Hot Stamping.com : Malahide Foil Stamping Equipment

About Hot Stamping Dies : As discussed in Hot Stamping Basics, most traditional hot stamp presses employ metal "dies" to produce the image which is transferred onto the product being printed. This page discusses some of the issues and methods of diemaking as they relate to Malahide Hot Stamping Equipment. Terminology Dies : Available in a variety of forms and materials, dies are normally made of metal. Etched upon their surface is the image, graphic or text that is to be hot stamped. When placed inside the hot stamp press, the dies are heated, and then pressed against the foil and the substrate to create the finished hot stamp. Dies can be made of several materials including: Magnesium Copper Lead Steel Silicone Chases : Chases hold the heated dies in the hot stamping press. Type High : A universal height to which all Printer's Type and mounted die plates should conform (.918").
Die Plates : Our recommended method of diemaking, die plates can be made from magnesium, copper, or steel. Produced by an outside diemaker (don't try this at home!) a good die will last for tens of thousands of impressions and many years. Die plates cost between $1.00-$2.00 sq". Several small plates can also be combined within one chase and then printed together.
	Advantages : Easy to handle Combine text & graphics in one format Disadvantages : Cost Not practical to produce 'in-house'
Mounted Dies : Not all machines are able to accept a die plate. These machines instead require the plate to be mounted type-high on a steel, aluminum, or magnesium base.
	Advantages : Slightly more durable Disadvantages : Slightly more expensive
Ludlow Line Type : Produced with a 'Ludlow' machine, line type is type-high by 3.5" long. Also known as 'bonded' type, Ludlow slugs bear an entire word on one piece (as opposed to printer's type which produces a word with 1 piece per letter). Produced by casting molten lead into inter-changeable moulds, this is the method of choice for type making within the ribbon industry.
	Advantages : Reusable Easy to handle Prints evenly Disadvantages : Produces text only Lead concerns, handle with care Emits a fume when being cast = proper ventilation required Ludlow machines are only available 2nd hand
Printer's Type :
	Advantages : Inexpensive Reusable Disadvantages : Time consuming & repetitive in set-up Can wear and chip Uneven print depths
Printer's Type (known as 'blocks' in the UK) are small, type-high blocks each with a single letter etched upon it's surface. A series of type pieces can be grouped together by assembling the correct pieces of type in one chase and locking them together (i.e.: Malahide would require the assembly of one of: M-A-L-A-H-I-D-E). This is the least preferable way of going about diemaking.