I’ve been attempting to take my work with reflective foils a little further. Above is a snapshot of results and notes from several of my experiments. I’m shooting for a 2-sided, very smooth, permanent and archival application of different color foils. And, I have to be able to cut and score the material with precision. It is proving to be more challenging than I expected.

So far, my best results are coming from using a Xyron machine, Fabriano 300 gsm hot press water color paper and Therm-o-web foils run through an etching press. Decent results have come with styrene sheets, coated and Yupo papers, but all those are either difficult to score and cut or lack archival properties. I’m also trying out different adhesives and burnishing techniques.

The whole process has been interesting, but time consuming. I order some papers and glues, wait for them to arrive, attempt to attach the foil and cut the assembly. Results have been mixed and experiments continue.

Below is a picture of another work made from paper with reflective foil–the result was encouraging enough to continue exploring. Obviously, lighting is critical.