You want shelf “pop,” but time and the budget are considerations, too. As more marketers are turning to foil packaging or packaging accents, and each of these three issues presents a challenge.

Jeff Petersen, Executive Director of the Foil Stamping & Embossing Association, provides the following steps for achieving the best results when foil is part of the design equation for your package.

1. Foil stamping and embossing, or foil board? Foil board may meet your needs on very long package runs where full coverage of foil is required and longer lead-time is acceptable. Hot stamping may be the better option for short- to medium-sized runs requiring moderate to light coverage. Hot-stamping offers a larger range of colors and patterns.

2. Keep costs down. Consider rotary hot-stamping for small- to medium-sized cartons, for lightweight carton stock, and for medium to large runs. Overprinting may be a desirable choice for achieving multiple color effects rather than the potentially more expensive route of using multiple passes of foil. If you know how your product will be stocked on the shelf, consider limiting foil to the front panel of the package. Foil and emboss in one combination pass, if the desired result is a foil and embossed look. There is a trend toward embossing and die-cutting in one pass.

3. Consider the design impact on foil. Large solids and fine lines provide the best impact. Ink selection can affect the results. For example, use wax-free inks if stamping over ink on the package, or the stamp may not stay in place. UV coatings and film laminates are difficult to stamp over. Do the foil stamping first, then lay the coating atop the stamp.