Book Description

"Finishing processes in the print industry have progressed during the past few years -- specifically in the area of creative print finishing techniques -- according to the research gathered. Foil stamping and embossing are finishing techniques used on a variety of media, such as foil board, in many sectors of the print industry. They are not only viewed as a decorative element, but also as a measure of prestige and branding. The purpose of this research was to determine the usage of foil stamping and embossing in the print industry; specifically, its primary application, whether it is used for aesthetics or function and if so, will it continue to be used this way in the future. To gather this information a survey was conducted. The survey was used as a method of gathering information in the following areas: 1) how printing and/or finishing companies use foil stamping and embossing, 2) the reasons for its usage and 3) whether or not it will continue to be used as a creative print finishing technique in the future. The survey was sent out via email to the Foil Stamping and Embossing Association consisting of approximately 130 people. From the original pool, 34 responded to the survey, which is a 26 percent response rate. From the analysis of the data, several key findings were established. 1) The highest response, the aesthetic value, is far greater than the functional value of foil stamped and embossed products. The results determined that almost 60 percent of the respondents believe that the aesthetic value is an important reason for using foil stamping and embossing. 2) The results show that over 50 percent of the respondents believe that brand identification on products is an important reason for using foil stamping and embossing. 3) the results determine that 70 percent of the respondents believe that the differentiation of products is an important reason for using foil stamping and embossing. 4) The overwhelming majority of the respondents (67 percent) believe that the usage of foil stamping and embossing will increase in years to come. In summary, foil stamping and embossing is widely used as an aesthetic application, primarily on folding cartons and presentation materials. In the future, the usage of foil stamping and embossing is predicted to increase. This research was conducted to determine an overview of the utilization of foil stamping and embossing. An agenda for future research includes a more in depth look into each objective -- aesthetics and function. A future trend that needs to be explored is the usage of holograms in the print and finishing industry. Many questions arise as to whether or not holograms will become more of a prominent feature in the print and finishing industry, replacing the use of foil stamping and embossing"--Abstract.