Foiling specialist Blockfoil is successfully promoting its foil printing as a means for publishers to increase sales of their products through added shelf appeal.

The firm has scored recent successes with a wide-range of magazines including Julys mixmag Ibiza 2000 special, which has flown out of the shops. Other recent high-profile magazines produced by the firm include Elle, FHM and Vogue.

Magazine publishers are in general delighted at the results, despite the increase in production costs, which one claimed upped the cost of producing the cover by 800% including all the repro and printing. He was, however, delighted with the response, both from extra sales on the shelf and from an increased advertising yield due to the perceived extra value of a foiled cover.

Blockfoil national sales manager Clive Jackson said: The feedback in general terms is that foil increases sales by 10-15%.
Magazines currently make up only 5% of the firms total output, which includes greetings cards and packaging for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

In addition to taking on new markets, the firm is developing new foiling processes to offer to customers. It has recently been granted a patent for putting images onto foil, which
it claims costs very little more than using standard foils.

The firm recently acquired its biggest competitors, Printafoil and Foil Impressions, making it the largest foil printing firm in Europe. It has also licensed its technology for the production of the 50 note.

Story by Barney Cox