Foil imaging
Encyclopedia
Foil imaging is a revolutionary printmaking
technique developed at the University of Iowa
by Professor Virginia A. Myers
, with student research teams, in the late twentieth century. Enabled by the invention of the hand-held Iowa Foil Printer (IFP), it is a new art form derived from the commercial practices of foil stamping
. Artists who work in this medium are able to utilize the same foil products as the foil stamping industry, whose output can be seen adorning wine bottle
s, mass market paperback books, wedding invitations, school supplies, and all manner of clothing (such as in MMA and hip hop
fashions; witty t-shirt
s). Foil imaging can be used to create editioned prints or monos, and can stand alone, or in conjunction with traditional printmaking techniques, including intaglio
, relief
, serigraphy, and lithography
; additionally, it can be used with many non-printmaking fine art
s, including painting
, sculpture
, calligraphy
, photography
, and metalsmithing.
which, through a heat process, could be transferred to paper. This dramatically decreased the cost of a gold-leaf-look; the synthetic product became known either as hot-stamped foil, referring to its printing process, or as roll leaf, referring to its manufactured form (like a roll of ribbon, or saran wrap
). Artists conversing among themselves commonly refer to it as 'foil'.
In the century following its development, roll leaf spread widely, particularly in the wake of World War I
, with the revocation of German patent rights
. Initially, roll leaf mimicked authentic gold and silver leaf. In the second half of the twentieth century, however, its palette exploded. Now, foils are available as translucent pearlescents, transparent tints (also referred to as "blind emboss"), specialty, holographics (both solid colors and patterns; opaque, and translucent), and pigments (opaque foils which can seem velvety or dense in their color weight). Not all of these varieties involve any metallic elements
, but the majority of all foils are a gold or silver of some kind.
Held in the hands prior to printing, like a sealed tube of paint or another stock art supply, roll leaf foil can seem like a very thin, homogenous roll of colored cellophane
. In actuality, though, it is a product comprising at least three layers—carrier, wax release, and color—and frequently two additional others: metal, and adhesive
. The carrier is the polyester
substrate, far less than a millimeter thick, upon which the other layers are chemically fabricated. The wax release coat dissipates when printing, and enables the polyester carrier coat to be peeled away and discarded.
containing a variety of roll leaf foils. That comprehensive seminar and box of foil engendered the future of the project to find a foil product which produced mirror surfaces.
Upon returning to her Iowa studio after the seminar, she resolved to determine whether the extraordinary mirror surfaces found in the metallic roll leaf foil, a purely commercial product
, could be used by an artist. Her concerns centered on whether there was a viable art form within roll leaf foil and whether an artist-printmaker could produce bona fide
editions with it, using only hand-held equipment. Her "Small Forest Fire" proved to her that roll leaf foil could be used, by an artist, with hand-held equipment, in the creation of fine art. That print incorporated foil stamping and manipulation, stenciling, multiple plates, and an ancient intaglio press, in a small edition. The aesthetic and technical achievements of "Small Forest Fire" inspired her creation of a large, magnificent foil monoprint
, "Fire Theme."
Having proved to herself that roll leaf foil held the seeds of a viable art form, Myers commissioned the prototype of what was to become the Iowa Foil Printer (IFP). A precision machinist, Daniel L. Wenman, and an electrical engineer
, James R. Phillips, developed and manufactured the model that was the basis for the IFP now in use. The IFP was patented in 1992, and listed with Underwriters Laboratories
in 1997.
The IFP is composed of two components: the roller, formally referred to as the Iowa Foil Printer, and its hotplate. Both have their own heat controls. The hotplate is square and freestanding, either 24" or 30", with a hardwood carrier margin at its edges to allow for the printing of much larger works. The roller is comfortably held in two hands, and looks a bit like a cross between a toaster, a laptop, and a rolling pin—with bicycle handles. Neither component is imposing, but both are meticulously designed, calibrated, and machined. They are durable, versatile, high-tech tools which enable an artist to control very high-tech materials in expressive, aesthetic, and innovative ways.
The act of printing with roll leaf is referred to as 'stamping,' because the industrial processes used to print it involve great pressure, in addition to controlled heat; the Iowa Foil Printer allows individual artists to use comparatively little heat, and only gentle pressure to print with roll leaf. And while most commercial products adorned with foil use one layer of it, artists working with foil frequently layer foils together so as to have a larger, and far more nuanced, palette than is commonly seen in commercial applications. These differences are facilitated by use of an acrylic binder to adhere the roll leaf foil to the work. Frequently, this is applied like an uncolored acrylic paint
to the substrate (paper, plastic, metal, canvas, etc.) which is to be printed with foil. Copier toners with acrylic components, and various acrylic sprays, can stand in place, or be used with, the liquid acrylic binder, as called for.
