Heat stamping, or hot stamping, is a process in which an engraved image mould or hot stamping die is heated then forced down against a product with a colored marking foil sandwiched in between. The area where the die cast mould meets the product is where the ink from the foil is left behind. Heat stamping can be used to mark a multitude of different materials, mostly plastic and wood. The most attractive aspect of heat stamping is that it is a dry process, so there is no need to worry about mixing inks.