Whether you're a beginner or aiming to enhance your skills, rest assured that we provide a comprehensive array of invaluable tips and techniques for mastering foil writing. Take the plunge and unlock the secrets to taking your foil writing prowess to an expert level!
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STEPS TO FOLLOW:
Draft before you write: You CAN’T see what you are writing. As the words are covered by the foil. Therefore, you should always DRAFT on the foil unless you are super confident with your hand writing.
Choose the Right Foil: Use heat-activated foils designed for hot foiling on both paper and leather.
Temperature Control: Ensure your hot foil machine or foiling tool is set to the correct temperature for the material you are using (paper or leather). - Paper: Paper is more sensitive to heat compared to leather. When hot foiling on paper, it's essential to use lower temperatures to prevent scorching or burning the paper. Typically, temperatures for paper range between 200-250°F (93-121°C) depending on the thickness and type of paper. Leather: Leather can withstand higher temperatures compared to paper. When hot foiling on leather, you may need to set your machine or tool to a higher temperature range, usually between 250-300°F (121-149°C) to ensure proper adhesion of the foil.
Pressure and Dwell Time: Paper: Paper requires less pressure and shorter dwell times compared to leather. Use light to moderate pressure when hot foiling on paper to avoid damaging the paper fibers. Dwell times for paper are usually shorter, ranging from 1-5 seconds depending on the machine and foil used. - Leather: Leather requires more pressure and longer dwell times for the foil to properly adhere. Apply firm pressure when hot foiling on leather to ensure the foil transfers effectively. Dwell times for leather are typically longer, ranging from 5-10 seconds to allow the foil to bond with the leather surface effectively.
NEVER try to rewrite the words. This will damage the adhesion and wipe off the foil from the material.
By adjusting these factors based on the material you are working with, you can achieve the best results when hot foiling on paper and leather. It's important to experiment and test to find the optimal settings for each material to achieve the desired outcome.
Join our one-of-a-kind Heat Foiling Workshop tailored for students who have basic knowledge of calligraphy and would like to level up your skills on different medium!
Please follow me on Instagram at @marielaicalligraphy and tag me if you try foiling—I’d love to see your work! Also, take a moment to explore openwatercreative.com for a wealth of fantastic resources.
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