The IFP does utilize the same components of printing as seen in the industry: heat, pressure, and dwell. Heat, in this case, is precisely achieved and maintained. Unlike an intaglio hotplate (or one used for a cup of coffee), the IFP is not just 'turned on,' the temperature—to the degree—of the hotplate and the roller are separately selected; the units hold their temperature steadily through hours-long studio sessions. Most foils are stamped with the IFP at between 180°F and 220°F. Frequently, as artists become more experienced, they adjust the hotplate and roller to facilitate best stamping with their chosen foils; both components of the IFP are adjustable from 50°F to 260°F. Pressure rarely exceeds the weight of the roller as it is passed over the foil being stamped. Dwell is the length of time the work being printed is sandwiched between the roller and the hotplate. Most foils require only a brief pass or two, but by manipulating dwell time, artists can cajole contrary foils into compliant printing when other options fail or are not applicable.
The first class in foil imaging was offered in the spring semester of 1990, at the University of Iowa, in the Printmaking Department of the School of Art & Art History. Classes have been offered there ever since, including intensive summer sessions a week or two in length. Even during the summer of 2008, when a 500-hundred-year flood decimated the UI's Arts Campus, the 19th Annual Summer Foil Workshop was held up until the day when flood waters inundated the area surrounding the Print Department. (Reconstruction from that flood continues, and in the interim, auxiliary locations for arts classes, including foil imaging, have been found and upgraded.) Foil imaging classes have also been conducted at Kirkwood Community College
's Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, campus. In New York City
, the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts has acquired an Iowa Foil Printer for use and teaching in its Robert R. Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Individual artists continue to spread foil imaging—and the IFP—to areas of the world including Korea, and France.
However, artists new to foil imaging can find the palette to be overwhelming. Roll leaf foil comes in rolls which are a bit less approachable than a tube of paint, or a can of ink. They are industrial products, manufactured for industrial foil stamping, for many kinds of common commercial products. A group of rolls can be intimidating in its commerciality, and can stymie selection by its very diversity of choice. Overcoming those obstacles, with play, practice, technique and skill, into a space where fine art can be created, is the critical task of foil imaging practice.
One of the ways Myers initiates artists into the foil imaging palette is to have them produce "scrapbox monos," an assignment that circumvents the standoffish aura of fresh rolls of foil by restricting their materials to the scrapbox: used, but not depleted, foils saved from previous students' work. These scrapbox foils enable students to produce works which are a far cry from the commonly known commercial products, and which enable the students to begin developing their own voice in this new medium.
Another way to render the palette more approachable is to make a color chart. Foil color charts can be quite elaborate, sometimes including up to six total layers of two or three overlapping foils: some foil imaging works require that nuance of hue. They can also be quite simple, designed to compare a handful of foils layered over each other or to provide precise colors or textures to satisfy personal aesthetic needs. Depending on the project, they can incorporate paint, ink, and other mediums, as well. Regardless of their scale, they are invaluable for focusing the expansive palette into the needed range.
While revolutionary, foil imaging holds a place in the pantheon of traditional printmaking techniques by virtue of being editionable. In addition to being editionable on its own, it is frequently combined with other traditional printmaking techniques, including intaglio, lithography, and relief. However, Professor Myers encourages her student research teams to experiment, and to cross-pollinate this new medium with other art disciplines. Hence, painters, metalsmiths, fabric artists, and photographers, among others, have incorporated foil imaging into their full bodies of work.
Across the board of all these variants, what differentiates foil imaging, the art form, from foil stamping, the industrial process
, seems to rest in the working of the foil. Artists, versus commercial foil stamping printers, alter roll leaf foils with a variety of techniques, including stenciling, cutting, wooling out, alcohol manipulation, graphite transfers, acid etching, embossing, and resists. After making scrapbox monos, and color charts, these are the techniques which enable artists to control the roll leaf foil palette, and the artwork to say what needs to be visually stated.
Myers, Virginia A., et al. Foil Imaging: The Original Editioned Prints. Cedar Rapids: WDG Communications, Inc, 2006. A limited edition
of 50, suitable for serious collectors and academic institutions. Each copy features a set of 22 numbered foil imaging prints, all of which were editioned in runs of 50 and above.
