The innovation achieved most recently with the introduction of brushed metallized paper is but another milestone in a long succession of technology advances in the field of brushed metallized finishes.

1930s: The Look of Stainless Steel Takes Hold
Since the 1930s, the look of stainless steel has been a popular choice for appliances and other household products because it retains a clean, modern feel and conveys a sense of structural strength, durability and quality. With an interest in the marketplace to achieve this look without the expense or weight of using the metal itself, the idea of brushed films was born.

1960s: An Interesting Idea Begins the Quest
In the early 1960s, one major United States department store wanted a floor tile finish that would have the appearance of stainless steel for an upcoming launch. The original founders of what is now Brushfoil, LLC were called on to accept the creative challenge. Early attempts proved unsuccessful, because dirt and “hairs” (small flecks that remain on the material) resulted in the processing. This might have been the end of brushed foils, but the belief that it could be done and the interest in getting “the look” grew.

By the mid-1960s, the technology had progressed somewhat. The founders, now selling to the pressure sensitive label market, introduced what is still one of the most popular labels, the brushed silver (or chrome) finish. Although the quality was still poor, with hairs throughout the thick film that was needed to prevent tearing in the abrasion process, the continuing popularity prompted them to build a machine expressly for this use.

1970s: Demand Leads to Advances
Brushed film finishes caught the eye of the appliance designers in the 1970s. They pressured hot stamp foil suppliers to come up with a good, durable product they could adhere to the crisper drawers inside refrigerators. Again, quality needed to be improved, so more modifications were made to the initial equipment design in order to produce a product with a minimum of flaws. Once accomplished to the customers’ satisfaction, the hot stamp foil manufacturers opened up the market for brushed films that continues to expand.

Technology Accelerates in the New Millennium
Today, the state-of-the-art process for creating brushed films has improved significantly, so that final products now are free of dirt and imperfections. Although far better than their predecessors, brushed foil finishes are still selected for the same reasons as in the early ’60s: They offer a low-cost alternative to real stainless steel at a fraction of the weight. Now you will find brushed finishes on everything from desk and door signs to trophies and plaques to P-O-P displays and retail packaging to entire refrigerator doors. In fact, all the appliances in many kitchens are being decorated with a brushed silver laminating film because of the added benefit that, when properly composed, brushed film is not susceptible to fingerprints.

Currently, brushed films also are being used for completely non-visual projects. Some companies that are marrying two types of film, or even laminating a polyester film with another substrate, have found that by brushing the surface of the polyester, it tremendously improves bonding capabilities.

The recent introduction of brushed metallized papers has once again opened up new possibilities, and uses for brushed foil films and papers continue to increase as companies of all kinds discover the benefits of this product and its finish. Maintaining the heritage of its founders, Brushfoil intends to remain at the cutting edge of this technology. Browse through our Gallery of successful solutions that we recently have provided to our customers and contact us or request samples of our product.