Demystifying foil printing, once and for all.

The perception is true: Foil printing is an art form, but it’s now more accessible than most people realise.

Typically, foil printing has been an expensive process; only viable for high volume print runs, like product packaging. This is not the reality any longer though, with Laserfoil’s innovative and unique digital foil printing process; the only one in New Zealand like it.

Traditionally the method has been more of a foil ‘stamping’, with high set up fees, hence the restriction to large quantities of output. In this process, metal blocks are made up before being punched onto the page with heat.

Laserfoil’s foil fusing method is digitally-based and has low set up costs, making small volumes possible at reasonable prices. With 250 business cards starting at just $77 +GST for a single print on one side, we’re sure to be seeing more foil around.

So, why go foil?

Now that shorter print runs are possible, why should you consider foil for your next project? Foil provides a classy and elegant look, when you’re going for something ‘a little bit posh’. It ‘pops’ off a page, standing out and really catching the eye. Many businesses use foil printing as an added security measure where this is important, as it can’t be photocopied or forged easily.

Laserfoil’s process is perfect for prints up to an oversized A4 and can do large areas of foil (ie: golden tickets), which would cost a fortune in the offset stamping method. With over 15 different colours available, possibilities abound for dressing up business cards, certificates, invitations, or creating custom adhesive labels with foil.

The technology is here, so you’re only limited by your imagination…  Consider black foil on black card, for a subtle look, or white foil on black card for a unique and stunning effect.

Contact Tim at Laserfoil, to discuss your next project and request a free quote. 

In vino veritas

There’s something about a vineyard that captures the imagination. Vines covering rolling hills, stunning scenery, and the masterful alchemy that turns grapes into wine.

Of course, all of this is very difficult to capture on a wine label, which is why vineyards such as Villa Maria put a lot of time and effort to make sure their wine bottles express who they are and what makes their wines so special.

Lately we’ve been partnering with their design team to produce samples of their latest imaginations, with specialized features such as foil inlays, giving them the kind of quality product and short turn-around that means they can make rapid progress on the development of these ideas.

We’d love to show you a sample of the work we’ve done for them recently but it has yet to be revealed so all we can say is check out their latest offerings in the coming months and you’ll see some very nice foiled label designs on some equally nice wines!

Our work with Villa Maria highlights our ability to make the creative process quicker and easier. We’ve done it for them, let us do it for you.

Can’t we all just get along? Sadly not. Bit of a downer the first time you realize that, but that’s why we have AMINZ. They are New Zealand’s largest not for profit institute and they promote dispute resolution in New Zealand.

In other words, they give people the skills to help with all that conflict you’ve been avoiding. Yeah you know – that stuff.

So if you’re qualified in a certain area, we at Laserfoil think you deserve a little recognition for what you do. Like a classy certificate for example.

If you’re looking to give a little recognition where it’s due, give us a call and let us all have a win- win situation. Why can’t we be friends? 

The Good Old Days

Ahhh nostalgia, it’s not what it used to be.

Recreating some of the magic of yesteryear is something that Robinson Instruments do remarkably well. They’ll take that old Extromulator of yours, pop in a new kafeatzfeldt device and soon it’ll be running 12 furlongs to the rundlet!

When it comes to restoring the more aesthetic elements however, Robinson Instruments came to us. As you can see, many of the dials and gauges from these old machines are showing their years.

What they needed Laserfoil to do was recreate the look of these old dials (and in some cases tweak them just a little) while the mechanical components were being restored to their former glory.

After taking their instructions by hand and trekking back to our studio (2000 miles away, uphill both ways, in the snow, with no shoes) we set to work, and here’s what we came up with.

It was a simple enough solution, but one that really helps bring the work of Robinson Instruments to life. If you’ve got something from yesteryear that needs a little attention, give us a call and we’ll work with you to preserve that authentic look and put a smile on your dial.

When life stinks...

Sometimes life stinks.

