Luxury packaging printer JohnsByrne has installed the Eagle Systems Cold Foil system. Founded in 1959, the organization remains family-owned with founder, John B. Gustafson’s four sons: Corey, Jack, Mike and Pate, running the business as President, COO and Executive Vice Presidents, respectively.
The company has offered, and continues to offer, hot stamping technologies, however, there were some applications where that process wasn’t a perfect fit. Cold foil, said Corey Gustafson, “gives us a great deal of flexibility now and nuance to our offerings. We can provide different solutions to the same problem, to find the one that best suits the project, product and customer. It’s a different tool in our belt.”
One of the differences they have found is that the Eagle Systems Cold Foil lays down gradation that cannot be produced with hot foil stamping. “We’re now able to produce halftone gradation similar to that in a printing process,” Corey said. “Also, when we don’t have to take that extra step of off-press stamping, we’re able to save a pass or process — we can run it once, and we’re done at press speeds of 15,000 impressions per hour. It’s innovative, and it saves time and money on those jobs.”
The Eagle Systems Cold Foil system is a module that can be installed on most lithographic offset presses. The foil is applied in-line as the job is being run, and can be done by changing a single plate on the press before the run starts, allowing shops the flexibility of printing as normal or printing with in-line foil as needed. Foil is applied using a two-step process, both done in-line on the press. The first is to apply the adhesive to the substrate, using one of the printing units on the press, in register. Second, the foil carrier and substrate are pressed together, and where there is adhesive, the foil will release onto the substrate.
From left to right: JohnsByrne’s Jack Gustafson (COO) and Corey Gustafson (President) with Eagle President Mike King.
