free watercolor printable + Minc gold foil

A few weeks ago I introduced you guys to the Minc, a new foil applicator from Heidi Swapp. This month I created a simple & elegant spring printable that looks great with or without the added glam of foil. I have more tips about the Minc to share with you as well – keep reading for that info and the free download!

The Minc is fun! There are a variety of methods for applying foil to a project, but the Minc is the easiest and most consistent method. All you do is print something out in black with a laser printer (or use a pre-printed Minc accessory), cut foil to cover the area you wanted “foiled”, place it in a protective sleeve, and run it through the machine.

When it comes out, you peel back the excess foil to see your newly foiled design. (Check out my first Minc post to see a video of just how easy it is.) Remember, you can find the Minc at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, Hobby Lobby, and local craft stores, as well as on Amazon, where you can get a great deal right now ($120 instead of $150, affiliate link).

I printed my design at Fedex Office, which was very convenient. You can upload your file online and choose your paper, then pick it up an hour or so later at your local store. I tried both the 80lb laser paper and the glossy coverstock paper. Both papers took the foil transfer very well. The coverstock is quite thick and sturdy, while the 80lb laser paper isn’t quite as thick as a traditional cardstock. The 80lb paper is a little brighter white than the coverstock.

A few tips if you’re only adding foil to part of your project:

the Minc instructions say it will only transfer foil to black areas, however, on my first try some of the foil did adhere to the colored parts of the flowers. So be sure to cut the foil so it only covers the portion you want foiled.
when I ran this printable through the Minc, some of the colored toner pulled away from the design and stuck to the protective sleeve. I was able to clean it off using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. In the future, I’m going to try covering the other portions of my design with wax paper to make sure this doesn’t happen.
I ordered 3 copies of my print just to make sure I’d have a few extras if I didn’t like the first run, or if I decided I wanted a different color. Especially when you’re starting out with the Minc I’d recommend printing an extra in case you run into problems.

I also got my hands on the Minc butterflies I mentioned last time – they’re gorgeous!

Ok, here’s your free download. Click here to download the PDF file. It’s sized at 8.5×11 to print in a standard printer, but it should work just fine if you want to print it as an 8×10 photo as well. It looks really pretty even when it’s not foiled!