Attention-getting metallic labels are an easy way to make your correspondence, sale prices, advertisements or business cards stand out. If you have a message to deliver to your customers, using metallic foil labels to do it guarantees that you'll have their attention.

Silver, bronze and gold foil labels tend to be available from almost any printing or office supply shop, both in blank sheets that you can customize yourself or in highly detailed custom-printed orders. Before placing an order, do the following to understand the foil labels basics:

1. Learn the easiest ways to use metallic labels in your business;

2. Choose advanced options in foil labels, like stamping or embossing;

3. Opt for custom printing or otherwise professional personalization of gold and silver labels.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Keep it simple with blank gold and silver foil stickers

Foil seals and stickers make your correspondence, shelf displays and products stand out by drawing attention with their metallic glitter. Customer also tend to perceive them as 'high-end' since they are more expensive, and more elegant looking, than plain adhesive paper stickers.

I recommend: Online Labels sells blank gold and silver foil stickers and labels appropriate for use as anything from address labels to bar codes and pricing stickers, in a variety of sizes and configurations. You can also purchase foil seals on which you can write directly from companies like Berger Novelties & Awards.

Get extra attention with fine embossed silver and gold labels

Make your announcements stand out even more--and appear even more luxurious--by using stamped or embossed foil labels. Stamping creates impressions into the foil, while embossing results in a raised surface, so a combination of the two can be quite dramatic. You can purchase foil labels pre-stamped or pre-embossed, or have a custom printer complete the process for you.

I recommend: Geno Jezek explains the process of embossing in more detail, while wiseGEEK gives you the lowdown on foil stamping.

Turn gold and silver foil labels into custom statements

Using foil labels automatically makes your correspondence or products stand out, but you can give them even more extra pizazz by having them custom printed. Options you'll need to choose from for custom printing include the number of colors of ink, specialized graphics, as well as the size, shape and grade of foil labels used.

I recommend: Sticky Business' testimonial page gives you an idea of what creative buyers can do with custom printed foil labels. Labels, Stickers and More provides a broad explanation of what shape, size and printing methods may be used to produce custom foil labels.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Always check whether the silver or gold stickers you're purchasing have permanent or temporary adhesive; it looks tacky if your pricing or promotional tags fall off items, but at the same time, it's inconvenient to find that what was supposed to be a temporary sticker has permanently adhered.

Whether you're looking for gold foil labels, silver foil labels or even silver foil stickers, the choices can be overwhelming. Narrow your options using online suppliers that offer help in designing the perfect foil seal.

1. Find a company that will work with your foil label ideas.
2. Design a label on your own, or with help from the supplier, that meets your marketing or general business needs.
3. Order labels online, and have them delivered in days.
4. Use your labels to give your products "bling" and added value.

Keep the designs of your foil labels relatively simple. Let the foil do the talking.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy metallic labels for the mail room

Draw attention to your company address with foil labels. Put the labels on all your business mail, or choose to use them for specific mailings.

I recommend: Choose labels to customize from VistaPrint. Download your own artwork or ask them to design a return address label for you. View proofs and order for one-stop shopping online. For smaller quantities with business logos, buy from Colorful Images.

Label your products

Give your products the shine they deserve. Whether you are looking to make your product stand out or just need a bar code with style, metallic labels should be at the top of your list.

I recommend: Choose custom foil labels by Consolidated Labels. They offer labels for all types of products in many foil colors. Choose unique shapes and sizes, or even partial foil labels. Add a marketing message to products with unique shaped silver foil stickers or many other shades. Put bar code foil labels on your packages to make them stand out.

Use foil stickers to make your advertisements stand out

Find custom shape foil labels to accent mailings to promote your product. Get foil labels in large or small quantities depending on your needs, and have them customized to fit your advertising campaign.

I recommend: Pick silver foil stickers to print your message on. Stickers are easy to add to envelopes, fliers or newsletters before mailing them. Design high quality mailing promotions with foil accents made of bright colors and different shapes to catch the consumer's eye.

Buy foil address labels you can customize on your own

Businesses big and small may need foil labels for printing. For small or large mailings, purchase address labels to print yourself.

