Foil Stamping in the graphic arts for paper and card occasionally uses pigment foils. Here I will refer to white
Normally white is achieved when images are reversed out of a solid colour printed onto a white base stock. If the stock is a dark colour then white images may be achieved using a white foil
White foil comes in a few different qualities based on different release factors and gloss or matt finishes.
For strong whites, heavy coatings are needed to make the white appear dense. Some whites have a lighter coating to give a sharper image but may be influenced by the underlying base stock making the white appear less white.
With a heavy coating it is difficult to control the fine and thick images with small letters for example filling in because more pressure and temperature is needed for the wider coverage.
Some whites have a gloss finish leaving a very attractive reflective surface when it catches the light. This is difficult to lay down over a large solid coverage but is ideal for small images and text.
Pigment foils on uncoated stock do not always achieve images as sharp as litho but with the right foil and image combination the results are striking.
