Hot stamping is one of the types of stamping services. As a process, it is defined as the method of transferring an engraved image to a particular surface. The hot stamping process can create a wide array of images from different materials. Metal dies from copper, brass, hardened steel or magnesium is the first technique. Heating is an essential part of the process because it makes the transfer possible. With the aid of a stamping die, the image is heated before it is transferred to what is called a marking foil. The marking foil on the other hand, leaves the ink on the surface where the image is being transferred.
The process of hot stamping is simple. Firstly, the die in your hot printing machine must be mounted and heated. Then, the foil is positioned above the material will be imprinted. When it’s all set, the combination of heat, dwell time, pressure and stripping time will control the quality of the stamp. So, how do you know that your stamping work is not failed? Generally, a successful hot stamping job is directly related to the quality of the original artwork. With a high quality original artwork, your imprint reproduction will result in a better way. Here’s a tip for successful hot stamping, that is, threefold. The first fold is creating a fixture to support the part under the decorating area. The second one provides the exact position for repeatability of the graphic location. And the last fold must allow the operator to easily load and unload the part from the fixture.
As for the material of the hot stamping, there are mainly two types of it, which are, the metallic and the pigment foil construction. The former type has a metal-like sheen and gives a shiny look to the foil stamped design. The foil paper is available for metal like gold, silver, bronze or cooper. The pigment foil construction, however, does not have a metallic look but has high glossy finish. Comparing all these materials for metal dies, magnesium is said to be the least expensive but also the least in terms of durability. Hardened steel is the most expensive but is favored because of its extreme durability. Silicone rubber dies are also used in the hot stamping process. This material is further subcategorized according to hardness. They are simply favorable with images that are not flat however they are not as firm as the metal dies.