Pop-up hair foil
Pop-up hair foil is pre-cut aluminium foil, interfolded so that each sheet pulled from the box brings up the next. We make it in 5 × 10.75 in to 8 × 11 in, 12–20 µm thick, smooth or embossed, packed 200 or 500 sheets to a box as standard. The minimum order is 100 boxes.
Key specs
| Size | 5 × 10.75 in, 5 × 11 in, 6 × 10.75 in, 8 × 11 in; custom sizes to order |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 12–20 µm |
| Alloy and temper | 8011-O |
| Finish | Smooth, honeycomb emboss, diamond emboss |
| Colour | Silver, gold, rose gold, black, printed |
| Pre-folded edge | 15 mm |
| Sheets per box | 500, 200; other counts to order |
| Box type | Pop-up dispenser box; pop-up box with perforated push-up base, or your own box |
| MOQ | 100 boxes stock; 1,000 boxes per design custom |
| Lead time | 15–20 days from order to dispatch; samples in 1–3 days |
Price depends on thickness, size, finish and quantity: see hair foil pricing and MOQ and lead time by format.
Available sizes
| Size | mm | Best for | Hair length | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 × 10.75 in | 127 × 273 mm | Full highlights, partial highlights | Short to medium | Available |
| 5 × 11 in | 127 × 279 mm | Full highlights, partial highlights, babylights | Short to medium | Available |
| 6 × 10.75 in | 152 × 273 mm | Balayage, full highlights | Medium to long | Available |
| 8 × 11 in | 203 × 279 mm | Balayage, foilyage | Medium to long | Available |
How pop-up foil is folded
Pop-up foil is interfolded. Every sheet is folded once, and the folded half of one sheet sits inside the fold of the next. Pulling the top sheet through the opening of the box drags the leading edge of the following sheet up with it, so a sheet is always standing ready and can be taken with one hand.
On our line the foil is slit to the sheet width, embossed if the order calls for it, cut and interfolded, then counted into boxes. The fold is the step that decides how the box behaves at the chair: the overlap has to be long enough to lift the next sheet and short enough to let go of it.
Box options
Pop-up foil ships in a dispenser box with an opening in the top face. Two constructions are available:
- Pop-up dispenser box. A carton with a dispensing opening, printed with your artwork or supplied plain.
- Pop-up box with a perforated push-up base. The base panel is perforated so that it can be pushed up as the stack gets low, which keeps the last sheets within reach of the opening.
Box size follows the sheet size and the sheet count. Retail hanging and display packaging is covered under hair foil packaging options, and the box templates are on the dielines and artwork templates page.
Pre-folded edge
A pre-folded edge is a narrow fold along one short end of the sheet. It gives a doubled, stiffer edge to place at the root and a straight line to rest the comb against, and it saves the colourist from folding each sheet by hand.
We fold the edge at 15 mm. The fold width is part of the specification you approve on the sample, because it changes the usable length of the sheet.
Dispensing quality
A pop-up box can fail in three ways: two sheets come out together, the next sheet does not follow, or a sheet tears at the opening. We check for all three by pulling every sheet from a full box and counting the pulls that deliver exactly one sheet.
Pop-up dispense
- What it checks
- Do sheets stick together or come out more than one at a time?
- How
- Pull every sheet from each box in turn; record double pulls, stuck sheets, empty pulls and tears separately.
Flatness on arrival is tested separately, because a box that dispenses well at the factory can still arrive creased. Both methods are set out on how we test hair foil, and the manufacturing causes behind each fault are explained in why pop-up foils stick, tear or arrive bent.
QC checks for pop-up hair foil
How we test hair foil| Test | What it checks | How |
|---|---|---|
| Pop-up dispense | Do sheets stick together or come out more than one at a time? | Pull every sheet from each box in turn; record double pulls, stuck sheets, empty pulls and tears separately. |
| Fold-with-bleach integrity | Does the foil tear when folded with bleach on it? | Apply the same bleach formula at the same coverage and contact time, fold the foil three times and inspect each fold. |
| Comb-tail pierce | Does a tail comb pierce the foil? | Draw a tail comb across the foil with the same comb tip, support, force and stroke length for every sheet; record the number pierced. |
| Transit condition | Do boxes arrive usable, with the sheets flat? | Put packed export cartons through a drop and stacking sequence chosen for the carton weight and the shipping mode, then open them and check each box and its dispensing. |
Compare formats
Pop-up vs pre-cut vs roll hair foil, compared in full| Pop-upthis page | Pre-cut sheets | Roll | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it dispenses | One sheet at a time, from the box | Lifted from a flat stack | Pulled and cut to length |
| Sheet length | Fixed | Fixed | Any length |
| Hands needed | One | One or two | Two, plus a cutter |
| Offcut waste | None | None | Depends on the cutting |
| Suits | Standard sizes at a busy station | Long and wide sheets | Mixed lengths in one service |
Pop-up hair foil FAQ
How many sheets are in a box of pop-up hair foil?
A box of pop-up hair foil from Hair Foil Factory holds 200 sheets or 500 sheets. Other counts can be packed for private label orders. The sheet count sets the depth of the box and is printed on it, so the count is fixed before the box artwork is drawn.
What sizes does pop-up hair foil come in?
Pop-up hair foil comes in 5 × 10.75 in, 5 × 11 in, 6 × 10.75 in and 8 × 11 in. The narrower sheets suit fine weaves and babylights; the wider sheets suit balayage and broader sections. The hair foil size chart shows every size drawn to one scale, in inches and millimetres.
Why do some pop-up foils pull out two at a time?
Pop-up foils pull out two at a time when the interfold overlap is too long, when sheets cling together along a cut edge, or when the box opening is too loose to hold the next sheet back. Fold accuracy, a clean cut and the size of the opening control single-sheet dispensing. We test pop-up dispensing by pulling every sheet from a full box.
Can pop-up hair foil be printed with my design?
Yes. Pop-up hair foil can be printed with a pattern or logo, and the box printed with your brand. Printed foil is tested against bleach and developer; the method and results are on the printed ink bleach test page. The minimum order for a printed pop-up design is 1,000 boxes per design.
What is the MOQ for custom pop-up foil?
The MOQ for custom pop-up hair foil is 1,000 boxes per design. Stock pop-up foil in a plain box starts at 100 boxes. Whether the foil itself is printed or only the box changes the minimum; the MOQ and lead time page lists both cases for every format.