notice instructions for various kinds.

You may utilize a TON of different foil colors, such as holographic designs, bling, and much more. Toner adhesion foiling can give your documents a brilliant finish! There are numerous colors and designs available for special toner adhesion foil. You can add foil to specific areas of your document or the entire thing because the glue on the foil only adheres to the dry toner in many black-and-white copy machines and laser printers. When making accents for craft projects, business cards, or letterhead, adding flair to weddings or other invites, award certificates, or anything else that would benefit from vibrant metallic colors, foiling is a very popular option.

Using a Pouch Laminator to Foil:

By cutting a piece of foil off the roll, positioning it over the appropriate area, putting the paper and foil into a laminating pouch carrier, and then running the assembly through the pouch laminator, you can also apply foil using this method. By applying foil this way, black and white toner-copied or printed papers are covered in a stunning metallic color foil.

You may now effortlessly apply foil to your special papers at home or in the office. Utilizing pouch laminators, foil can be attached to applications. From 4″ to 13″ wide, pouch laminators are available from MyBinding.com. Use the directions shown below to get started foiling at work or at home.

You’re going to need the following:

A pouch laminator with adjustable speed and heat. Must be able to handle 10 Mil Pouches and reach temperatures between 250° and 300° F.
A laser printer or copier that uses toner rather than ink made of wax (the foil will not adhere to waxed-based inks)
A roll of toner-reactive foil
Scissors
Protective lamination pouch carrier

Steps to Laminate Foil

Get your laminator ready. Foil fusing requires a high temperature (often between 250° and 300° F). Since the foil can vary slightly depending on the type of paper you use, the laminator itself, and the foil, it is a good idea to have enough material to make test runs and alter the settings until you find the ideal foil.

Start preparing your documents for foiling while your laminator reaches the temperature range.

Print what you’re going to foil.

Cut the amount of foil you need from the roll.

You can add foil to any printed area by placing a piece of foil over it and then carefully placing the object into a laminating bag carrier. You must be very careful not to let the foil slide at this stage or the foiling won’t stick.

When your laminator is ready, take the pouch carrier with the paper and foil inside and feed it into the laminator. The foil will bind to the ink on your sheet when heated by the pouch laminator, transferring the foil.

You need to cut away any extra foil when the paper exits the other side of your laminator and let it cool.

MyBinding.com Features Guardian Laminators

March 12, 2013 by Jeff McRitchie

MyBinding.com recently started carrying the sturdy, easy-to-use Guardian laminators. With a maximum project width of 65 inches, these laminators are ideal for wide format printers and production outfits with additional finishing, laminating, and mounting needs. Offered in two versions, Cold and Heat Assist, these wide format laminators boast an all-steel construction that’s guaranteed to provide you long-lasting, high quality performance.

In addition to their quality build and user-friendliness, the Guardian laminators are also easily equipped with additional accessories for added project flexibility. For instance, add an extra mandrel for increased efficiency or a professional take-up system for improved workflow and limited project supervision.

Here’s a quick glance at the Guardian Laminators’ great features:

All steel component construction
Forward/reverse functionality
Upper and lower idler bars
Variable speed (up to 23 ft/min)
65’” Laminating width
Lower mandrel with double ended tension brake
Adjustable pressure settings
Easy loading drop-in supply shafts
Removable feed table
Crowned high-quality silicone rollers
One (1) year parts warranty
Optional take-up system
Optional media mandrel kit

Branded with the slogan, “easy to use, built to last,” these Guardian laminators really do live up to the hype. Visit our web site for more information about Guardian laminators. You can even watch a video to see them in action!

MyBinding.com Features New Royal Sovereign Laminator RSH-380SL

March 7, 2013 by Jeff McRitchie

Royal Sovereign recently released a new thermal roll laminator, and MyBinding.com is proud to feature it on our web site. And we’re so confident this laminator will be a popular choice among industry professionals that we’re selling it for hundreds less than its retail value!

This innovative RSH-380SL 15 Inch Roll Laminator features a de-curler designed for producing exceptional quality single-sided lamination projects. Here are some of the 380SL’s other great features:

–Laminate projects up to 15 inches wide and 1/4″ thick
–Digitally control 9 different speeds for optimum quality, up to nearly 15 feet per minute
–Utilize large rolls with diameters up to 7.9″
–Digitally control temperature up to 320°F/150°C

And there’s still more! If you’re in need of an affordable single-sided laminator that will produce quality results every time, hurry and check out the new Royal Sovereign RSH-380SL 15″ Laminator with De-Curler today!

“Designed with high quality dual heated silicone rollers, digital controls, and multiple speed settings. The RSH-380SL laminator fits perfectly in small working areas and will give a professional finish to all of your printed documents. Fast running speeds of up to 14.8’ (5m/min) per minute for quick completion of various lamination projects. Designed for laminating and mounting up to 1/4” (6mm), including individual or multiple copies of book covers, menus, report and presentation covers, promotional graphics and product sheets and much more.”

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