How do I prepare artwork for a stamped foil project?

Each Print Cartel foil order can include only one foil color per job, so the same foil shade must be used on both sides of the product.

Foil artwork setup is similar to Spot UV preparation. You’ll need to provide a separate foil mask file showing exactly where the foil should appear:

• Black (100% K): areas that receive foil
• White: areas with no foil

If your order includes both foil and Spot UV, separate mask files are required for each effect. Depending on the design, you may need to submit multiple files to cover print and mask layers.

Please note:

• Foil and Spot UV cannot overlap; leave at least 1/16" of space between the two to avoid peeling.
• Avoid very fine lines or small text for foil areas.
• For the best visual results, foil should cover no more than 50% of the design surface.
• Foil placement may shift slightly during production (up to 1/16"), so plan alignment carefully.

For the cleanest results, we recommend building foil mask files using vector software such as Adobe Illustrator.