Foil and metallic finishes do something standard CMYK printing cannot: they catch light, create contrast, and signal quality before the reader has processed a word. For Australian businesses printing packaging, brand collateral, or event materials, a well-placed metallic accent is often the detail that separates a premium product from a forgettable one.
This guide covers every foil and metallic product in the Paperlust Print Shop range, explains how foil printing works, and helps you choose the right product for your brief.
Cheat sheet
- Foil printing applies a metallic accent over a full-colour CMYK printed base; it is not an all-over metallic surface
- Standard foil colours: gold, rose gold, silver, copper, holographic (custom colours available at higher volumes)
- Minimum orders vary: 10 units (foil stickers, foil vinyl stickers), 500 (foil labels), 250 (Scodix cards)
- Two foil methods: cold foil (faster, fine detail) and hot foil (traditional, large solid areas)
- Scodix is a raised digital embellishment, distinct from flat foil, producing a tactile three-dimensional finish
- Production: 3-5 working days for foil stickers and labels; 7-10 working days for Scodix cards
- Flat-rate shipping Australia-wide; international shipping available on request
What Is Foil Printing?
Foil printing bonds a thin metallic layer to a printed substrate, producing a reflective finish that ink alone cannot replicate. Foil is applied as an accent on top of a full-colour CMYK printed base: the design prints in full colour first, then foil is selectively applied to chosen elements such as a wordmark, a border, or a monogram. You keep the full expressive range of colour with metallic highlights exactly where they have the most impact.
Cold foil uses UV-cured adhesive without heat; best for fine detail and small accent areas. Hot foil uses heat and pressure via a die or plate; best for large solid metallic areas requiring deep, high-impact shine. Both methods are available across the Print Shop foil range.
Foil Colours Available
The standard range across Print Shop foil products covers five finishes:
- Gold: warm and classic; suits premium, luxury, and heritage branding
- Rose gold: soft pink-metallic; popular for beauty, wellness, and event stationery
- Silver: cool and clean; suits tech, corporate, and minimalist brands
- Copper: earthy and distinctive; works well for artisan and hospitality brands
- Holographic: prismatic rainbow-shifting; suited to lifestyle, retail, and bold consumer brands
Custom foil colours are available for foil stickers at a 500-unit minimum. Confirm availability for your product with the Print Shop team.
Foil Stickers
Foil stickers combine a full-colour CMYK printed design with a real metallic foil accent on a white matte or clear vinyl base. Contour cutting to within 0.5mm means complex shapes are achievable, and a laminated finish is available for water resistance.
At a glance:
- Sizes: 20mm x 20mm up to 295mm x 425mm
- Minimum order: 10 stickers per design
- From $0.98 AUD inc. GST
- Foil colours: gold, rose gold, silver, copper, holographic
- Production: 3-5 working days after design approval
Foil stickers are the lowest minimum-order entry point for a genuine foil finish, suiting packaging labels, envelope seals, candle and cosmetic branding, and event decorations. For custom contour shapes without foil, die-cut stickers start from $0.64 AUD inc. GST at a 10-unit minimum.
Foil Labels
Foil labels are designed for product packaging where the label carries the full brand identity. Available on white cast paper, white synthetic, and clear substrates, they use the same cold or hot foil process applied to a CMYK printed base. The clear substrate creates a floating label effect on glass jars and bottles. Foil is a decoration layered onto those base stocks rather than a stock in its own right, so it sits alongside the plain options in the custom labels range.
At a glance:
- Base options: white cast paper, white synthetic, clear
- Foil colours: gold, silver, rose gold, copper, holographic
- Minimum order: 500 labels for custom foil jobs
- From $0.69 AUD inc. GST
- Production: 3-5 business days
- Custom die-cut shapes and hybrid foil-plus-full-colour combinations available
Foil labels suit wine and spirits, luxury cosmetics, premium candles, gourmet food, and retail gift packaging. The 500-unit minimum reflects production setup at scale; foil stickers at 10 units are the right alternative for smaller runs.
Foil Vinyl Stickers
Foil vinyl stickers take a different approach. Rather than applying foil as an accent over a printed base, they use a silver vinyl substrate with full CMYK colour printing over the top. The metallic quality comes from the vinyl itself, giving the design a reflective background throughout.
