A thin-walled hot foil stamping cylinder of predetermined diameter is formed from an extruded cylindrical tube having a wall of initially uniform cross-sectional thickness. Portions of the outer cylindrical surface of the wall are relieved to define raised, outwardly-projecting hot foil stamping indicia. End caps close opposed ends of the cylindrical tube. One of the end caps is provided with a passage therethrough for introduction of hot oil into the cylindrical interior space of the tube. A passage in at least one of the end caps that communicates with the interior of the tube permits selective draining of oil from the tube. The overall outer surface of the tube may be machined to reduce the tube to a predetermined diameter, prior to relieving the surface thereof to form the indicia. In this manner, a single extruded tube may be used to produce hot foil stamping cylinders of individual diameters corresponding to standard image repeats.