01
UV Adhesive Print
A flexo or rotogravure unit lays a UV-curable adhesive in the exact shape of the artwork. Image fidelity down to 50 µm is preserved at full press speed.
TechnologyHow cold foil
How cold foil
stamping works.
Inline UV-cured metallic decoration at 300 m/min. No heated dies, no offline pass, no compromise on detail. Explore the chemistry, the press integration and the engineering data behind every roll of CFS foil.
- Speed
- 273m/min
- Detail
- 45µm
- VOC
- 0g/L
Process
Three inline steps. One pass through the press.
Cold foil stamping happens in line with conventional flexo or offset printing — no offline finishing, no second machine, no cooling time.
02
Foil Transfer & Cure
The metallized PET web is nipped against the wet adhesive. UV LED lamps cure instantly, locking the metal layer onto the substrate while the carrier rewinds clean.
03
Inline Overprint
Subsequent CMYK or special-color stations print directly over the foil — enabling tints, gradients and brand color overlays without a second pass.
Construction
Six engineered layers, thinner than a human hair.
Hover or tap any layer of the foil construction to inspect its thickness, function and material chemistry.
Compared
Cold foil vs hot stamping vs digital metallic.
A side-by-side look at the three dominant metallic decoration processes — measured on the metrics that matter to print buyers, packaging engineers and brand owners.
| Parameter | Cold foil | Hot stamping | Digital metallic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process speed | Up to 300 m/min | 60–120 m/min | 20–40 m/min |
| Tooling required | Photopolymer plate | Engraved metal die | None (digital plate) |
| Tooling lead time | Hours | Days to weeks | Minutes |
| Energy consumption | Low (UV LED) | High (heated dies) | Medium |
| VOC emissions | 0 g/L | 0 g/L | Variable |
| Min. line width | 50 µm | 80 µm | 120 µm |
| Overprintable | Yes | No | Yes |
| Heat-sensitive substrates | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cost per m² (long runs) | Low | Medium | High |
| Recyclable carrier program | Yes | No | No |
Engineering
Per-product specsPress-ready specifications.
Press speed
Up to 300 m/min
Validated on Gallus, Bobst M5, MPS EF Symjet and Nilpeter FA narrow-web platforms.
UV cure energy
80–150 mJ/cm²
UV LED 385/395 nm. Compatible with mercury arc lamps for legacy lines.
Foil thickness
12 µm carrier
Aluminium metallization 35–50 nm with engineered release for clean separation.
Min. detail
50 µm lines
Crisp micro-typography and security-grade hairlines without breakup.
Working temperature
18–28 °C
Stable transfer across pressroom seasonality. Humidity tolerant 40–65% RH.
Adhesion
≥ 4B (ASTM D3359)
Passes tape pull, scuff, and alkali wash for returnable beverage labels.
Adhesive viscosity
150–250 mPa·s
Tunable to anilox volume; works with 2.5–6.0 BCM rolls.
Substrates
Paper, board, PE, PP, PET
Coated and uncoated stocks, 60–450 gsm. Metallized boards on request.
SustainabilityCold chemistry,
Cold chemistry,
cleaner pressroom.
No solvents. No heated dies. No offline finishing pass. Cold foil stamping is the lowest-impact path to mirror metallic decoration on modern packaging.
- Zero VOC, solvent-free formulation
- Up to 45% lower energy vs hot stamping
- PET carrier collected for recycling
- FSC and REACH compliant supply chain
Built for high-volume packaging programs.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Engineering and procurement questions we hear most often from converters and brand owners evaluating cold foil stamping.
Ask our technical teamCold foil stamping is an inline decoration process that transfers a metallic layer onto a substrate using a UV-curable adhesive instead of heat and a metal die. The adhesive is printed in the artwork shape, the foil is laminated against it, UV light cures the bond instantly, and the carrier film rewinds — all at full press speed.
Specify cold foil stamping on your next program.
Request samples, technical datasheets or a press validation visit with our engineering team.