Foil: General term for foil-leaf stamping material consisting of a carrier, usually polyester film coated with a release agent, a color coat, a metal coat, and an adhesive coat.

Dusted Foils: Foil utilizing a bronze powder on the mylar carrier. Easily applied, but also easily rubbed off without an overcoating. Limited colors are available.

Gloss Foils: Clear transparent foils glossy in appearance.

Metallic Foils: Metallized aluminum foils available in many colors and either shiny or satin finish. Most often used are gold, silver, and copper.

Patterned Foils: Foils manufactured with specific patterns rather than flat color. These range from woodgrains or marbles to the newer 3-D holographic patterns or images. Wide variety of designs available.

Pearlescent Foils: Similar to gloss foils, but having a translucent color. Choice of colors is limited. Best used with embossing, but can be flat stamped.

Pigment Foils: Opaque foils of intense color, resembling glossy enamel foils. Available in either gloss or matte finish.

Tint/Pastel Foils: Flat or dull translucent stamping foil. Can be applied in varying degrees of color density by changing the press temperature when stamping . Choice of colors is limited. Excellent highlight to enhance embossing.

Refractive Engraving: A technique that gives an etched feel that adds texture and dimension.

Foil Over Foil: Adds special color options through an additional pass.

Foil Embossing: Raising the image and applying foil at the same time with one press run, as with a combination or foil embossing die. This process can also be done flat stamped and register embossed (Stamp and Bump).

Stamp and Bump: First pass of flat stamping and then second pass of embossing or debossing using only one embossing die.