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
technique developed at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
by Professor Virginia A. Myers
Virginia A. Myers
Virginia A. Myers is an American artist, professor, and inventor. She was born in Greencastle, Indiana, and grew up with her parents and younger sister mostly in Cleveland, Ohio, where her father taught at various colleges and schools....
, with student research teams, in the late twentieth century. Enabled by the invention of the hand-held Iowa Foil Printer (IFP), it is a new art form derived from the commercial practices of foil stamping
Foil stamping
Foil stamping, typically a commercial print process, is the application of pigment or metallic foil, often gold or silver, but can also be various patterns or what is known as pastel foil which is a flat opaque color or white special film-backed material, to paper where a heated die is stamped onto...
. Artists who work in this medium are able to utilize the same foil products as the foil stamping industry, whose output can be seen adorning wine bottle
Wine bottle
A wine bottle is a bottle used for holding wine, generally made of glass. Some wines are fermented in the bottle, others are bottled only after fermentation. They come in a large variety of sizes, several named for Biblical kings and other figures. The standard bottle contains 750 ml,...
s, mass market paperback books, wedding invitations, school supplies, and all manner of clothing (such as in MMA and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
fashions; witty t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s). Foil imaging can be used to create editioned prints or monos, and can stand alone, or in conjunction with traditional printmaking techniques, including intaglio
Intaglio (printmaking)
Intaglio is a family of printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, known as the matrix or plate, and the incised line or area holds the ink. Normally, copper or zinc plates are used as a surface, and the incisions are created by etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or...
, relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
, serigraphy, and lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
; additionally, it can be used with many non-printmaking fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
s, including painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, and metalsmithing.
History
The technical foundation of foil stamping was laid in Germany in the late nineteenth century, when Ernst Oser developed a process to manufacture a synthetic gold leafMetal leaf
Metal leaf, also called composition leaf or schlagmetal, is a thin foil used for decoration. Metal leaf can come in many different shades. Some metal leaf may look like gold leaf but not contain any real gold...
which, through a heat process, could be transferred to paper. This dramatically decreased the cost of a gold-leaf-look; the synthetic product became known either as hot-stamped foil, referring to its printing process, or as roll leaf, referring to its manufactured form (like a roll of ribbon, or saran wrap
Saran (plastic)
Saran is the trade name for a number of polymers made from vinylidene chloride , along with other monomers. The main advantage of Saran film is its very low permeability to water vapor, flavor and aroma molecules, and oxygen compared with other plastics...
). Artists conversing among themselves commonly refer to it as 'foil'.
In the century following its development, roll leaf spread widely, particularly in the wake of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, with the revocation of German patent rights
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
. Initially, roll leaf mimicked authentic gold and silver leaf. In the second half of the twentieth century, however, its palette exploded. Now, foils are available as translucent pearlescents, transparent tints (also referred to as "blind emboss"), specialty, holographics (both solid colors and patterns; opaque, and translucent), and pigments (opaque foils which can seem velvety or dense in their color weight). Not all of these varieties involve any metallic elements
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
, but the majority of all foils are a gold or silver of some kind.
Held in the hands prior to printing, like a sealed tube of paint or another stock art supply, roll leaf foil can seem like a very thin, homogenous roll of colored cellophane
Cellophane
Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria and water makes it useful for food packaging...
. In actuality, though, it is a product comprising at least three layers—carrier, wax release, and color—and frequently two additional others: metal, and adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
. The carrier is the polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
substrate, far less than a millimeter thick, upon which the other layers are chemically fabricated. The wax release coat dissipates when printing, and enables the polyester carrier coat to be peeled away and discarded.
Innovation
Professor Virginia A. Myers sought to raise the use of roll leaf foil from the level of an industrial product to the level of a fine art form. That long journey began in the early 1980s after she had developed techniques to incorporate genuine silver (and gold) leaf in editioned intaglio prints. While working on a book detailing those techniques, Professor Myers realized that her knowledge lacked an essential dimension: how to achieve mirror-surface with genuine gold or silver leaf when required to satisfy an aesthetic need. Investigation of that area led to her enrollment in a 4 ½ day seminar designed for owners and workers in active foil stamping companies in the U.S.A. Participants in the class were sent home with a "Kit"… a corrugated boxBox
Box describes a variety of containers and receptacles for permanent use as storage, or for temporary use often for transporting contents. The word derives from the Greek πύξος , "box, boxwood"....
containing a variety of roll leaf foils. That comprehensive seminar and box of foil engendered the future of the project to find a foil product which produced mirror surfaces.
