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Q: Do I need to produce artwork to make my own hot foil polymer plate?
A: Yes, you do, unless you are making a plate of artwork you have previously made or if the artwork supplied. |
Q: Can I use my inkjet printer for artwork output?
A: Yes you can, but you will need special transparency artwork film. The quality of your negative produced from inkjet may not be as good as artwork produced from laser printers. As a general rule, the greater the density of the black images on the artwork the better the quality of the negative you will be able to produce. |
Q: Can I produce artwork on normal writing paper?
A: No. You must use our standard Artwork Transparency Film or our special Inkjet Transparency Film |
Q: Can my artwork consist of a mixture of logos, designs and text?
A: Yes. However, the quality of any logos or designs, which have been scanned in, must be very high. In plate making you must remember the following:
Poor Quality Artwork leads to a Poor Quality Negative which results in a Poor Quality Plate which ultimately produces Poor Printing Quality. |
Q: Can I make metal hot foil printing plates on the platemaking system?
A: No. The platemaker is designed to process Polymer Plates that are suitable for hot foil stamping. These plates can withstand temperatures of up to 180°C or 356°F. For most print applications the temperature used for foiling is between 140°C or 284°F to around 160°C or 320°F. |
Q: Can I use Polymer Plates on any hot foil stamping machines?
A: Yes. This is providing that the hot foil machine you wish to use can reach a temperature of at least 180°C or 356°F. Hot foil machine should have a temperature controller that is digital with an accuracy of ±1°C. Old fashioned hot foilers with analogue temperature controllers can have temperature variations of as much as 20°C and so print quality will deteriorate as you are printing. |
Q: What types of hot foiling polymer plates are there?
A: There are two types of Polymer Plates available; one is a low temperature plate and the other a high temperature plate. The low temperature plates have a maximum recommended temperature of 140°C or 284°F, while the high temperature plate has a maximum recommended temperature of 180°C or 356°F. |
Q: What thickness are the hot foil polymer plates available in?
A: The low temperature Polymer Plates are available in 1mm, 1.3mm, 1.45mm and 1.75mm thick. The high temperature hot foiling plates are available in two thicknesses’ one being 1mm and the other being 1.45mm. All the plates have a steel backing with a polymer coating. The high temperature 1mm hot foil plate is by far the most popular plate for general purpose hot foil printing. |
Q: What’s the cost of making a business card size polymer plate?
A: The cost of a finished business card size polymer plate is around £2.80. The cost of the unexposed plate is £2.50 and the cost of making the negative is about 30p. |
Q: How long does it take from artwork to finished polymer plate?
A: It take’s about 30 minuties to make a polymer from start to finish. |
Q: Can I reproduce small typefaces and very fine designs on polymer plates?
A: Yes you can, but we recommend metal plates for very fine designs and typefaces. Polymer plates are suitable for most hot foil printing applications but metal is recommended for printing fine work, embossed materials, certain plastics etc. Polymer plates offer very good print impressions on most of the standard products used to print on. It is a cheaper and quicker option to use in comparison to metal plates. |
Q: How long will polymer plates last?
A: If made and used correctly and depending on what surfaces you are printing onto you should be able to achieve around 20,000 to 30,000 impressions from each plate. |
Q: Can I reuse the polymer plate for repeat orders?
A: Yes, providing the plate has not been damaged and had been stored properly. |
Q: Is it possible to expose several different plates at any one time using your photopolymer platemaker?
A: Yes, you can make several small plates or one or two larger plates at a time. |
Q: Apart from purchasing a platemaker, what else would I need to produce my own hot foil plates in-house?
A: You would need to purchase a negative making kit, polymer plates and a washing pad. To dry the polymer plates you would need a good air dryer. |
Q: What sizes are polymer plates supplied in?
A: They are supplied in A4 size; however they can be cut to any required size.
Most customers ask for the polymer plates to be cut into 10 pieces (business card size). |
Q: Do I need a dark room to produce negatives or polymer plates?
A: No. You can produce negatives and polymer plates in a room free of sunlight with regular room lighting. Do not to work near windows or direct sunlight as the Ultra Violet rays from the sun will exposure the negative and polymer plates before you have a chance to use them. Draw any curtains or window blinds when using Ultra Violet materials. |
Q: What to do once the polymer plate is exposed?
A: The polymer plate is washed in plain hot water using a washing pad. The gentle brushing action dissolves and so, removes the unexposed polymer material leaving a relief image that is on the negative. |
Q: Are the negative developer and fixer liquids dangerous?
A: They are not dangerous but as with most chemicals avoid contact with skin, work in a well ventilated area, do not eat and drink while working with them and keep away from children. |
Q: Can I reuse the negative developer and fixer solutions once I have processed my negatives?
A: Yes you can, the developer solution will last up to a week and the fixer solution for about two weeks. They however must be poured and stored into different air tight plastic or glass containers after use. |
Q: Do you supply China Plates for Photo glazing?
A: No, we supply photo glazing resin, mounting tape, circular cutter and other accessories but not china plates and other china ware. However, you should not have too much trouble locating them in a local ceramics supplie |
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