Fortunately for us, the guys at Biozyme realised that whinging about it doesn’t solve the problem. What does solve the problem is a super clever science device thing that we are in no way qualified to explain, so we stuck to what we’re good at and developed the label for the product instead.

Biozyme devices treat water odour, but as you can probably imagine, when there’s a water odour problem, it’s usually not the cleanest environment. We had to make sure the labels we designed would still be there when the you-know-what hits the fan.

The solution was to mount the labels on a clear stock and then have them laminated. In layman’s terms, this means you could run them over with a bulldozer and the label would still be clear enough for you to read and find out where to order more.

Another piece of innovation was to include the markings for assembly on the same label (that’s those little red star looking things) so now the instructions can never get lost. Clever, yes?

Lastly we printed labels with a unique serial number for every single unit so no two are the same – just like a snowflake, only they don’t melt!

….and are made out of plastic.

….and stick to stuff.

Ok it was a bad analogy, but you get the point.

Now Biozyme have a great looking product ready to pass the toughest of tests, so if you’re labels stink, give us a call and we’ll make sure everything comes up roses for you too.

Keeping New Zealand Beautiful

There’s a reason the phrase “Keeping New Zealand Modestly Presentable” never took off. Well two reasons. The first is that it’s too long, and the second is clear to all who aspire towards making a memorable first impression.

Helen and Michelle run their business, Jewel in the Crowd, with the goal of a beautiful New Zealand in mind. However their business cards were sending a different message. The modestly presentable one. This had to change.

They told us they wanted to produce a look that was classy, but wanted to avoid looking too expensive. To add to the challenge, they needed cards in a hurry for an upcoming expo! Lesser men would have run in fear, even Charlie Sheen was nowhere to be found, but we were not intimidated!

We sat down with the girls first thing Thursday morning and went through some imagery that reflected the look they had in mind. By lunch time, we’d combined it with some typographical magic™ (now there’s another phrase you don’t hear much) and found an equally classy type of card to mount it on.

Helen and Michelle were thrilled, even their husbands were impressed. “We’re impressed,” they said. Now Jewel in the Crown are ready to be introduced to all the right people.

If you want to make a better first impression, we’re here to help you do it. Give us a call today if you’re ready to leave ‘modestly presentable’ behind you.

Welcome to the September issue of Laserfoil News.
2010 is fast disappearing and the holiday season is just around the corner. The last two months have seen business picking up for us at Laserfoil; I hope business is improving for you as well.
Christmas 2010
I know many of us are probably not ready to think about it yet but Christmas is less than 3 months away and it is time to start making plans. Personalised Christmas cards sent to your clients and suppliers is       a great way to thank your customers for their business and allows you to start 2011 on a positive note.
Laserfoil has a range of Christmas cards that are fully customisable with       or without foil print. Add your own text inside or outside, add your own photo and even print your customer's names, all this can be done with our cards. We can do as few as 10 cards or as many as 500.


Have a look on our website to find out more and see the full range. If you mention this newsletter you will get a 20% discount on your order
Spotlight on Heilala Vanilla
Lately we have been printing a lot of Self Adhesive Labels for both current and new customers. One of our regular clients is Heilala Vanilla based in Tauranga; they use laserfoil for many of their label requirements. Heilala grows vanilla in Tonga and New Zealand and supply quality vanilla products both in New Zealand and overseas. Last month they had confirmation of their first shipment to the US at short notice and needed altered labels that met the US labelling requirements. Over a busy few days we adjusted their label artwork and printed over 1500 labels and swing tags for them. Their shipment left for the US on time only a week ago - the first of many!
Contact Details
Laserfoil Design & Print Limited
2/88 Lake Road, Northcote, Auckland, 0624
PO Box 102 106, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland 0745
Phone 09 488 6773
Free phone 0800 364 533
email: printing@laserfoil.co.nz
* We no longer have a fax machine, if you want to send something email or post are the best options
Quote of the Month
- By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day - Robert Frost