Heat Embossing for Absolute Beginners
· 13:32 video · Beginner
Everything that goes wrong the first time you heat emboss, and how to stop each one happening.
The video for this tutorial is being recorded. The written steps and supply list below are complete and ready to follow.
The video only loads when you press play, so nothing is tracked before you choose to watch.
What’s in the video
- What embossing actually is
- Static and stray powder
- Choosing your ink
- Heating technique
- Gold on dark, white on kraft
About this project
Heat embossing gives you a raised, glossy image that looks like it came from a print shop, and it is much easier than it appears — but almost everybody has a frustrating first attempt. Powder sticks where it should not, images come out patchy, cardstock scorches. In this tutorial I go through each of those failures in turn, show you what causes it, and show the fix. We emboss in gold on dark cardstock and in white on kraft, because those two combinations cover most of what you will actually want to do.
What you’ll learn
- Why static is the cause of almost every stray speck of powder
- How to tell when the powder has actually melted
- Stopping cardstock from scorching or warping
- Which ink you must use, and why versamark is not optional
Step-by-step instructions
Written out in full so you can follow along without the video, or check a measurement without scrubbing back.
- Kill the static Wipe the cardstock with an embossing buddy or a scrap of dryer sheet. Skip this and powder will cling everywhere you did not stamp.
- Stamp in embossing ink Use versamark. It stays wet long enough for powder to stick — a dye ink will have dried before you get the powder on.
- Cover and tap off Pour powder generously, then tap the excess back into the jar. Tap the back of the panel with a finger rather than shaking it.
- Heat from the back first Warm the reverse of the panel briefly, then work the front. Heating the back first reduces warping noticeably.
- Watch for the shift The powder visibly changes from matte and grainy to glossy and smooth. Stop the moment it does — over-heating dulls the finish and can scorch the paper.
A tip from experience
Work over a folded sheet of copy paper. It catches every grain of excess powder and gives you a clean crease to pour back into the jar — you will waste almost nothing.
