How to Dry Emboss on Cards

Dry embossing on a card creates a dimension to the card. The dry embossed area stands up on the paper without the use of any powders. It may seem like a difficult or intimidating thing to do, but it’s very simple. Read on to learn some simple steps so that you can find out how to emboss on cards yourself.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Embossing tool with medium ball
• Dense foam pad (an old mouse pad works well)
• Card or cardstock to emboss on
• Stencil or stamp and ink pad

How to Dry Emboss on Cards

1. Decide what you will do your embossing on. Will you emboss directly onto the face of the card or onto a piece of cardstock that will be taped to the card once the embossing is complete?

2. Use the stencil or stamp and ink pad. Either is fine. It depends on what you want the embossed image to be. With the stencil, you have 2 options: you can trace the image onto the back side of the paper or, if it's thick enough, you can just place it under the card or cardstock. With the stamp and ink pad, stamp the image onto the back side of the card or cardstock. Keep in mind that with the stamp of the image will be reversed when you emboss it because it’s put on the back side. You won’t have the same thing with a stencil because you can flip the stencil over.

3. With the embossing tool and the dense foam pad, start to emboss. Start with the rounded end of the embossing tool, if it has 2 different ends, in an area that you want to stand up on the card. Start at the edge of the area. Begin to press the embossing tool into the paper. Start with light pressure and increase the pressure used to press the image down into the foam pad. It may be useful to make very small circular motions with steady pressure that will create the desired imprint into the paper. Turning the paper over every once in awhile will give you an idea if your pressure is enough. You will also see how your image is coming along.

4. Continue dry embossing over the entire area. Keep in mind to leave enough paper in between the sections of the image to keep them from running together. This will also give your make a clean, crisp look.

5. Once the entire embossed area is complete, you can finish the card or apply the cardstock to the card you will use it on.

Tips & Warnings

• You can place a piece of cardstock over the back of the dry embossed image if you want to hide the traced or stamped image.

[amylaine]

on 3/31/2008 These are great instructions, thanks.