Book Cover Embossing and stamping with so many foil choices!
Book cover embossing is easy at Star Print Brokers. We have so many choices of foils. Yes, we have the usual gold and silver. We also have bronze and other metallic foils. They come is gloss, but some metallic foils can also be matte. Think about what color cloth you would like to cover your book, or leather for that matter. We can also do a printed cover wrap, and add foil stamping.
Then there are the solid colors, in metallic or solid pigment. Would you like a hologram texture? We have those too. The images do not show all the choices. Because we are brokers, we have even more choices that are shown here.
Your book cover embossing title can be truly unique.
Self-publishers need to know the difference between stamping and embossing, and where to use each technique.
But, first let’s get our terms right for book cover embossing. To emboss is to raise. To stamp is to depress.
Blind embossing
Blind book cover embossing means that the surface of a title for example, is raised, but we do not add any foil. It is “blind.” You cannot emboss a hardcover book, but your can stamp it.
Examples: a soft cover book cover and spine, a dust jacket.
Foil embossing
Foil book cover embossing has the surface of the embossing raised, and we add a foil or foils. Usually this is used on a title, but a symbol or illustration could emboss with foil.
Examples: a soft cover book cover and spine, a dust jacket.
Blind stamping
Blind stamping means that the surface of a title depresses, but we do not add any foil. A blind stamp is very nice when hot stamping a symbol or logo to leave a noticeable, yet subtle mark. We also will blind stamp an area on a hardcover that will later we print and affix a tip-on image in the form of a permanent adhesive, UV coated sticker. Very elegant and artistic!
Examples: a hardcover book, a slip case.
Foil stamping
Foil stamping means that the surface of the stamped area will depress, and we add foil. We delight in telling self-publishers that they can have the title of their book on the spine too. And, they can have it in the same typeface as on the front cover! With most print on-demand places — if they do foil stamping at all — it is in block letters, not your title’s typeface. You can even add foil stamping to French flaps!
Examples: a hardcover or soft cover, French flaps, spine, or a slip case.
Two more things to know about book cover embossing or stamping
- To emboss or stamp, we needs to make a metal die. The size of the die has an effect on the cost of this option. You can use about a third of the cover without running into additional cost. Add the spine too. If it is a paperback size book, it should not affect the additional die cost, as it is already a reasonable size. Covering an entire cover of a coffee table book with embossing or stamping will cost a little extra, or on any large format book.
- Either you or your designer will make the emboss or stamp file in InDesign. It will be black and white with no screening.
When you are ready to get a book quote for book printing, be sure to mention that you also want book cover embossing. It is an additional costs, but, oh, so worth it! Be unique!
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