Answer: Foils only!
Interestingly enough, the finishing industry is currently in the process of rebranding foil as “metallic embellishments” or “metallic decorations.”
In part this term (including hot foil stamping, cold foil transfer, etc.) is to avoid the mistaken belief that “foil” is unsustainable. (PRO members, see PRO Tip below.)
As a designer, do you find the term “metallic embellishments” more helpful than “foil,” or merely more confusing?
👉 Please let us know in the comments below.
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More confusing. Designers should be educated about foil’s sustainability. Renaming it would involve educating people on what the new name means and it solves nothing. Only adds to the confusion.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, Marlene!
Far more confusing. It feels like a general term that could include any sort of metallic treatment like ink or a glitter coating. I also agree with Marlene on the education around the sustainability of foil rather than changing the term. “Metallic embellishment” does not convey sustainability any better than “foil.”
Thank you for this, Jenny! 🙂
I think that “metallic embellishments” is a good, broad, umbrella term for hot foil stamping, cold foil transfer, etc. It covers both digital and traditional methods.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, Cindy! 🙂
This isn’t such a big issue. What’s more of a problem is the word “Printer.” Reading industry articles I never know what meaning the author is indicating. Is it a printing press, an inkjet or some other device, or a service provider? The word is too interchangeable and authors never make it clear what they are writing about.
Our language can be a bit of a minefield, Jeff, certainly – a very good point. A lot of it relies on the context – what the publication is, who its target audience is, etc. It doesn’t help that the technology moves faster than our language. What, for instance, do we call a digital “press” like the HP Indigo when it doesn’t really “press” anything? (Some equipment makers have run into this particular problem.) It’s also a question of elegance. “Print service provider,” for example, is a mouthful. And when you call it simply “PSP,” many aren’t sure what that means. We try to find a balance between all of these things.
I feel like the term “metallic embellishments” is too generic, especially since the term embellishment refers to the action of adding detail; a decorative detail or feature added to something to make it more attractive.
Just in the definition of the two words together implies that any metallic application, be it foil or ink (or other), is considered an embellishment.
I agree with Marlene in that graphic designers need to be educated in finishing options and process to help their clients determine the best output and outcome of a designed piece.
Thank you for your thoughtful response, Jennifer. Your explanation makes perfect sense. To your last point, “education” is another great reason for designers to talk to their print service providers before they even begin a project.