Embossing with cutting dies and stencils.

To accompany my most recent video, I have put together a blog post to demonstrate the different results you get when embossing with dies and stencils and how the results depend upon paper’s weight and the amount of fine detail in the die.

I have divided the results by paper weight, then by the tool used for embossing, To summarise, overall I found dies with a lot of fine detail difficult to get good results on anything lighter than the 250gsm paper. Even on the 300 gsm cracked and tore a little. The best results came from the open dies on 230 gsm paper or heavier. For embossing with stencils, the lighter paper (180-230gsm) provided more favorable results.

Results by paper weight.

Detailed dies did not give good results when embossing with this paper. I experienced cracking and tearing even with a spritz of water to soften the paper.

: Heart frame

: Stained glass border die

Open dies gave a generally good result with a little cracking around the forelegs.

Unicorn Die from The Works (I think)

Embossing with stencils gave a great result with no tearing or cracking.

Fine mylar stencil cut on Silhouette Portrait

Detailed dies cracked and tore with this paper and I did not get good results, but they were better than the results I got from the 180gsm. It might create a good effect if you were trying to produce a grungy or distressed effect. If you want a tidy result then a heavier paper is recommended.

: Music frame die

: Stained glass

Open dies gave a good result provided the paper is well spritzed and you allow time for the paper to dry. The best result I got on this paper was from the spellbinders foiling frame die that came with my Glimmer machine, though there was still a little tearing. However, this might have been from over spritzing.