What is Hot Foil Blocking?

You’ve heard of foil, and you know the various definitions for the word ‘blocking,’ but have you ever heard of foil blocking? It’s one of those phrases that make you scratch your head and squint at the screen, right?

Hot Foil Blocking? Definition –

For those not in regular, close contact with glass perfume bottles, the term itself may throw you a loop. So what is foil blocking, anyway? It’s pressing foil to glass bottles to achieve an excellent foil design.

There are hot and cold foil blocking; hot foil blocking uses heat to transfer the design to the bottle, while cold foil blocking does not. Here we focus on the former and delving into its design process and its uses.

What is the Hot Foil Blocking Process?

Remember those temporary tattoos you would occasionally find in cereal boxes? Hot foil blocking is a little like that, except it uses glass, not skin, and very high temperatures instead of a wet washcloth.

You can do hot foil blocking three ways: flat-flat, flat-round, and round-round. The flat-flat method is very sandwich-like; you’re pressing two flat surfaces to push the image onto the surface, and it is quite easy to both use and troubleshoots. The flat-round method uses a flat surface and a rolling pin-type mechanism to “roll” the image onto the surface.

Hot foil blocking method is suitable for small orders and limited edition bottles. The round-round process uses two rolling pins pressed together, thereby stamping on the hot foil in a printing press-like style. This production method is rapid and suitable for applying fine details to be printed.

History of Hot Foil Blocking

It’s a new business, this hot foil blocking. Where did it come from? Foiling has been around since medieval times and was quite popular in religious texts throughout Eurasia and the Middle East. The final, one-of-a-kind products were often embossed to smooth over the foil and give it a raised texture.

Understandably, these texts were for the elite only, as they were obscenely expensive. However, these gold foil blockings then came into mass production along with the rest of the world during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. As printing presses became increasingly common in cities, mass-produced ornateness was suddenly in demand.

Of course, most, if not all, gold foil blocking you see nowadays is both mass-produced and not made with real gold. It has become a simple, luxurious touch for a very reasonable price, and it is for these reasons that people choose to use it on their business cards, stationery, and any other office supplies to provide a touch of finesse.

Who Provides Hot Foil Blocking?

Foil blocking is available in a wide range of colours and effects including gloss, matte, pearl, and holographic foils. Lifestyle Packaging provide hot foil blocking for glass bottles and jars.