: Which printer is used for printing on plastic tokens Which printer do i use for printing on plastic tokens with color and text and good looking designs? For example check out b-token's site

@Cofer715

The process used for this type of printing is called foil stamping.

It's easy and fun to do. You will need a hot press and the metal fonts for the lettering you wish to use for a message. Illustrations and diagrams need a metal relief mould, called a stereo, to be machined, cast, or carved. They are special made and can last for decades.

The foil is a thin film of heat-sensitive adhesive ink on a roll of Mylar plastic that you can purchase in one of many different colours and finishes (matte, gloss, textures, metallic colours, etc.).

Here's how it works


Put the stamp with the artwork to be reproduced into the printer platen and let it heat up to the required temperature (melting temperature to dissolve the ink).
Place the token, chip, fob, tab, label, etc. in the press and put a sheet of foil ink over it (manually, but automated is available).
When the proper temperature has been reached, pull the "lever" down to put the hot stamp in contact with the workpiece, quickly melt the ink, and bond it to the workpiece. The ink will transfer off the Mylar base. Discard the used "ink" sheet.
To add another colour, change the stamp to the second colour artwork stamp, and repeat the process with a different piece (colour) of foil.
When you finish, change the workpiece and repeat the process.


The machine looks and works much like a button maker. The problem will be to find a source for making custom artwork. There's less problem finding metal fonts although that's getting harder. Metal letters get scratched and dented easily so be careful. Hot metal letters are even more fragile and when dropped are painful to catch no matter how expensive they are.

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