The Power of Foil Printing for the Holiday Season

Sparkling snow. Shining ornaments. Glowing lights. Glittery gifts. There’s a lot of sparkle baked into the winter holidays, and evoking that sparkle can help seasonal printed materials resonate more deeply with clients, customers, investors and more. And no aspect of print design shines brighter in this regard than metallic foil.

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at why exactly foil has become so synonymous with the winter holidays. Then, we’ll break down some of its most popular applications, helping you design your branded materials to get the most out of this attractive and luxurious finish.

Why Foil Feels So Festive

The emotional impact of foil is something we’ve discussed before, and its impact is cranked up to eleven during the holidays. This is because, in addition to the natural sense of excitement and rarity metallic shine imparts, it also directly evokes many beloved images of the holidays. Think brass candlesticks, jingle bells, glass ornaments, and string of lights reflecting on freshly fallen snow. There’s so much warmth, nostalgia, and celebration packed into this imagery. And, with just a bit of foil, print materials can tap into this ‘psychology of shimmer’ and borrow a bit of seasonal goodwill for your brand.

Foil Printing in Holiday Packaging

Using foil to decorate cartons, custom sleeves, mailer boxes, etc. helps increase both the excitement of unboxing and the perceived value of what’s inside, especially with classic metallic shades like gold and silver. To lean even further into the theme of holiday luxury and craftsmanship, you can even pair your packaging’s foil details with embossing or soft touch.

Holiday Cards & Stationery with Foil Accents

Foil accents on holiday cards, thank you notes, and stationary gifts can help these materials feel more valuable and elegant without pushing up the holiday gift budget too high. The prestige of gold metallic foil can be particularly impactful, communicating both your investment in and gratitude for your relationship with the recipient. Just make sure to keep it tasteful. While an all-over foil treatment can absolutely be exciting and sumptuous, it may also put you over budget without significantly increasing the impact your print materials have.

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Foil on Marketing Collateral

For much of the year, using foil for your average marketing prints like a flyer, brochure, menu, or package insert might be considered a bit extravagant, depending on your brand and your campaign goals. However, when it comes to the winter holidays , there’s really no reason to hold back. No matter what you're promoting, adding foil during this season will read well and help connect your print campaign to the excitement of the moment. To get the most out of this effect, just make sure your foil is thoughtfully placed - headlines, call outs, and central design elements are all good candidates for foil, as their prominence helps ensure your materials get maximum exposure.

Creative Ideas for Custom Foil Gifts

The holidays are a classic time to give little gifts and bonus items to the people important to your business, and foil helps these gifts feel more valuable and meaningful. From the tags and packaging that surround a gift, to end-of-year awards and certificates, and even printed keepsakes like stationary and calendars, a foil flourish here and there will help wow recipients and communicate a stronger sense of appreciation for their patronage or affiliation.

Design Tips: How to Prep Foil for Print

At this point, we’ve illuminated why foil is worthy of the holiday hype. However, if you’ve never incorporated it into your print designs before, you may be wondering how to go about doing just that. On the design end of things, most of the considerations should be familiar, such as:

• Using vector files to isolate your foil details
• Considering how the foil will contrast against the background and surrounding elements.
• Choosing a placement that will give your foil maximum visual impact.

Of course, there are also some more specific quirks to be aware of with foil. For example, it can behave differently when applied to less conventional print substrates. Fortunately, you don’t have to become an expert in all these nuances when you work with Wallace Carlson. As an award-winning innovator in foil printing, we’re ready to help you navigate all your material and design choices, and our commitment to excellence helps ensure flawless final results, every time. Contact us now to get your holiday foil print projects underway.