CNC suggestions for engraving aluminium plates for hot foil printing (fine details)

**KevA** · 08-06-2019

Yeah, you could make the plates, but in most cases, not detailed enough for the plates needed for hot foil stamping.
I had to send camera ready artwork to get the plates made for me.

**magicniner** · 08-06-2019

Originally Posted by KevA

Yeah, you could make the plates, but in most cases, not detailed enough for the plates needed for hot foil stamping.
I had to send camera ready artwork to get the plates made for me.

My current mill will engrave to 9 microns, what's required? :D

Given that Hot Foil is used for irregular outlines on graphics define the requirements because part of what you are implying is that the process is not accurate and requires some compensation in the stamps, which I doubt.

Also what is your CAD/CAM/CNC experience?

**KevA** · 10-06-2019

I'm mainly speaking from my hot foiling experience, and some of the jobs I did.
The blocks/plates I used were magnesium, and used some kind of photo etching process to create them.
I've no doubt, CNC would be good for some jobs in hot foiling, but a lot of the stuff I did, I don't think so.
I have attached a scrap card, showing a broom head. I don't any other examples at hand.

As for experience, I was a CNC programmer/operater in the mid eighties, and after that, I worked for a CAD/CAM software house in tech support for 7 years. We had 2D and 3D products and an NC product, as well as surface modelling and FE products(I'm definitely no FE expert). While not recent experience, my son works in precision engineering and I have seen some of the stuff that can be produced. A model of the Jules Rime(world cup, not sure how you spell that lol) was very impressive.