How to get started Embossing ?

[GIA-print]

I don’t know anything about embossing -- is there a way to get into embossing on a small scale?

I print short run announcement and holiday cards, 200-500 per run. Is there a way to emboss a raised ridge around the card without spending a fortune?

What kind of equipment is available for entry-level small-scale embossing projects like this?

[sorm]

What you want for blind embossing is a letterpress. Often you will find letterpresses in good working condition for $2500-$3500, but because these are heavy machines it will cost to ship and rig them.

A heidelberg windmill press would fit the bill and look quite nice in any shop

Look at the cards on the bottom of this page http://blog.sub-studio.com/labels/letterpress.html from done by MoonTree Arts on a Heidelberg windmill.

[sorm]

There is a Kludge foil stamper that can be used as a blind embosser on ebay right now too:
http://cgi.ebay.com/KLUGE-FOIL-STAMP...QQcmdZViewItem

For an introduction to letterpress printing also see:
http://www.fiveroses.org/intro.htm
and
http://reviews.ebay.com/Choosing-a-l...:-1:LISTINGS:1

[GIA-print]

Thanks sorm. How do you create the master relief "plates" for a letterpress?

Are there any online videos of a letterpress operating?

[sorm]

Here are a few videos which I think you'll enjoy viewing if you're excited about getting into letterpress work:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv69kB_e9KY - highly produced video of a manual fed letterpress, cast lead type and repeated steel graphics, inking


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOdGYUuQebI - a Heidelberg Windmill press showing automatic paper feeding blind embossing and the beauty of the Heidelberg windmill in action


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4Ttv5XtwE - a larger production environment using two Heidelberg Windmill presses, magnesium plates.

[GIA-print]

To raise or emboss a large area, do you simply create a master that is the whole area not embossed? Or do you use a soft backing so the embossed area presses all the way through the sheet? Or do you need a two part master (front and back) to create a crisp embossed design?