What is embossing and debossing?
Embossing presses a design up from the back of the paper so it stands out in relief; debossing presses it down into the front. Both use a pair of shaped metal dies.
What it means for your file
Blind embossing has no ink or foil, only shape; registered embossing lines up with printed artwork, and foil can be stamped and embossed in one pass. The file needs the raised or pressed area as its own layer of solid vector shapes, and thick, soft, uncoated stocks hold the shape best.
An example
A business card with a blind-debossed logo has the logo pressed into the front of thick cotton card, with no ink at all. The file has the printed artwork, plus a separate layer or page holding only the logo as solid 100% vector shapes in a spot swatch, and the printer has the die made from that.
A common mistake
Forgetting the back of the sheet. An emboss is pushed up from behind, so the reverse shows a matching dent, and a deboss leaves a slight bump. Keep text and fine detail on the back clear of that area, or use a thicker or duplexed (two sheets pasted together) stock. Very fine lines and small type don’t hold their shape either, so ask the printer for their minimums.
How to fix it
If your printer sent the file back saying “The foil (or spot UV) needs its own layer,” the fix page has the step-by-step way to do it yourself, and a fixed price if you’d rather have it done.
All print terms in the glossary, or run your file through the free print-ready checker.
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