Postcards are effective direct mail marketing medium. But you have to be careful with its every element. Its effectiveness lies basically on the design and the message. You may want to tweak the design area the next time you avail postcard printing services.

Embossing Coming up with something new and exciting may not always be easy. But there are certain processes that you can include on the usual postcard printing services. If it is excitement that you are looking for, embossing might do the trick for you.

• Embossing is also known as blind or relief printing. The actual process is being done on the back side of the material. But it is on the front of the print that the relief of the image is going to be shown.

• This technique will raise the area that you have chosen to be embossed. It can be an image or text. That part will appear like it has a three dimensional effect.

• But proceed with the method only if you can afford the cost. This may be effective and will surely make your materials stand out literally and, of course, in the eyes of your target market. But embossing can double the overall printing cost.

This process is not limited to postcards and other print ad mediums. This can also be applied on the following.

1. Business cards, greeting cards, posters and other marketing materials 2. Garments 3. Textiles 4. Metals 5. Paper napkins 6. Diapers

The Process To create the three dimensional images on your designs through embossing, heat and pressure are being applied on the material. To achieve such effect, a metal or female die and a counter or male die that fit together are being utilized to compress the fibers of the substrate. Such pressure when added with heat will iron out as well as raise the image’s level so that it becomes higher than the substrate to make it even.

This can be achieved in printing through the letterpress process. These are the two commonly used machines for this purpose.

• Kluge Letterpress • Heidelberg Letterpress

Heat Embossing If you want to try this process on your own, you can use this method. First, you have to be equipped with the following.

1. A card stock where the image that you want to emboss will be stamped 2. Stamp 3. The embossing ink 4. Embossing powder 5. Source of heat

The image will be stamped on the card stock using a rubber stamp or the likes and an embossing ink pad. Sprinkle embossing powder over that while pouring off the excess powder back to the container. Then you have to apply heat. This will melt the powder and raise the image.

You have to allow the material to cool off after the process. After this, you can apply your desired embellishments onto it.

It may sound fun. But you have to be always cautious of your budget whenever you apply such process on your postcard printing services. This can be expensive. But it will also be worth its cost.