{"id":438,"date":"2012-03-30T11:30:24","date_gmt":"2012-03-30T11:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thisbloglife.com\/?p=438"},"modified":"2026-01-08T20:21:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T20:21:13","slug":"print-effects-without-ink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatkeith.com\/articles\/print-effects-without-ink\/","title":{"rendered":"Print effects without ink?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can you print without using ink, without applying some kind of colour to a surface?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are two processes that come to mind: embossing and die-cutting. They’re not generally options we get to play with as a rule, but that’s no reason not to look into the possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Embossing can be done with print or without. When it’s done alongside print that’s generally called colour or colour register embossing. Without ink it’s known as ‘blind embossing’, visible only through the shadows made by the embossed edges. Embossing paper is normally done with two-part presses, one pushing the paper into recesses in the other, with heat and moisture helping reshape rather than cut or tear the paper fibers. It\u2019s run separately from actual print as a different workflow, even if the emboss design is made to work directly with print elements, so there can be a significant cost. Talk to your printer before making any commitments. What\u2019s attractive about embossing is the tactile element this adds. A well-considered emboss (or deboss, where the paper is pushed down rather than up) takes a design from being purely visual and two-dimensional dimensional to having a surface with built-in edges. This could enhance something that\u2019s part of the print design or add a completely new layer of information to the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embossing isn’t just a decorative process. It is one of the methods used to produce braille, and it’s also used to add texture to paper towels and tissue, making them more effective. As long as the embossing doesn’t seal the fibers so the paper doesn’t absorb things well, I guess.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Die-cutting is another non-print \u2018printing\u2019 process. This is used to cut custom shapes in all sorts of materials, from leather to cardboard. With paper it\u2019s normally done in conjunction with the regular print process, using flatbed or rotary die presses. Metal blades are made up to the cutter design, then pressed into the material to cut it. With some cutter production methods the detail can be quite fine, but watch out for material strength; thin paper strands will tear at the first opportunity. If you want to make one-off or short-run work a laser cutter may be more appropriate, but for long runs you\u2019ll need to grit your teeth and factor in the cost of the die makeup and the print finishing work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t use embossing or die-cutting in a design there are ways to fake it. It won\u2019t be the same, but if the budget or material doesn\u2019t allow it you may be able to simulate embossing with simulated shadows in regular print. It\u2019s not all that easy to make it look convincing \u2013 watch out for the cheese factor \u2013 but it\u2019s doable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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