Hot Stamping Process

Hot stamping is another lithographic method for manufacturing nameplates, and involves the use of foils and heat, as the name itself implies. This manufacturing method has been around since 1892 and was primarily used to apply gold tooling in book printing. This marking medium was mainly used on paper and leather until the 1950s, where it became a popular method for marking plastic.

When you hot stamp a plastic surface, the process begins with the creation of the dies that are to be used to mark these with. These dies are either cast or shaped directly, and can carry highly detailed designs.The die is first heated after it is mounted on the stamping machine, while the product to be stamped is placed directly beneath it. Before the item is stamped, foil or dry paint is placed in between via a roll-leaf carrier. Once the item is stamped, the pigment that is on this roll-leaf carrier is permanently heat-transfered to the item that was hot stamped.

Hot stamping is particularly appropriate for decorative use and especially cost-effective for small quantities. Note, however, that these nameplates are not laminated and therefore subject to wear and solvent abuse. This stamping or marking process is considered relatively eco-friendly and non-polluting primarily due to the use of materials that are dry.