What is Inline Foil, and how do I set up a file for it?

Inline Foil allows you to transform CMYK designs into vibrant, multi-colored foil effects. This process applies a specialized foil layer beneath the full-color print, creating the look of metallic color variations throughout your artwork. It’s eye-catching, cost-effective, and ideal for brands that want their prints to stand out.

To prepare artwork for an Inline Foil project, submit:

1. A standard CMYK print file
2. A separate Inline Foil mask file

The mask file shows exactly where the foil should appear. Use 100% black (K) to mark foil areas and white for non-foil areas. This setup is similar to Spot UV preparation, and the two files must be uploaded separately.

A few important guidelines for Inline Foil artwork:

• The CMYK file and foil mask must align perfectly in size and position.
• Inline Foil performs best over lighter CMYK colors — darker tones may reduce shine and intensity.
• Avoid thin lettering or small, delicate details; choose sans serif fonts sized 12 pt or larger for clean results.
• Foil placed on areas with no color beneath will produce a standard silver foil look.
• For the highest quality silver finish, include at least 15% K in the underlying print layer.
• Vector software such as Illustrator or CorelDRAW is recommended for building mask files.

Preventing “halo” edges:

When creating knockouts in either the foil mask or CMYK artwork, a small white outline may appear around foil areas during printing. To minimize this effect, slightly enlarge (stroke) the foil shape in the mask file by 1 point so it overlaps the CMYK layer. You can also apply color to knockout zones to further reduce visible edging.