The first time I saw somebody making a foil print at home on Instagram I was pretty much mesmerized and immediately my brain was like, “I WANT TO DO MAKE FOIL PRINTS RIGHT NOW.” But then, you do some research and you realize you need a laser printer and a laminator and foil and card stock and then you see big ol’ dollar signs as all of these things start to add up. Then, my inkjet printer broke (don’t worry, it lived a great life). It. Was. Time. I’m sharing the products that I’ve been using to make foil prints. This blog isn’t a tutorial, but simply shares the products that I used to achieve the foil prints that you’ve seen on my Instagram! The prints I have made at home definitely aren’t perfect but they are still pretty amazing if you ask me (and that’s the beauty of handmade items). When you consider the budget that I stayed within, they get even better. Disclaimer: The links below are affiliate links. Purchasing through these links is at no extra cost to you but if you purchase using some of the links below, I will receive a small commission and it helps me keep creating content for you guys for free. You guys know the drill and you know I will only recommend what I love. See below for full disclosure. Okay, Okay, let’s dig in.
First, let’s talk about printers.
I used the death of my printer as an opportunity to purchase a new printer and to get a laser printer this time around. In the beginning, I did SO much digging on printers and it gets overwhelming. I knew that I really only needed to print black and white, which meant I could look at monochrome models (aka save some $$$). But, I also knew that I wasn’t prioritizing it having a copier/scanner feature, because I can’t tell you the last time I used mine now that I can sign all of documents with my iPad Pro and send them that way (heyyyyo saving more $$$ and not wasting paper). All I wanted to be able to easily print simple documents and be able to experiment with foiling. Now something that I didn’t want to skimp on was that I did want it to have a manual feed slot (you know, where you can just feed in a sheet of labels or whatever your heart desires).
I decided on this printer. It is a monochrome printer. CHECK. It has a manual feed slot. CHECK. It does duplex printing (aka prints on both sides). CHECK. It has a rear exit where you can feed a document straight through. CHECK. It has a toner saver mode so you can save toner on simple documents. CHECK. It can print on letter or legal (which may not matter to you but I figured it could be worth mentioning). CHECK. However, I will mention that this printer does not come with a USB connector, which you will need because it doesn’t do wifi printing. I already had a USB cord from my previous printer (which was a different brand) and it worked perfectly. If you’re in need of a USB cord, here’s one (and it’s 10 feet long so you don’t have to worry if you’re like me and don’t have the printer on your desk). I’m far from being a printer guru, but I tried to mention all of the things that were important to me. I encourage you all to read more about this model (and compare it to others) to make sure that it is the right fit for you.
Time for the laminator!
Next on the list is the laminator. I purchased the AmazonsBasics Thermal Laminator. Side note: I wanted a laminator to actually laminate as well (I’ll expand on that in another blog post). It is pretty compact, which is a huge PRO for me so that it doesn’t have to be out on my desk when I’m not using it. Notably, it also warms up quickly. The laminator also has two different settings (for 3-mil or 5-mil laminating pouches). It is compatible with different sizes up to 9 inches wide (aka letter/legal/business card/photo size). So, as I mentioned previously, I have not only foiled with this but I have also actually laminated a things (I use 3-mil pouches if you’re curious) and it has worked great for both.
The prettiest part… the FOIL.
Last, but definitely not least, we need the foil. I have only used this brand so far, the Heidi Swapp Minc Foil. You can get it online or you can check out your local craft store. I randomly found red and blue in the clearance section at my local craft store. SCORE. Then, I purchased silver and gold at full price. I will make the comment that nobody prepared me for how gentle you need to be with foil. It is pretty delicate and because of that, it can be kind of finicky to cut (in my opinion). You just need to be patient and go slowly so that you don’t make any “dings” in the foil (I’m not sure if there’s a real term for that). And it is so lightweight that it just curls right up once it is cut off so I try to take a second to hold it flat to the paper before I run it through the laminator. Anyway, I wanted to mention that so that you’ll be gentle with it when you handle it because nobody warned me about that.
Oops. One more thing, card stock!
Actually, I lied about the last thing being the last thing. I should also mention that I printed on card stock. I personally have a stock pile of card stock, mostly multi-packs that I purchased at a craft store during a sale or when I had coupons. It is nothing special. If I ever did these for a gift, I’d probably want to purchase something with a bit heavier of a weight and run it straight through the rear exit of the printer.
You’re all set now to make foil prints at home!
Well, there you have it! Everything you need to foil at home on a budget. I spent less than $100 (if you only count one thing of foil). Now if you count all the foil I purchased, the price tag goes up just a bit. BUT STILL. The printer and the laminator are included in that price! *pats myself on the back* I hope that this blog helps you as you’re researching how to do DIY foil prints at home. There’s just something about that metallic sheen, right? If you do foil prints at home and use different products, I’d love for you to share what you use in the comments below or on my social media. If you’re new to Bossy Brushstrokes, you can read more about me here. Until next time, stay bossy y’all.
*Disclaimer: Bossy Brushstrokes, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. I will earn a small commission off of your purchase but the price does not change for you. All opinions are my own.*
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