Certain markets are naturals for the glam and sophistication of metallic effects, but how about shinola for granola? Can craft beers move beyond craft board? Can foils and holography go beyond bling? And if so, where do you start? How do you choose between cold foil and hot foil? Between foil-laminate paperboard and transfer-metallized paperboard?

Top designers fearlessly employ a broad range of decorative substrates and techniques to break out of category conventions, elevate brand persona and entice consumers. A few packaging experts even realize that reflective and holographic treatments are a marketing gem for differentiation. However, these rich possibilities still go largely untapped due to an overall lack of awareness and confidence when it comes to designing with them.

To help designers and printers boost their brilliance quotient, ITW Foils has produced "Designed to Shine," a comprehensive guide to using metallic effects. The resource is packed with everything a designer needs to know to successfully employ metallic options for packaging, from strategic use and statistical rationale to artistic examples and production advice.

Do you know how to make a product "shine" on the shelf using metallic effects? Test your knowledge to find out!

Test your knowledge!  The following quiz is based on information included in the "Designed to Shine" guide.

1. Which of the following is both recyclable and biodegradable? 

a. Hot foil-stamped paperboard
b. Cold foil-stamped paperboard
c. Transfer metallized paperboard
d. UV film-casted paperboard
e. All of the above 
 

2. Which substrate provides the easiest way to achieve skin tones or white areas within heavy metallic coverage?

a. Hot foils
b. Cold foils
c. Laminated or transfer metalized substrate
 

3. Embossing can add dimensionality to...

a. Hot foils
b. Cold foils
c. Transfer metallized paper
d. All of the above
 

4. UV casting is…

a. A disposal method for UV varnish
b. A holographic treatment applied on press
c. A color tint for UV coatings
 

5. Transfer metallized substrates offer this advantage over foil laminates:

a. Light weight
b. Recyclability
c. Ease of folding
d. All of the above
 

6. What’s the best enhancement to get your packaging to shelf most quickly?

a. Cold foils with holographic UV casting
b. Hot diffraction foils
c. Custom holographic foil laminate substrates
 

7. Rank the following in order of brilliance from 1 (lowest) to 3 (highest):

__ Cold foils
__ Hot foils
__ Metallic inks
 

8. A benefit of laminate substrates is their...

a. Ultra-reflective surface
b. Infinite spectrum of color possibilities with overprinting
c. Enhanced barrier properties
d. Durability
e. All of the above
 

9. Which of the following holographic treatments will catch a consumer’s eye first?

a. 2-D holograms
b. 3-D holograms
c. Multichannel holograms

10. What is the most popular holographic pattern for high-end markets?

a. Shards of glass
b. Rainbow
c. Glitter
d. Custom