Required Tools & Supplies
In addition to listing what you need to carry out this technique, I share my favorites in the form of affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of these links I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my blog.
- Hot Foiling System – Spellbinders Glimmer Hot Foil System plus Spellbinders Platinum 6 Machine (you need both)
- Hot Foil – Spellbinders Hot Foil Rolls
- Very Smooth Cardstock – Hammermill Premium Color Copy Cover 100lb
- Hot Foil Plate
- Adhesive Eraser – Xyron Adhesive Eraser
Steps To Hot Foil
It's worth pointing out that there are two very different ways to achieve beautiful foiled results; Transfer Foil and Hot Foil. In this tutorial we are only working with Hot Foil which requires a special machine and a hot foil plate to “melt” the foil onto cardstock.
There are several manufacturers that make hot foil machines. You should always follow the instructions that come with your machine from the manufacturer. That said, we're going walk through the basic steps and I will give you a couple tips that I have learned along the way that ensures top quality foiling.
- Heat Up Your Machine – this method is all about using heat to get the foil to attach to your cardstock. It is important to have your machine hot enough to get a high quality image. This is not a process that you want to rush through. The machines have timers that have a light that turns on when the machine is ready. HINT: Let your machine heat for at least an additional five minutes after the timer says that it's ready.
- While waiting for the machine to heat up trim a piece of very smooth cardstock to the size that you need.
- Cut a piece of foil that will cover the hot foil plate that you are using. HINT: trim off excess foil to avoid having foil transfer in places that you don't want it to. For example, round the corners.
- When the machine is hot enough, place the plate back down on the hot carrier. Then, if you machine has a timer for this step go ahead and click it.
- Now, when the plate and machine are ready place the foil pretty side down so that it covers the plate.
- Position your cardstock over the top of the foil and then add the plate sandwhich that comes with your system on top. HINT: I have found that adding a piece of cardstock as a shim between the plates helps to get a better transfer.
- Remove the whole sandwich including the hot carrier and run it through your die-cutting machine.
- Let it sit for a minute to cool and then carefully remove the excess foil sheet from the cardstock. HINT: Use an eraser to remove any little spots of foil that should not have transferred.