What is Akuafoil and how does it work on business cards | Catdi

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Catdi Printing · Accepted Answer

Akuafoil is a specialty printing technique that turns a wide range of CMYK colors into multi-colored metallic foils. Unlike traditional foil stamping that uses a single metallic color, Akuafoil applies a special processed foil layer under your full-color print, creating a vibrant, eye-catching metallic effect across your entire design. To set up an Akuafoil job, you will need two files: your regular CMYK print file and a separate Akuafoil mask file. The mask file uses solid 100% black to indicate where the Akuafoil should be applied, and white where it should not. A few important tips for best results: Akuafoil works best on lighter CMYK colors — darker colors reduce the metallic vibrancy. Avoid very thin lines or small text with Akuafoil. Use sans-serif fonts above 12pt for best results. Akuafoil on a white area produces a plain silver metallic look. For the best silver effect, include at least 15% black in the CMYK print area. When creating knockouts, you may see a slight white halo between the CMYK ink and the Akuafoil. To prevent this, grow or stroke the Akuafoil area in your mask by 1 point so it slightly overlaps the CMYK area.