Book embossing with foil or blind stamp
Book embossing with foil or blind stamp.
Book embossing with foil or blind stamp. Terminology is important and is often confusing when we discuss foil embossing. The following are terms to know to enhance the look and feel of a book.
| Emboss: | To raise a surface. We need to create a metal die. |
| Deboss: | To depress a surface. We need to create a metal die. |
| Stamp: | Depress a surface on the cover. |
| Blind stamp: | Referring to an area that will stamped, but no foil will apply. |
| Foil: | Applies to either a stamping or embossing area. |
The most common applications:
- Foil embossing of a dust jacket or on a cover wrap that is printing.
- Foil stamp on a cover wrap.
Most often a foil emboss (emboss = to raise) is for a soft cover book or a dust jacket over a hardcover book. Although you can emboss a hardcover book on the cover that is printing too. Foils come is many colors and even patterns.
A foil stamp (stamp = to depress) is for any surface, but is a popular choice for the spine and front cover of hardcover books.
Most of these options are not available at POD services. If you really feel that you must go POD, first, check to see if any of these options are available.
Foil emboss / stamp InDesign file set-up
Foil or Blind stamp
After designing the book cover, duplicate the InDesign file showing just the spine and front cover in black. A die is made from the file.
A stamp or a deboss is seldom on the back cover. SPB does not use the standard block letters on the spine that some POD services require. We print or make a die from your file.
The die stamps or burnishes areas on the cover and spine for the book title, author’s name, and the area where the tip-on sticker might apply by hand. The title and author area may have foil or not foil. If it has no foil, we call that a blind stamp instead of a foil stamp.
Foil or Blind emboss
Duplicate the file. Remove anything not to emboss, which usually leaves the book title and maybe the author’s name. Change the color to black for this die file. Any intricate details cannot emboss.
Note: Do not confuse the cover wrap with a dust jacket.