Upon returning to her Iowa studio after the seminar, she resolved to determine whether the extraordinary mirror surfaces found in the metallic roll leaf foil, a purely commercial product
Product (business)
In general, the product is defined as a "thing produced by labor or effort" or the "result of an act or a process", and stems from the verb produce, from the Latin prōdūce ' lead or bring forth'. Since 1575, the word "product" has referred to anything produced...
, could be used by an artist. Her concerns centered on whether there was a viable art form within roll leaf foil and whether an artist-printmaker could produce bona fide
Good faith
In philosophy, the concept of Good faith—Latin bona fides “good faith”, bona fide “in good faith”—denotes sincere, honest intention or belief, regardless of the outcome of an action; the opposed concepts are bad faith, mala fides and perfidy...
editions with it, using only hand-held equipment. Her "Small Forest Fire" proved to her that roll leaf foil could be used, by an artist, with hand-held equipment, in the creation of fine art. That print incorporated foil stamping and manipulation, stenciling, multiple plates, and an ancient intaglio press, in a small edition. The aesthetic and technical achievements of "Small Forest Fire" inspired her creation of a large, magnificent foil monoprint
Monoprinting
Monoprinting is a form of printmaking that has images or lines that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking, where there are multiple originals. There are many techniques of monoprinting...
, "Fire Theme."
Having proved to herself that roll leaf foil held the seeds of a viable art form, Myers commissioned the prototype of what was to become the Iowa Foil Printer (IFP). A precision machinist, Daniel L. Wenman, and an electrical engineer
Engineer's degree
An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering that is conferred in Europe, some countries of Latin America, and a few institutions in the United States....
, James R. Phillips, developed and manufactured the model that was the basis for the IFP now in use. The IFP was patented in 1992, and listed with Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is an independent product safety certification organization. Established in 1894, the company has its headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. UL develops standards and test procedures for products, materials, components, assemblies, tools and equipment, chiefly dealing...
in 1997.
The IFP is composed of two components: the roller, formally referred to as the Iowa Foil Printer, and its hotplate. Both have their own heat controls. The hotplate is square and freestanding, either 24" or 30", with a hardwood carrier margin at its edges to allow for the printing of much larger works. The roller is comfortably held in two hands, and looks a bit like a cross between a toaster, a laptop, and a rolling pin—with bicycle handles. Neither component is imposing, but both are meticulously designed, calibrated, and machined. They are durable, versatile, high-tech tools which enable an artist to control very high-tech materials in expressive, aesthetic, and innovative ways.
The act of printing with roll leaf is referred to as 'stamping,' because the industrial processes used to print it involve great pressure, in addition to controlled heat; the Iowa Foil Printer allows individual artists to use comparatively little heat, and only gentle pressure to print with roll leaf. And while most commercial products adorned with foil use one layer of it, artists working with foil frequently layer foils together so as to have a larger, and far more nuanced, palette than is commonly seen in commercial applications. These differences are facilitated by use of an acrylic binder to adhere the roll leaf foil to the work. Frequently, this is applied like an uncolored acrylic paint
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
to the substrate (paper, plastic, metal, canvas, etc.) which is to be printed with foil. Copier toners with acrylic components, and various acrylic sprays, can stand in place, or be used with, the liquid acrylic binder, as called for.
The IFP does utilize the same components of printing as seen in the industry: heat, pressure, and dwell. Heat, in this case, is precisely achieved and maintained. Unlike an intaglio hotplate (or one used for a cup of coffee), the IFP is not just 'turned on,' the temperature—to the degree—of the hotplate and the roller are separately selected; the units hold their temperature steadily through hours-long studio sessions. Most foils are stamped with the IFP at between 180°F and 220°F. Frequently, as artists become more experienced, they adjust the hotplate and roller to facilitate best stamping with their chosen foils; both components of the IFP are adjustable from 50°F to 260°F. Pressure rarely exceeds the weight of the roller as it is passed over the foil being stamped. Dwell is the length of time the work being printed is sandwiched between the roller and the hotplate. Most foils require only a brief pass or two, but by manipulating dwell time, artists can cajole contrary foils into compliant printing when other options fail or are not applicable.
