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Foiling Responsibly: Eco Foiling Masterclass
Welcome to the world of foiling, where glitz and glamour meet environmental responsibility!
As a digital print and foiling company, we take pride in crafting high-quality products that not only look stunning but also make a positive impact on the planet.
Today, we’ll take you on a journey to uncover the magic of foiling, it’s eco-friendly attributes, and why it’s a smart choice for your premium printing needs.
The Foiling Frenzy: Unveiling the Shimmering Secret
Ever wondered how we achieve that glitzy brilliance on our prints? Let’s pull back the curtain and explore the ins and outs of Aura Print’s digital foiling masterclass.
At its core, ‘foil’ is an elegant aluminium transfer material that can be applied to a variety of surfaces, including paper, using techniques such as hot digital stamping.
What’s truly fascinating is that this ‘foil’ is extremely thin – 6,000x thinner than a strand of human hair, to be precise! To put this into perspective, the aluminium in just one coffee capsule can embellish FIVE entire parking spaces! But this seemingly delicate material holds immense potential to reduce waste and promote a greener approach to printing. So why not stick around and learn how?
Unravelling the ‘Foil’ Mystery: Sustainability Under the Surface
As we take a closer look, you’ll discover that the ‘foil’ roll isn’t just an ordinary sheet of metal; it’s a special component that adds both glamour and eco-friendliness to your prints. Our ‘foil’ comes in rolls with a super-thin layer attached to a PET carrier sheet. When it’s time to pass that shine to your artwork, we use a digital heat-stamping process to fuse the thin layer to perfection, resulting in a stunning flat-foil finish.
Now, the green-conscious questions arise. What happens to the PET sheet and the unused ‘foil’ layers? How does the use of ‘foil’ impact the environmental credentials of your print? Let’s delve deeper and find out together.
The Power of PET: A Sustainable Holding Hand
The PET carrier sheet plays a crucial role in securing the beautiful ‘foil’ layer in place on its roll. But fear not, this super-thin film is made of polyester resin, completely free from harmful substances. This makes PET easy to reuse and recycle, aligning perfectly with our commitment to sustainability at Aura Print. Finding a new lease of life as automotive parts, food packaging, textile fibres, and much more, recycled PET can be used to make all kinds of products – cool, huh?
But that’s not all – our foil supplier, Kurz, is at the forefront of recycling PET. With the world’s first PET waste recycling plant, they transform used PET carriers into recycled materials used in production. Furthermore, they’re working tirelessly to establish a take-back system, closing the recycling loop for transfer foils.
Composting with Confidence: A Sustainable Farewell
You’ll be delighted to hear that our Kurz transfer products are not only exquisite but also eco-friendly. The decorative layers are incredibly thin, accounting for less than 1% of the total print weight. As a result, they won’t interfere with the composting or biodegrading processes and are harmless to plant growth.
However, we must address another aspect of foiled prints – lamination. To achieve the best effect, all foiled prints require lamination. Unfortunately, the lamination used cannot be recycled. But rest assured, our suppliers are doing all they can to offset the environmental impact, resulting in a partnership we’re proud of.
Through their partnership with the UKs Woodland Trust Carbon Initiative, our suppliers ensure that all carbon produced by the production of our matt and gloss laminates are offset by planting trees. While the finished foiled print may not be recyclable due to lamination, we are committed to balancing this impact by working with suppliers who do their utmost to offset any environmental effects their processes have through contributions to reforestation.
Foiling the Green Way
At Aura Print, we’re more than just a digital printing and foiling company; we are champions of sustainable print in an industry that recognises its impact on the planet. Our commitment to eco-consciousness goes far beyond foiling, as we strive to make a positive difference in every aspect of printing.
We’re thrilled to offer a diverse range of recycled, compostable paper stocks, empowering our customers to opt for fully biodegradable and compostable prints if they wish. By choosing these eco-friendly options, you not only get exceptional prints but also contribute to a healthier environment.
Taking the concept of sustainable printing one step further, we proudly use plant-based toners, making our printing process completely vegan. With vegetable-derived inks, we achieve cruelty-free screen printing while simultaneously easing the recycling process, reducing pollution rates, and elevating the quality of each print.
As technology evolves, we remain at the forefront, embracing cutting-edge print tech that includes eco-friendly print settings. These settings significantly reduce the energy required for each print, further minimizing our carbon footprint and promoting a greener, more sustainable future.
Our journey towards sustainability has been one of constant learning and improvement. We recognise the significance of our actions and continue to take proactive steps to lessen our environmental impact while offering exceptional products and services.
So, whether you’re intrigued by the glitzy allure of foil printing or seeking a fully compostable and vegan printing solution, Aura Print has you covered. Together, we can create a more vibrant, responsible, and greener world, one thoughtfully printed piece at a time. Join us in our mission to foiling responsibility for a better tomorrow!
