Embossing

embossing, art of producing raised patterns on the surface of metal, leather, textiles, paper, and other similar substances. Strictly speaking, the term is applicable only to raised impressions produced by means of engraved dies or plates. Crests, monograms, and addresses may be embossed on paper and envelopes from dies set either in small handscrew presses or in ordinary letterpresses. Blocked ornaments on book covers or imitation tooling on leatherwork can be effected by means of powerful embossing presses. For impressing embossed patterns on wallpapers, textiles, and felt, copper cylinders are engraved with the patterns to be raised. The cylinders press against rollers with yielding surfaces or with elevations and depressions corresponding in reverse to those on the cylinders.