How to Heat Emboss!

I love embossing, it gives such a crisp clean look as well as brings another dimension to your scrapbooking/cardmaking project!


Heat embossing gives a flat stamped image a raised effect. There are two ways to heat emboss:

1.  Stamp with a colored ink and use a clear embossing powder.  Because the powder is clear, the ink color below will show through.  For this option you want to use pigment inks, because they stay wet longer.  Dye ink, chalk or solvent inks don't work so well for embossing.
2.  Stamp with a clear embossing ink and use a colored embossing powder.

The method of embossing is the same for both options.  

Your choice of ink.

For clear ink you can use embossing ink or Versamark        For colored ink you can use any pigment ink.

Your choice of embossing powder. 

There are several types: regular, super fine detail for detailed stamps, distress, tinsel, puffs, etc.

Your choice of stamps - rubber or clear stamps will work both fine.

A heat tool

Optional: a tidy tray and a anti static cushion


Tap the anti static cushion lightly over the paper or cardstock, and drag the light powder across the area where you intend to stamp. These cushions hold a small amount of cornstarch or similar ingredient, like talc, and offer an anti-static property to the surface.  This avoids any excess embossing powder sticking to anywhere else on the paper or card-stock other than the stamped image itself.

Choose your ink and embossing powder colors

Ink your stamp and stamp the image on paper.

While the image is still wet, generously sprinkle embossing powder over the image, covering it completely. Place your project over the tray, sprinkle the powder, and tap off the excess—all of the powder stays inside the tray’s walls. When you’re finished, tip the tray up and pour the excess powder back into its jar. If you don't have a tidy tray, you can simply use a piece of scrap paper.

You will be left with only the stamped image, covered in powder.

Using a heat gun, gently heat the image. Hold the heat gun 6-8 inches away from the paper and move it gently from side to side

The powder will melt and the image will rise. When the entire image is embossed, turn the heat gun off. Let the image cool for a few seconds before handling it.

You can emboss on some specialty papers, like vellum or transparencies. However, you need to hold the gun further away from the paper to avoid burning or melting. You may need to heat the image longer because of the increased distance between the heat gun and the paper.


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