Emboss: 4 simple ideas to make your business cards look exceptional
Choose elements to emboss
Emboss is a technology where certain areas of your business cards are raised according to your design. This will create a concurrent dip on the back of the business card. This is referred to as debossing. Here you can read more information about emboss vs deboss. So if one side of the card is embossed, the other side is automatically debossed. This will give a hill and valley kind of impression on your business cards. This technology gives an impression of seriousness but also a bit of playfulness. For a perfect design the logo can be popped out on one side in various shapes thereby bringing out the creativity in your business.
On the top side of the business card you can have information such as the logo and just a few modifications on the business cards in terms of the shapes that have been embossed. These shapes will affect the back side of the card as well through debossing. Further, on the back side, you can have other information such as contact information and online links.
Use blind emboss just for tactile feel
We always recommend choosing a blind emboss instead of an embossed print with color. The colorless emboss on the surface of the paper has a much stronger optical expression. This printing method is suitable for the paper of any color and texture. Meanwhile, pop out with some ink color will be less noticeable – less optically expressed. The bigger is the contrast between the paper and the color of the raised object, the harder it will be to notice pop out. Therefore, we always recommend printing blind emboss or colorful deboss.
Combine emboss with gloss foil
Blind emboss looks really good, but emboss with foil looks even more attractive. Emboss with gloss foil is especially suitable for darker papers. If a glossy embossing accentuates the embossing, then the embossing with ink reduces the feeling of relief. We strongly recommend avoiding embossing on contrasting objects, such as embossing a dark object on white paper, or a white object embossing on black paper will be almost imperceptible.
Be creative
Usually emboss is visible on both sides of the business card – the object is raised on one side and impressed on the other – such printing method can lead to very creative designs. For example, your name, or your company logo, can leave a printed footprint on the backside of your business cards. There is no need to fear that the object on the other side will look mirrored, everyone will understand that the print is simply a mirror image of the emboss.
Letterpress printing and blind emboss overlapping will give you an interesting effect – as if the printed text had risen and let the embossed roller coaster on your business cards.
Also, embossing can be done so that no markings are visible on the other side of the business cards. This is great if you want the information printed on the backside not to be overwhelmed with mirror debossed elements. However, the production of such business cards is more expensive because we glue the embossed side with a flat sheet and hide backside deboss marks. This looks surprising when people are flipping such business card as it is quite difficult to understand how one side has popped out and the opposite side is flat.
Business cards with emboss – whats your choice?
Now you know how to make your business cards even more exceptional using the emboss printing method. It’s is no problem if you are not a designer, just think about how you want your card to look and write to us. Our professional team will advise you what printing method should be chosen for achieving the best results and will help with your business cards design.
