The "What Is This?" game

[Watcher]

Gold leaf?

Hard to tell material when it's spinning, but it looks to be soft cloth rollers like a polishing wheel.

[mennobike]

Still don't understand why someone would put text on gold leaf. But I don't have a better idea. 

[Elmojo]

Yep, it's gold foil. Most likely not real gold, but you get the idea.
The rollers are lamb's wool, just to protect the delicate foil.

Sooo....can anyone think of what industry would put text on gold foil, and why?
It'll be somewhat obvious when you heard the reason.

FYI: The machine in the photo is currently in use, it's not an antique or on display, though I can't say how old it is.

[Watcher]

Yep, it's gold foil. Most likely not real gold, but you get the idea.
The rollers are lamb's wool, just to protect the delicate foil.

Sooo....can anyone think of what industry would put text on gold foil, and why?
It'll be somewhat obvious when you heard the reason.

Placks? 

[Elmojo]

What's are placks? 

[mennobike]

Think watcher may have meant plaques...

[Elmojo]

Oh, right! Sorry.
Nope, not those either.
You're kinda sorta in the right industry though.

[Watcher]

Think watcher may have meant plaques...

Yeah, I did.

"Plaques" initially looked a bit odd to me, and when I googled it to double check the spelling I got that stuff that builds up on your teeth.  When I googled "plack" I got images of, well, plaques.  So I went with the latter.
Combine the haste associated with using a phone for personal use while on the clock at your job with a touch of laziness and you get all kinds of horrid semantics.


Anyway, if it's like plaques but not plaques the only other thing I can think of that might have fancy gold-foil writing or images on it would be a box.  Like a fancy box you'd buy an expensive bottle of champagne in, or maybe like a wedding invitation or something of that nature.

[Janx101]

Rich bastard xmas decorations?

[mennobike]

janx, I really hope that's right   

[Elmojo]

Watcher and Janx sorta close, but still not it.
Watcher, when I said sorta like plaques, I meant that it's a similar process, not a similar end product.

HINT: Janx is closest so far with xmas cards.
The part that's right is that the method of applying the foil/text to the product is the same as it would be in you were making a fancy greeting card.

[mennobike]

It's centered text, there's a fair amount of it... Hmm...  who writes on gold leaf?

[pliskin]

trading cards

[Elmojo]

Not a card at all, but a similar process.
Is it time for another hint?
I really didn't think this would be a stumper.

[Janx101]

Church decorations then?

[Elmojo]

Nope!

[Watcher]

Window application?

[Elmojo]

Windows? Nah.
Think smaller, not larger.

[Janx101]

... 27 posts (incl mojo replies)  since the photo... yep another hint please!

[Elmojo]

Ok, fair enough...

Why would the text be gold?
Could it be to make an IMPRESSION on the viewer?
Sometimes, even a simple difference can make a common thing rather imPRESSive.
I hope that's not too cryptic.