Embossing setup

Hello, are you going to blind emboss? or are you going to emboss an image that you just foil stamped….or God forbid are you stamping over a letterpressed inked image? If you are going to blind emboss on blank paper, then the answer is, no you do not need EMBOSSING film. The release film is used when you are using a poured counter (liquid counter—-epoxy—bondo, etc). …release film is used between the die and the liquid counter to keep the counter material from sticking to the embossing die. You said the die maker is furnishing you with a counter. You don”t need anything. Run the job!!!! FYI embossing film is sometimes used of a foiled image, an inked image or sometimes over some coated papers ….it is an awesome arrow to have in your quiver…you never know when it’s need will arise. Embossing film and release film are two different items.When I was starting out a real problem I had was those confounded plastic (some times wood) alignment dowel pins. I don’t use them any more, I put double stick tape on the back of the counter, place the counter on the die (while the chase is sitting on the stone) I place a dab or thick grease…(such as wheel bearing grease) on the die face and place the counter on it, pushing it into the die. Place the chase into the press and s l o w l e y close the press. Open slowly. After cleaning grease off with a solvent dampened (not drenched) rag. B=4 pulling that first impression….do a little MATH..get your impression set as closely as possible to what you think you need. C&P or Kluge press …a snap. Good luck, Bud.

Hello, are you going to blind emboss? or are you going to emboss an image that you just foil stamped….or God forbid are you stamping over a letterpressed inked image? If you are going to blind emboss on blank paper, then the answer is, no you do not need EMBOSSING film. The release film is used when you are using a poured counter (liquid counter—-epoxy—bondo, etc). …release film is used between the die and the liquid counter to keep the counter material from sticking to the embossing die. You said the die maker is furnishing you with a counter. You don”t need anything. Run the job!!!! FYI embossing film is sometimes used of a foiled image, an inked image or sometimes over some coated papers ….it is an awesome arrow to have in your quiver…you never know when it’s need will arise. Embossing film and release film are two different items.When I was starting out a real problem I had was those confounded plastic (some times wood) alignment dowel pins. I don’t use them any more, I put double stick tape on the back of the counter, place the counter on the die (while the chase is sitting on the stone) I place a dab or thick grease…(such as wheel bearing grease) on the die face and place the counter on it, pushing it into the die. Place the chase into the press and s l o w l e y close the press. Open slowly. After cleaning grease off with a solvent dampened (not drenched) rag. B=4 pulling that first impression….do a little MATH..get your impression set as closely as possible to what you think you need. C&P or Kluge press …a snap. Good luck, Bud.

Hello, are you going to blind emboss? or are you going to emboss an image that you just foil stamped….or God forbid are you stamping over a letterpressed inked image? If you are going to blind emboss on blank paper, then the answer is, no you do not need EMBOSSING film. The release film is used when you are using a poured counter (liquid counter—-epoxy—bondo, etc). …release film is used between the die and the liquid counter to keep the counter material from sticking to the embossing die. You said the die maker is furnishing you with a counter. You don”t need anything. Run the job!!!! FYI embossing film is sometimes used of a foiled image, an inked image or sometimes over some coated papers ….it is an awesome arrow to have in your quiver…you never know when it’s need will arise. Embossing film and release film are two different items.When I was starting out a real problem I had was those confounded plastic (some times wood) alignment dowel pins. I don’t use them any more, I put double stick tape on the back of the counter, place the counter on the die (while the chase is sitting on the stone) I place a dab or thick grease…(such as wheel bearing grease) on the die face and place the counter on it, pushing it into the die. Place the chase into the press and s l o w l e y close the press. Open slowly. After cleaning grease off with a solvent dampened (not drenched) rag. B=4 pulling that first impression….do a little MATH..get your impression set as closely as possible to what you think you need. C&P or Kluge press …a snap. Good luck, Bud.