I recommend: Order silver foil labels or gold foil labels from Online Labels. Get the quantities you need without the high price for customizing. Foil labels come in different varieties of sizes, shapes and colors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Get ideas from label printing companies. Most have designed thousands of address, promotional and product labels.

Silver or gold foil labels on a product give an extra measure of panache for selling power. Because there are many different kinds, sizes and shapes of foil labels, including oval foil labels, address labels, gold stickers and custom labels, there are many different facets of the business. If you're looking for an investment opportunity in the print industry, consider becoming a source for foil label production.

Foil labels education and training can take several different directions. There are many different fields that would converge in the foil label industry, including graphic design, prepress and flexographic printing techniques. There are opportunities for management positions in the foil label industry, as well as customer service and marketing and public relations to get the word out.

To find out more about the printing processes involved with foil printing, follow these steps:

1. Check out tools available to help simplify design and prepress stages.

2. Look to local community colleges for training your workforce in metallic labels.

3. Join trade associations dealing with foil label printing.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Focus on design and prepress when making foil seals

One important part of making labels such as silver foil stickers is the creative phase, which involves design and prepress. You can take advantage of consultants and design and tools to support your label-making efforts.

I recommend: Prepress Training Solution offers assessment tools and training for prepress and design professionals, which you can apply to foil label design. Markzware produces design products for prepress and print professionals.

Choose a community college to learn about the process of making foil labels

Learn about the processes involved in flexographic printing, the process printing technicians use to make metallic labels, at a technical school or community college. Prospective print representatives can receive training in several areas, including prepress or printing technology.

I recommend: You can learn about flexographic printing at a local community college in your area, such as the Harper National Flexography Center at Central Piedmont Community College. The Hennepin Technical College, serving Minnesota, is another college in which aspiring print technicians can receive training.

Attend print industry trade shows to gauge the foil label business

One great way to check out the market for metallic labels is by attending a trade show or joining an association dedicated to those in the print industry. You can get new ideas and possibilities to offer to customers and make new contacts.

I recommend: The Print Exhibition in Chicago is an excellent place to meet exhibitors and learn more about the foil print industry. The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association provides important industry links to those in the print business.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're considering using foil labels in your business, think about incorporating your logo to make your label look unique. Silver foil labels customized with your company logo will make your product stand out among the competition.

Foil labels are an elegant way to draw attention to documents and envelopes. They add pizzazz and excitement to a variety of paper tasks. Knowing foil label key terms helps in understanding and ordering items that add zest to foil labels. For example, such details as special metallized paper, laminate, hot stamp, and the foil-stamping process all contribute to the overall appearance of the foil label. It is also possible to find foil labels with special features such as removable adhesive and bar code.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Metallized paper

The metal layer on metallized paper is what gives it a vibrant and glossy finish. This paper is scratch-resistant and great for durable foil labels.

I recommend: Read more about metallized paper features offered from Paper and Film.

Embossing

Embossing is a technique used to imprint many foil labels. The imprint rises above or sinks into the foil label surface. Most label companies use a roller or roller machine to emboss a repetitive series of labels.

I recommend: View Wise Geek for more details on embossing a variety of materials, including metal in the metal layer of foil labels.

Foil bar-code labels

Foil bar-code labels have a special number that helps identify and keep track of assets. These labels are durable and non-removable, creating a tamper-resistant feature.

I recommend: View foil bar-code label features from Cam Code and view an image of a foil bar-code label.

Removable adhesive

Removable adhesive is a type of sticky adhesive on the back of labels. You can easily remove or transfer labels with removable adhesive from most surfaces.

I recommend: View the glossary of terms for a removable adhesive definition from Coast Label.

Lamination

Lamination is the process in which two or more layers of materials are used together to create a particular surface type. On foil labels, companies use this process to protect their imprinting and make their product more durable. The two materials are combined through heat or pressure.

I recommend: Read about lamination and foil labels from Renell. Click on the link "laminated" in the text for more details.

Hot stamp

Hot stamp is a process in which you transfer dry ink to a label through heat. The hot stamp applies the ink imprint in a non-smear manner. Companies may use this printing process to imprint foil labels. Some call this process foil stamping.

I recommend: Learn more details about the hot stamp process from Integrity Label.