At a glance:
- Base: silver vinyl with hi-tack acrylic adhesive
- Full CMYK colour over a metallic vinyl base
- Waterproof, UV-resistant, weather-resistant; rated 3-5 years outdoors
- Minimum order: 10 stickers per design
- From $1.20 AUD inc. GST
- Production: 3-5 working days after design approval
Foil vinyl stickers suit vehicles, outdoor equipment, and storefronts where a metallic look plus genuine weatherproof durability is required. The metallic is an all-over background rather than a selective accent, producing a visually different result from standard foil stickers.
Scodix Business Cards
Scodix business cards are not foil in the traditional sense. Scodix is a digital embellishment process that applies layers of clear or metallic polymer to the surface of a printed card, creating a raised tactile finish with genuine three-dimensional depth.
At a glance:
- Stock: 450gsm artboard with velvet laminate
- Size: 90mm x 55mm (standard rectangle)
- Finish options: clear Scodix (over printed colours) or metallic
- Minimum order: 250 cards
- From $0.73 AUD inc. GST per card
- Production: 7-10 working days after design approval
The velvet laminate base paired with raised Scodix embellishment creates a deliberate tactile contrast: soft matte surface against sharp, defined raised elements. This format also suits premium menu cards and event stationery where the feel of the card stock signals quality before the content is read.
Design Tips for Foil Finishes
A few principles apply across all foil and metallic products:
- Use foil selectively. Foil works best as an accent on a logo, a border, or a single graphic element. Covering large areas reduces the contrast that makes foil effective.
- Contrast dark backgrounds. Gold, rose gold, and silver read most vividly against deep printed backgrounds: black, navy, and dark jewel tones create the strongest result.
- Avoid very fine strokes. Foil has a practical minimum feature size. Bold, clean shapes hold the foil well; very thin lines and small serif letterforms can lose definition.
- Specify the foil layer in your artwork file. The foil accent requires a separate spot colour layer; note which elements should carry the foil when submitting.
Which Foil Product Is Right for You?
| Product | Best for | Min order | From (AUD inc. GST) | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foil Stickers | Packaging, seals, events, small runs | 10 units | $0.98 | 3-5 working days |
| Foil Labels | Product packaging, high-volume runs | 500 units | $0.69 | 3-5 business days |
| Foil Vinyl Stickers | Outdoor, vehicles, equipment | 10 units | $1.20 | 3-5 working days |
| Scodix Business Cards | Premium cards, raised tactile finish | 250 cards | $0.73 | 7-10 working days |
| Die-Cut Stickers | Custom shapes, no foil, smaller budgets | 10 units | $0.64 | 2-3 working days |
All orders include a design proof for approval before printing begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between foil stickers and foil vinyl stickers?
Foil stickers apply a metallic foil accent over a full-colour CMYK printed design, with the foil covering specific elements only (logo, border, etc.). Foil vinyl stickers use a silver vinyl base with CMYK printing over the top, creating an all-over metallic background through the substrate itself. Foil vinyl stickers are UV-rated for outdoor use (3-5 years); standard foil stickers suit product packaging and indoor applications where selective foil placement is the priority.
What is the minimum order for foil labels?
Foil labels have a minimum order of 500 labels for custom foil jobs, reflecting setup requirements at production scale. For a foil or metallic finish on a smaller quantity, foil stickers start from a 10-unit minimum and deliver a comparable CMYK-plus-foil result on a vinyl base.
What is Scodix and how is it different from foil?
Scodix is a digital embellishment process applying layers of clear or metallic polymer to create a raised, tactile finish. Traditional foil printing applies a flat metallic layer to selected design elements. Foil is mirror-bright and flat; Scodix adds three-dimensional texture you can feel. The two processes produce very different results and suit different applications.
How long does foil printing take?
Foil stickers, foil labels, and foil vinyl stickers are produced in 3-5 working days after design approval. Scodix business cards require 7-10 working days due to the additional embellishment process. All products include a design proof stage before printing begins.
Are foil stickers waterproof?
Standard foil stickers are water-resistant and available with a laminated finish for additional moisture protection, suiting most product packaging and indoor applications. For outdoor use on vehicles or exposed surfaces, foil vinyl stickers on a UV-rated silver vinyl base are the right choice, with a rated outdoor lifespan of 3-5 years.
