Gilding using Foil Quill

We R Foil Quill gilding kits offer tools for hand gilding, and tips to be placed in the carriage of the plotter. They are available in three variants - narrow, standard and wide. This allows us to create gilding of different thicknesses, which will further add variety to our designs. We also have at our disposal more than a dozen colors of dedicated foil for gilding. This gives us a wide range of possibilities and allows us to plan designs that vary not only in shape and thickness, but also in color.

How to get started?

Gilding can be done manually with a dedicated handheld accessory. Connect the standard wide or narrow device with a USB cable to a computer, a powerbank, or by using your phone's power adapter directly to electricity. When purchasing a single tool in the set, you will receive a small roll of dedicated gold foil. When purchasing a set of three tools, you will receive three rolls of foil in gold, silver and rose gold.

If you have a plotter, a cutting mat, and in the case of the newer generation of Silhouette plotters - the adapters that come with them, it remains to stock up on We R Foil Quill accessories for use with your cutting device. You can complete the necessary tools yourself by selecting a Foil Quill tip of the thickness that suits you ( you will also receive adapters for Silhouette, Brother and Sizzix plotters, as well as a protective plate), a dedicated foil in the color of your choice and washi tape to immobilize the foil. These items will allow you to make your first gilding.

If you prefer to purchase a ready-made kit, you also have this option. In the kit available in our store, you will receive tips of all three thicknesses, adapters for Silhouette, Cricut, Brother and Sizzix plotters, three small rolls of foil in gold, silver and rose gold colors, three rolls of washi tape, a 30.5×30.5cm magnetic mat with magnets (you will need a cutting mat of the same size as the magnetic mat to use it), and a protective plate.

For information on how to prepare the Silhouette Cameo 4 for gilding with Foil Quill, see the article I wrote some time ago. The process for plotters from other manufacturers is very similar.

What will Foil Quill gilding work for?

Gilding with We R Foil Quill will work best for creating decorative details. The thin tool will allow you to create decorative elements that will give an elegant look to your project, but at the same time will not dominate it, creating only a complement to the whole. You will gild thin lettering with it. It is best to choose fonts consisting of a single line, thus avoiding empty spaces in the outline of individual letters.

The standard-thickness device will work well for creating lettering, ornaments and shapes that will stand out a bit more on your designs thanks to the thicker lines. Any kind of headings, titles or shapes that need to be highlighted will be eye-catching when made with Foil Quill.

The wide gilding tip will allow you to make thicker lettering and elements that will dominate the design and clearly highlight the most important elements of the works. They will work better for creating shapes and letters that require filling. Note, however, that filling very large areas with Foil Quill is quite time-consuming.

What can be gilded?

Foil Quill gilding equipment is great for working on all kinds of papers. However, this does not mean that you have to limit yourself to just one medium. Gilding also looks great on acetate sheets, which can be used to create bookmarks, all kinds of windows or boxes. Cardboard, book and notebook covers, veline paper, leather and wood are also suitable for decorating with Foil Quill. In the case of a device that works with plotters, we are only limited by the ability to place the material on the machine's mat. This does not apply to the device for manual gilding, with which you will decorate even larger items. It is advisable to test the Foil Quill on various types of surfaces, remembering to do it in an inconspicuous place.

Is it worth it?

As a conclusion, I can only say that probably no other method gives projects such an elegant look as gilding. It is ideal for decorating invitations, thank-you notes, greeting cards, but also for personalizing all sorts of items. So if you're into handicrafts and looking for something to spice up your projects, it's worth looking at We R Memory Keepers products and their dedicated Foil Quill series for gilding.