Akuafoil set-up
With Akuafoil, you can turn a wide range of CMYK colors, into multi-colored foils. Akuafoil uses a special processed foil system that is applied under 4/c process to create an array of foil colors. It's simple, and affordable, and makes your prints stand out from the crowd. For an Akuafoil job, you must include an Akuafoil/mask file along with your CMYK file. The mask file indicates where the foil will be placed. The foiling process is the same as spot UV—100% K where the foil is placed, and 0% where the foil is not placed.
As shown above, the file on the left is the normal CMYK print file. If you want the logo to be Akuafoil, then your Akuafoil mask file should look like the file on the right. The White indicates no foil and 100% K indicates where the Akuafoil will be. Here are some more things to keep in mind when creating your Akuafoil artwork:
If you have Akuafoil applied to a white area, it will have a plain silver Akuafoil look. For better quality, we recommend creating mask files in vector-based programs such as Illustrator or CorelDRAW. If you would like plain silver Akuafoil to print, make sure to have at least 15% K in the CMYK print file area in order to obtain the highest quality silver Akuafoil effect.
When creating knockouts in the Akuafoil mask or in the CMYK print file, beware there might be a "Halo" of white around the knockout area. Below are two examples... On the left, is a file with a CMYK magenta background with a knockout for the Akuafoil text. On the right, an Akuafoil background with a knockout for the CMYK text.
These are the printed results:
You can see the white "Halo" in between the CMYK ink and the Akuafoil. To prevent this, grow/stroke the Akuafoil area in the mask by 1–2 pixels. This will allow the Akuafoil to bleed into the CMYK area, reducing the white "Halo" effect. You can also fill in the knockout with color to reduce the effect further. |
