To emboss or not to emboss: Firm creates hologram foil with two to three images and a bubble die with 3D mirror effect when printed with foil

The Denmark company specialises in the production of high-quality foiling and embossing dies and over the last few years has been developing products and techniques.

3D mirror effect on a flat surface

It recently developed Espialle, a cheaper alternative to hologram foil that can include two or three images in the die as well as a bubble die, that when printed with foil, gives a 3D mirror effect on a flat surface.

“We understand the marketing power of our finishes and know they trigger an emotional response with the consumer, resulting in better sales,” Connie Dreyer, CEO, Dreyer Kliche told Iggesund Paperboard Inspire magazine​.

“We’re optimising packaging potential at the point of purchase, and is where the focus needs to be. Customers who understand this are looking to companies like ours and asking for more, which this a fascinating field to be in with huge potential for innovation​.”

According to Dreyer, when Colgate toothpaste added a holographic foil to one product pack in their range, consumers thought the product was the flagship one, even when it wasn’t.

The firm’s customers are mainly print houses and finishing companies and it supplies them with bespoke dies and hotfoils from its business partner Foilco to complete their print orders.

“They might come to me with a layout and ideas for foils, embossing techniques and varnishes and we’ll discuss which foils to use and how we can create a die to suit the material they want​,” she said.

Magnesium flat foil dies

“After that, they’ll send us a Pdf file and from that, we’ll create the die in either magnesium or brass which they mount on their own embossing machine​.”

Magnesium flat foil dies are ideal for short-to-medium run foiling. An average printing house could achieve up to 25,000 to 50,000 prints depending on how the printer treats the die and the material to be printed onto.

“We generate a negative film from the customer’s Pdf image. This is exposed onto the magnesium plate, which is then placed in an acid etching bath. The resulting image stands up on the die, to a height of normally between 1.5mm and 2mm​.”

Brass flat foil dies are more expensive and are generally used for medium-to-high volume, up to 250,000 to 500,000 prints. These are machined using carbide tools in a computer numerical control (CNC) machine.

“We also produce embossing dies that raise the image out of the paperboard and debossing dies that push the relief inwards​,” added Dreyer.

“Our multi-level embossing dies are produced using three-axis machining. Each die is made to our customer’s requirements and depends on a range of issues such as board thickness and surface​.”

The die takes up to three days to produce, depending on the complexity.