How to Emboss Paper (With and Without a Machine)

Don’t know how to emboss? Or want to know the fastest ways of embossing? You are in the right place. We will show you embossing a paper just in a few steps! Just set the stencil, trace the design, and go!

How to Emboss Paper: Step-by-Step Guideline

What We Will Need –

• A knife
• Cutting mat (old newspapers can also be used)
• Light source (you can use daylight also)
• Paper
• Cardboard/stencil
• Wax paper
• Tape or glue
• Embossing stylus
• Cardstock (1 sheet)/ heavy paper of any type

Set Your Stencil on a Window/Lightbox

Take a stencil and set it on a window or lightbox center. Use painter’s tape for it. The stencil side that is facing up to you must be the opposite of the embossed design. If you have multiple stencils, fully emboss one before going for the next.

Note: if you find a lack of light on the window surface, then take a transparent glass, set a light-source under it, and secure the stencil on it.

Tighten the Stencil

Tape the edges carefully. Make sure that the stencil stays flat and doesn’t move at all. Find a tape that can be removed cleanly without any kind of tear. Then rub wax paper for smooth and superfast embossing.

Trace the Design

On your lightbox and trace the design using your stylus. Don’t rip the paper, carefully mark the design. If needed, shade the solid parts or the outlines. A stylus bear ends of two different sizes; the larger side is for marking thicker lines and the smaller one is for the other parts of the stencil.

Finish It Nice and Clean

After tracing the design fully, take the paper out of the glass. Then remove the tape gently and admire the design. Now, you can color it with acrylics or chalk and highlight it using glitters.

Embossing Paper Without a Machine

Tools Needed

• Texture plate
• Paper (on which you want to emboss)
• Tape/glue
• Rolling pin
• Waxed paper

Steps

• First of all, select the texture plate. It depends on what type of design you want to get.
• Take a piece of paper and set it over the plate using tape.
• Put wax or rub a waxed paper on it. Waxworks as a lubricant and makes the paper smooth.
• Then notice that, on the other side of the paper, the design of the texture place will rise.
• Take an oppressor, with the big end of that, you can bring up the design on the front side of the paper too.

• Spray the paper with water. So, the paper will be moist and malleable.
• Then take it under the folded embossing folder.
• Use the rolling pin to roll over the paper for less time.
• Now take the paper out of the folder and hit it with the little ink pads

This method requires more time and effort than embossing by a machine. 

Embossing Paper with a Printing Press

Here we will use the mini half wood orienting press machine.

What to Collect?

• A woodcut with design
• Plastic hardboard
• Embossing paper

• Make a woodcut of your desired design
• Water-soluble ink
• Glass slab
• Hand-rolling press machine

Steps Needed

• Take a PVC or plastic hardboard with a square hole just in the middle of it. Make the hole just to hold the wood piece. Cut as a hole that can perfectly fit the woodcut.
• Then bring your paper, make it a little bit wet. So, while embossing, it will not make any unwanted distortion.
• Put some water-soluble relief ink on white paper, roll the ink by a little glass slab. And then, roll the slab over your woodcut. Thus, the design will get the color.
• Set the woodcut along with the hardboard on the press.
• Place the paper on which you want your design on the woodcut and put a hard paper on it.
• Now set the machine pressure and roll the wheel of the press. By this, the paper will go through the press.
• Finally, you can get your design on paper.

How to Emboss Letters on Paper

Instruments

• A dry paper
• Embossing pen
• Embossing powder
• Heat tool

How to proceed?

• First, rub the embossing surface with dry paper to eliminate static cling and dirt.
• Then write whatever you want to emboss with an embossing pen.
• After writing, apply the embossing powder. Use a tablespoon.
• Put a piece of paper down the surface. So, it will be easier to clean up after powdering the words.
• Cover all the words with embossing powder.
• Tap off the excess power on the paper sheet.
• Wipe off the excess powder from the surface that is still stuck.
• Use a heat tool or a hairdryer to heat the embossed words for about 30 seconds.
• Bring the heater closer to melt the powder together and you will look that the words will be shiny

Note: after heating the embossed words, you should heat the back of the surface. You can use powder of different colors.

Embossing Plates for Paper

Now we are going to make our embossing plates.

Steps:

• Collect the cutouts of the pattern you want (three or more cutouts are enough for this task).
• Tape them all together closely (use glue).
• Put the cutout set on the hardboard and bring your embossing plate on the cutout pattern.
• Now take the sandwich through the hand rolling press.
• Finally, take the cutouts over and get the desired design on the embossed plate.

Embossing Tool

One embossing tool bears heads of two different sizes at its two ends. 

It is used for?

• Tracing the design on your stencil, for raising the pattern on the embossing surface.
• Two different sizes of heads build up different layers on a single design.

Paper Embossing Stamp

They are made by hand. Steps of making an embossing stamp are:

• First of all, select your design and print it on hard plastic-type material. It is generally performed in a laser machine. 
• Apply pigment ink on it and carefully press the design onto the paper.
• Sprinkle embossing powder on the stamped image.
• Use the heat gun, and apply heat to the image closely until all power melted there.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What type of pens can be used for embossing?

You will get such pens named embossing pens. Instead of these, a ball pen also can do the same job.

2. What type of machines can be used instead of a heat gun for embossing?

You can use a hairdryer. Moreover, a toaster, cutting iron, or an electric stove can be used for melting the embossing powder.

3. What is the difference between heat embossing and heat gun?

Heat Embossing – A technique for embossed patterns that uses a stamp, embossing ink, embossing powder, and heat to create a raised pattern.

On the other side, Heat Gun – A tool used to direct high heat into a small space without generating air. During heat embossing, it is used to melt the embossing powder.

4. What is dry embossing?

In dry embossing, an impression is made by tracing a stencil with a stylus. Where die embossing is a method of dry embossing that uses a die plate. Dry embossing, or die embossing, is best demonstrated by the use of embossers. Embossers are handheld embossing tools used to create embosses effect on paper without using a die-cutting machine or professional printing service.

Conclusion

Last but not least, in addition to embossing machines, hand embossing is a useful skill if you don’t want to buy one. Hand embossing often rivals the results of craft machines that cost thousands of dollars. The process of dry embossing, also known as relief embossing, involves tracing a stencil using a stylus. 

Just read this article for a few minutes. You will get all the possible ways of embossing and be an embossing pro!