Basics of Embossing

Embossing is that activity used to produce a raised design, pattern or lettering on a plain surface such as paper. It can be done on virtually any paper and adds nearly instantaneous personal touches to letters, greeting cards, gifts, and more.

Tools needed for embossing include some sort of template that will determine the shape of the embossing, an embossing stylus and the paper to be embossed. Working on a lighted surface, such as a light box, makes the task easier.

Most templates for embossing are made of brass. Common materials can be used to create original designs. These might include heavy Mylar, lightweight stencil cards, stencil vinyl, or even heavy card stock. Almost any thin material that can be easily cut with a stencil knife can be used to design a template. If you choose a template master material that is thick, you will want to choose a paper that has a lot of stretch strength. This might include papers created for use by watercolorists or for drawing/pastel. They usually contain a high degree of cotton fibers and are very strong.

Choices in papers that will yield good results include most smooth surfaced, heavy bodied paper (perhaps some of the new metallic and pearlized cardstocks recently available); stationery papers and envelopes; and artists' papers such as those used for pencil and charcoal drawing. Although virtually any paper can be used, super thick or super thin papers are less satisfactory.

The stylus chosen might be a smooth handle with two ball-shaped tips attached. One end might be large and one end small. The large end is best for roughing in general shapes and large areas of dimension. The smaller ball is good for fine detail, small areas and contour definition. This tool is not expensive and will last a very long time.

The actual embossing method consists of rubbing the large ball stylus over the areas to be raised, then refining with the small ball stylus. This is done by laying the paper over the template, which is on a lighted surface or held to a bright window or, at the least, laid over a light surface. On templates that contain multiple images, care should be used when pressing the stylus so that only those areas desired are embossed. Rub lightly with the large ball to push the paper into the shape. Then bring in the final edge detail with the small stylus.

Once the paper is stretched into the contours of a given shape, the paper is remarkably sturdy. It is even possible to send envelopes through the mail and expect them to arrive with the flap embossing still clearly defined. Such embellishments add elegance and personality to all correspondence. Experiment, enjoy and have fun.