Professional Embossing in New York City

What Embossing Does

Embossing creates raised designs, or lettering, on various kinds of paper stocks, for a stylish, tasteful design element. It adds texture and depth to a product, and looks and feels even better on heavier papers, where the contrast is greater. It’s especially good for printed products that will be touched and handled personally by your customers or guests — there’s just something appealing, not to mention classy, about an embossed logo or initials on paper that you can run your fingers over.

It’s done by using etched dies and counter dies, custom made for each order, along with a heating process, to press on both sides of a sheet of paper. This pushes the embossed design or lettering above the paper’s surface, like a reverse stamping effect. We can “blind emboss,” meaning that no ink, color or foil is used and the emboss is simply raised paper, or we can add ink of various colors to highlight the embossed image or lettering.

Some clients also like the look of combining foil stamping with embossing, also called combination stamping. Doing this can create a 3D raised image, such as a company logo or name, that also shines for a bold, eye-catching look on press kits, rack cards, trade show materials, and pitch or presentation projects.

Debossing

Debossing is the opposite effect to embossing, and gives a more subtle look, with a recessed image instead of a raised one. The process to create a debossed logo or lettering uses similar etched dies and counter dies to the embossing process, but they are pressed into the front of the paper stock to create an indentation instead.

Both embossing and debossing can be done with single-level dies, which give a flat, subtle look, or multi-level dies, which create a more robust 3D effect.

More Finishing Options

Thomas Group Printing also is capable of many other specialty finishing processes, whether you’re printing on a traditional offset press or taking advantage of our digital printing services. We can add engraving, die-cutting, ink and foil stamping, UV and other coatings, binding, packaging and fulfillment to get your project out the door on time.

We pride ourselves on being a full-service commercial printer to NYC, and can provide our clients with a wide range of printing choices. If you don’t see details on a type of finishing or specialty printing you’re interested in, talk to our experienced press team to find out what we can do and how we can deliver your printed product just the way you want it.