Foil stamping has been around for thousands of years. However, the colors available for foil stamping have increased greatly over the years. In ancient times, gold was the main material for foil stamping. In ancient Egypt, thin strips of gold were hammered for foil stamping to embellish coffins, mummies and weapons. During the Middle Ages, monks also hammered gold into thin strips to embellish books. At the turn of the 19th century, gold foil was attached to paper to facilitate its transfer using heat. During the 20th century, gold was abandoned for use in foil stamping due to its cost, and a colorful array of metallic foils was introduced.
There are many colors of foil available today for use in foil stamping, falling into several categories. Metallic foil paper is shiny and shimmery, and comes in traditional colors such as gold, copper, bronze and silver and non-traditional colors such as red, yellow, and pink. Gloss pigment paper has a high glossy look as opposed to a metallic look. Gloss foil comes in all the colors of the rainbow. Matte pigment foil colors come in a dull finish. Some foil colors are holographic, which give the paper a 3-D effect, making the colors look as if they are moving as they play in the light.
Some foil stamping colors have a pattern embossed on them. These can be graphics or simple designs. Holographic foil colors can hold complex images that seem to move as the viewer looks at them. Other patterns resemble other materials, such as wood grain or animal prints.
Not all foil types come in the same colors, so the color you need will determine they type of foil paper you use for stamping. If you are stamping two types of foil on top of each other, you will need to make sure the two are compatible as not all types of foil will stick to each other. You will also need to make sure the type of foil you use is compatible to the material to which it is being stamped as not all foil colors are compatible with all materials.