The first class in foil imaging was offered in the spring semester of 1990, at the University of Iowa, in the Printmaking Department of the School of Art & Art History. Classes have been offered there ever since, including intensive summer sessions a week or two in length. Even during the summer of 2008, when a 500-hundred-year flood decimated the UI's Arts Campus, the 19th Annual Summer Foil Workshop was held up until the day when flood waters inundated the area surrounding the Print Department. (Reconstruction from that flood continues, and in the interim, auxiliary locations for arts classes, including foil imaging, have been found and upgraded.) Foil imaging classes have also been conducted at Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood Community College is a two-year Liberal Arts college serving seven counties in Iowa. Kirkwood's main campus is in Cedar Rapids, with additional campuses in Marion, Iowa City, Belle Plaine, Monticello, Tipton, Vinton, Washington and Williamsburg....
's Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, campus. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts has acquired an Iowa Foil Printer for use and teaching in its Robert R. Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Individual artists continue to spread foil imaging—and the IFP—to areas of the world including Korea, and France.
Practice
Professor Virginia A. Myers' initial attraction to foil stamping was its vast and exhilarating palette, and this remains a strongly influential factor for new students who wish to embrace these revolutionary and highly contemporary printmaking techniques. Roll leaf foil provides the opportunity to work with holographics; metallics; sheer, dry washes of color; luminescent and pearlized color, in one material and with one set of processes. To wield this unprecedented vocabulary of color and light hand-in-hand with an established artistic vision may give voice to unspoken possibilities.However, artists new to foil imaging can find the palette to be overwhelming. Roll leaf foil comes in rolls which are a bit less approachable than a tube of paint, or a can of ink. They are industrial products, manufactured for industrial foil stamping, for many kinds of common commercial products. A group of rolls can be intimidating in its commerciality, and can stymie selection by its very diversity of choice. Overcoming those obstacles, with play, practice, technique and skill, into a space where fine art can be created, is the critical task of foil imaging practice.
One of the ways Myers initiates artists into the foil imaging palette is to have them produce "scrapbox monos," an assignment that circumvents the standoffish aura of fresh rolls of foil by restricting their materials to the scrapbox: used, but not depleted, foils saved from previous students' work. These scrapbox foils enable students to produce works which are a far cry from the commonly known commercial products, and which enable the students to begin developing their own voice in this new medium.
Another way to render the palette more approachable is to make a color chart. Foil color charts can be quite elaborate, sometimes including up to six total layers of two or three overlapping foils: some foil imaging works require that nuance of hue. They can also be quite simple, designed to compare a handful of foils layered over each other or to provide precise colors or textures to satisfy personal aesthetic needs. Depending on the project, they can incorporate paint, ink, and other mediums, as well. Regardless of their scale, they are invaluable for focusing the expansive palette into the needed range.
While revolutionary, foil imaging holds a place in the pantheon of traditional printmaking techniques by virtue of being editionable. In addition to being editionable on its own, it is frequently combined with other traditional printmaking techniques, including intaglio, lithography, and relief. However, Professor Myers encourages her student research teams to experiment, and to cross-pollinate this new medium with other art disciplines. Hence, painters, metalsmiths, fabric artists, and photographers, among others, have incorporated foil imaging into their full bodies of work.
Across the board of all these variants, what differentiates foil imaging, the art form, from foil stamping, the industrial process
Industrial process
Industrial processes are procedures involving chemical or mechanical steps to aid in the manufacture of an item or items, usually carried out on a very large scale. Industrial processes are the key components of heavy industry....
, seems to rest in the working of the foil. Artists, versus commercial foil stamping printers, alter roll leaf foils with a variety of techniques, including stenciling, cutting, wooling out, alcohol manipulation, graphite transfers, acid etching, embossing, and resists. After making scrapbox monos, and color charts, these are the techniques which enable artists to control the roll leaf foil palette, and the artwork to say what needs to be visually stated.
Further reading
Myers, Virginia A., et al. Foil Imaging: A New Art Form. Cedar Rapids: WDG Communications, Inc, 2001. A thorough textbook, intended for students and artists, in full color, with illustrations, photographs, and detailed techniques.Myers, Virginia A., et al. Foil Imaging: The Original Editioned Prints. Cedar Rapids: WDG Communications, Inc, 2006. A limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
of 50, suitable for serious collectors and academic institutions. Each copy features a set of 22 numbered foil imaging prints, all of which were editioned in runs of 50 and above.