Supplier of Panel Business Cards

I am working with a client who wants a business card with a panel (similar to a traditional paneled wedding announcement, but business card-sized.) I will not be doing deep impression, so it does not have to be especially heavy.

I tried searching for other posts about this topic and found a discussion about embossing and creating panels, but nothing specific about a supplier of paneled business cards. A Google search produced a terrifying list of hundreds of quick copy shops and online services willing to provide me business cards real cheap, but I could not constrain the results to limit them to paper vendors.

If anyone knows of a source for a paneled business card, please advise.

Jim DiRisio
The Norlu Press
Fayetteville, NC

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I assume you’ve checked both wholesale paper suppliers and retail paper stores in Charlotte — if they can’t help I doubt if such are commercially available, though there are specialty shops producing unusual stuff. You might have to run them yourself — unless the order is very large that is probably the most expedient and least costly route anyway.

Bob

As AdLibPress says, make yourself, we have done it with a linolium block locked up in the chase to the size needed and offset blanket under the tympan, doen’t work too bad, we ran 80# cover. Don’t think you would run more than 500-1,000 hand fed that is.

I’d have to agree with the last two posts. It really doesn’t take much time to set up for embossing (or in this case “Debossing”). I have taken a piece of chipboard, cut out the panel size you wish, then save the trim you have cut. Paste the panel piece to an almost type-high block (like the lino blocks you can purchase in the art store), lock it in place in the chase, then paste the trim piece to the tympan by registering it with the block and closing the press on it. This works quite well for all but the heaviest stock, and tends to produce a nice bevel on the edge after a few impressions are made.

You will have to cut the card larger to allow positioning the gauge pins, but could start with stock large enough for the cards at 2 up and just cut apart before or after printing.

John Henry

Only problem with cutting apart after printing, or even cutting at all, is the clamp will probably do a number on the panel. It depends on how far into the card the panel extends as to how you might be able to protect it — you might be able to get away with making two sets of embossing “dies” and use the second set under and over the stack of cards in the cutter to protect the panels.

Bob

Thank you for all of the excellent comments. One thing I forgot to mention, and it may make all the difference, is my press. I run a circa 1863 7x11 Gordon Old style Jobber with no throw-off and no gripper bars or grippers. I would be interested in opinions about this press’s ability to withstand the force as described above in b.biroscak’s and jhenry’s recommended techniques. I am assuming that the debossing technique they describe would put more pressure on my platen than the small ticket and stationery jobs that I currently run, but maybe not? Thank you again for the great answers.

Jim DiRisio
The Norlu Press
Fayetteville, NC

I think a well set up form of a one up business card sized panel will not be an undue stress on your Gordon press. This is really not much more load than running a heavy impression 2 pt rule box the size of your panel—the paper should be “giving way” during the emboss/deboss process. There certainly would be less impressional effort than if you were to print a 1 1/2” x 3” solid.

Yes, I would think your press very capable of this sort of work. I have done fairly large embossing forms on my Kelsey Union Press (much lighter-build than your press), and as Mike says, this form is very small.

John Henry

Kelly Paper carries a full gamut of Paramount Panel Cards