Male & female plates for embossing…???

hello everyone,

i am attempting to find someone that can make these plates for embossing but am having no luck. Can anyone recommend someone.

Also, in regards to the artwork digital file. How should it be set up. I would have the positive (male side) which would be normal. and the NEGATIVE (female side) does that have to be made a little larger to accommodate the paper and male plate? If so, how would you know “how much larger to make it”?

thanks in advance. all your comments are really appreciated.

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where are you located? The engraver/ die maker will make both based on your positive file.

Metal Magic in Arizona.

When I was printing wine/spirits labels, DeCrevel Die in Napa, CA provided most of our embossing dies/counters.

http://www.decrevel.com/

Billy

Thank you all for the quick replies. Can anyone shed some light on the artwork side of it. How to account for the paper going into the female side…. or do you just inverse out the artwork

Well, it has been my experience that you tell the Die-maker what kind of stock you’re using and your machine parameters before the counter is made, and they will account for that.
(IE, you should know the packing allotment- like if you’re using a windmill, the 1/25” or .040” packing standard is what you’ll need to tell them, and then the thickness of your stock. Example, if you’re going to emboss 14 pt coverstock, or .014” thick coverstock, they should be told what stock it is and how thick it is.)

1) Universal Engraving: Kansas 2) Metal Magic; Arizona 3) Graven images; Kansas 4) Owasso; Michigan
There are many more, but these are probably the big 4.
They actually make the die according to the artwork first, then the stock being embossed. the counter is made directly from the die. Call the die maker you wish to use, and ask their requirements. some want a pure vector file, others can deal with pdf’s. most can deal with files emailed to them though. you can skip the making the film part. be sure to ask for “3” alignment holes. and some pins to go with the die.
If you are new to this, i would HIGHLY recommend you get someone with some experience involved in the first few projects. they would save you money (which is money), time (which is money), waste (which is money), and possible damage to die or counter, (which is money).

In the UK, in the small jobbing trade houses ca. 1955, it was a commonplace to create ”blind embossing”, with the inking rollers off, a line block of the image with the area to be raised etched to depth, i.e. a female, then a male force was created by applying a layer of warmed gutta percha resin to the platen surface, closing the press and leaving on impression, or as near as could, whilst the gutta percha cooled. Hey presto, a male force in register with the female. Best with a soft-ish wove stock rather than a laid, and check that you’ve got any watermark the right way round!
My shop produced and sold such, and also some with the inkers on, so getting a coloured badge, with raised white relief portion. Looked OK.