2" X 3.5" 16PT Business Cards w/ Akuafoil Without Coating

For an Akuafoil job, you must include an Akuafoil/mask file along with your CMYK file. The mask file indicates where the foil will be placed. The file process is the same as spot UV—100% K where foil is placed, 0% where the foil is not placed.

Normal CMYK Print File Want Akuafoil Here

Akuafoil File Akuafoil Goes Here

As shown above, the file on the left is the normal CMYK print file. If you want the logo to be Akuafoil, then your Akuafoil mask file should look like the file on the right. The White indicates no foil and 100% K indicates where the Akuafoil will be.

Here are some more things to keep in mind when creating your Akuafoil artwork:

• - Make sure the mask and CMYK print file are aligned and match up properly.
• - Akuafoil works best on lighter colors. The darker the CMYK color, the less the Akuafoil look.
• - White in the CMYK file that is 100% K in the Akuafoil file will appear as plain silver Akuafoil.
• - Do not use very thin or small text and artwork with Akuafoil... Use san serif fonts above 12 point for best results.

When creating knockouts in the Akuafoil mask or in the CMYK print file, beware there might be a "Halo" of white around the knockout area. Below are two examples... On the left, a file with a CMYK magenta background with a knockout for the Akuafoil text. On the right, a Akuafoil background with a knockout for the CMYK text.

CMYK Knockout w/Akuafoil fill CMYK print File	Akuafoil Knockout w/CMYK fill CMYK print File
Akuafoil File	Akuafoil File
These are the printed results:
CMYK Knockout W/Akuafoil Fill	Akuafoil Knockout w/CMYK fill

You can see the white "Halo" in-between the CMYK ink and the Akuafoil. To prevent this, grow/stroke the Akuafoil area in the mask by 1–2 pixels. This will allow the Akuafoil to bleed into the CMYK area, reducing the white "Halo" effect. You can also fill in the knockout with a color to reduce the effect further.