Hello, are you going to blind emboss? or are you going to emboss an image that you just foil stamped….or God forbid are you stamping over a letterpressed inked image? If you are going to blind emboss on blank paper, then the answer is, no you do not need EMBOSSING film. The release film is used when you are using a poured counter (liquid counter—-epoxy—bondo, etc). …release film is used between the die and the liquid counter to keep the counter material from sticking to the embossing die. You said the die maker is furnishing you with a counter. You don”t need anything. Run the job!!!! FYI embossing film is sometimes used of a foiled image, an inked image or sometimes over some coated papers ….it is an awesome arrow to have in your quiver…you never know when it’s need will arise. Embossing film and release film are two different items.When I was starting out a real problem I had was those confounded plastic (some times wood) alignment dowel pins. I don’t use them any more, I put double stick tape on the back of the counter, place the counter on the die (while the chase is sitting on the stone) I place a dab or thick grease…(such as wheel bearing grease) on the die face and place the counter on it, pushing it into the die. Place the chase into the press and s l o w l e y close the press. Open slowly. After cleaning grease off with a solvent dampened (not drenched) rag. B=4 pulling that first impression….do a little MATH..get your impression set as closely as possible to what you think you need. C&P or Kluge press …a snap. Good luck, Bud.

Hello, are you going to blind emboss? or are you going to emboss an image that you just foil stamped….or God forbid are you stamping over a letterpressed inked image? If you are going to blind emboss on blank paper, then the answer is, no you do not need EMBOSSING film. The release film is used when you are using a poured counter (liquid counter—-epoxy—bondo, etc). …release film is used between the die and the liquid counter to keep the counter material from sticking to the embossing die. You said the die maker is furnishing you with a counter. You don”t need anything. Run the job!!!! FYI embossing film is sometimes used of a foiled image, an inked image or sometimes over some coated papers ….it is an awesome arrow to have in your quiver…you never know when it’s need will arise. Embossing film and release film are two different items.When I was starting out a real problem I had was those confounded plastic (some times wood) alignment dowel pins. I don’t use them any more, I put double stick tape on the back of the counter, place the counter on the die (while the chase is sitting on the stone) I place a dab or thick grease…(such as wheel bearing grease) on the die face and place the counter on it, pushing it into the die. Place the chase into the press and s l o w l e y close the press. Open slowly. After cleaning grease off with a solvent dampened (not drenched) rag. B=4 pulling that first impression….do a little MATH..get your impression set as closely as possible to what you think you need. C&P or Kluge press …a snap. Good luck, Bud.

Hot embossing on letterpress print looks great and release film or mylar will stop the ink and paper from being picked off by the hot die. May the gods forgive me.

2227printer - Mike -Thank you all for the great advise. This will be a hot blind emboss on Lettra. We are working with a copperdie for Infintey( UEI). We are wondering what temp to start with. I was not sure if it took less or more heat than foil.

Release film( I wont need it for this job - but) - I cant figure this out. Iam not sure how to attach or use it. Does the release film pull like a foil pulls or is it just an over lay.

you may not need the film and it does not have to pull like foil

Hello, embossing usually requires less heat that foil stamping. Try 200 degrees. When using release film, you simply cut a small piece …say 3” longer and wider than your die. Place over your uncured (liquid) counter, then close your press. It is simply a barrier to keep the die from coming in contact with the counter material. If the die was to come in contact with the counter material while the counter compound was still liquid IT WOULD RUIN YOUR DIE. Have fun. Bud

Thanks for all the advise. I think I will pull my hair out first, so I wont have to worry about losing it while doing this.

It’s not gone already due to everything else printing?

Haven - I still have my hair - my sanity is long gone.

Hey Western, how did the embossing turn out?

We calculated the largest size die we could lock up due to the size of our hot plate and bunter posts. The die came back 1/2 inch larger all around so we could not lock it up and had to to have someone else do the work. It was the first we ever used Infinity for an embossing die and the die and counter did a great job. Even our letterpress shop like the performance.

The way it was done in small jobbing shops over here in the UK, back in the 1950s was to get a metal line block of the
recessed image and mount that in the chase, then applying
a patch of hot gutta percha to the platen in the right general area, then slowly close the press and allow to cool.
Once the G.P. had hardened off, away you went, It had the merit of being cheap and easy, but only for fairly simple designs, pre-printed or just blind emboss.