First, the two terms
In the joyfold catalog, foil-stamped red packets are grouped by the scope written in the original records: those marked “专版” (full-plate) go under full-plate custom foil stamping (50 packets), those marked “局部” (partial) under partial foil stamping (21 packets), and those with no scope stated under foil stamping (25 packets). The grouping rests only on the text in the records, not on how a photo looks.
In custom red packets, “full-plate” usually means a plate made for this one design, with the artwork drawn from scratch to the customer’s needs, as opposed to a stock design (通版), where a logo is added to an existing layout. “Partial foil stamping” means gold is used on only part of the picture, and the rest keeps the base color or is done in some other way. How a particular order is made follows the plan confirmed at quotation.
Full-plate custom foil stamping: artwork drawn for this packet
The artwork on full-plate packets usually covers most of the face and ties closely to the brand or theme. The horse brand packet is covered with gold and bright red horses in alternation. The leaping-whale packet in two colorways shows a humpback whale leaping from the waves. The twelve-zodiac packet fills the whole face with paper-cut-style zodiac pictures, gold bars, gold ingots and wave patterns. The blessing-collage packet uses a full face of blessing phrases. The 开运吉市 brand packet fills the face with auspicious beasts and cloud patterns in bright red lines.
As these show, full-plate does not mean “all gold”: many works combine gold with bright red or silver, and the auspicious dragon packet pairs a bright red dragon with a gold moon and flowering branches.
Partial foil stamping: small touches of gold
Partial foil packets often leave large areas of the base color and put one group of gold artwork in one place. The seal packet leaves almost the whole face blank, with only a gold square seal in the upper middle. The HELLO-PET pet packet and the bell-pepper bear packet each place only a small gold line drawing in the middle. The square cartoon window-flower packet gathers its gold pattern in the center of the square face.
Gold is not always gold: the “年年有鱼” fish packet (“surplus year after year”: 鱼 “fish” sounds like 余 “surplus”) records a partial black-gold foil finish, and the picture has only red and black. The fish-pattern brand packet uses glitter paper with partial gold foil, with two koi head to tail forming a circle.
How to choose
- To make the red packet a complete piece of work in itself, with artwork covering most of the face, discuss a full-plate plan with the designer.
- For a plain look with plenty of blank space that highlights only one mark or one blessing, a small touch of gold is enough.
- Either way, mark on the artwork where the gold appears and how large an area it covers; see the artwork preparation guide and the foil stamping guide.
View all works: full-plate foil stamping and partial foil stamping.
