Yesterday I was at a trade show in Santa Rosa and stopped to talk to one of the vendors. He handed me his business card. I looked at it and held it in my hand while I talked to him. I noticed that I was rubbing the card between my fingers.
After I finished talking with him, I walked away and looked more closely at the card. It was embossed. I have known about embossing for many years but had never had such a personal experience with it. It had really drawn me in.
Embossing and debossing can certainly draw attention to your printed pieces. Embossing is usually subtle and adds a sophisticated and elegant touch to a business card or letterhead.
How is it done?
Embossing, or its opposite cousin, debossing, is typically done with a die and counter. The die is usually made from metal, often copper or magnesium, and the counter is made from a plastic or polymer based material that is capable of taking the pressure and still keep the details present. It is usually done on a letterpress.
The die is a convex impression of the image and the counter is the positive or concave impression. When the two are fitted together a nice impression is created in the paper or card stock.
Types of Embossing
You can use embossing by itself, with no ink, called blind embossing. 
It can also be used in conjunction with ink, called register embossing.
It also can be used with foil stamping, which when embossed with foil is known as foil/embossing or combination stamping. This can produce outstanding results, but it is more expensive since a specialized die needs to be created and two passes need to be made through the press. The first press pass stamps the foil and second pass creates the emboss.
At Ajalon Printing we can do all of these processes in our own shop, ensuring consistent quality. So when you are wanting to improve the ‘feel’ of any of your printed material give us a call, 707.528.0288, or visit our web site at http:/www.ajalon.com. We have been right here in Sonoma County for over 50 years and are ready to help you.
Written By David Walrath
Ajalon Printing & Design
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