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How to Make Your Own Embossed Business Cards and Stamps

Embossing words and images on a business card make your contact details stand out. Embossing can be added to a pre-printed card as a decorative effect, or can be used as the actual contact information. There is no wrong way to emboss a business card. To create an embossed card a rubber stamp is used with embossing powder and heat to achieve the raised surface characteristic of embossing. A rubber stamp can be purchased or created. You can create a unique business card with a hand-made stamp and embossing.

Things You'll Need

Blank or pre-printed business cards
Embossing ink pad or pen
Paper towel or clean cloth
Embossing powder
1 plain sheet of paper
Heating tool
Rubber stamper
Large rubber or vinyl eraser or carving block
Tracing paper
#2 pencil
Rounded craft stick
Ink pen
Utility or wood carving knife

Instructions

How To Emboss
- 1
  Apply ink to the rubber stamp, making sure there is no ink residue on the edges of the stamp pad. Wipe off the stamp pad with a paper towel or cloth. Apply the ink to the card.
- 2
  Cover the ink thoroughly with embossing powder making an even coat. Do this before the ink dries.
- 3
  Shake the excess powder off the card onto a plain sheet of paper. You can return the excess powder to the jar for use later. Use the paper as a funnel.
- 4
  Heat the powder with a heating tool, evenly applying heat in a circular motion. The powder will melt and expand; when all of the powder melts you have heated the powder long enough. Let the ink cool and harden before touching the design.
How To Make Your Own Rubber Stamp Using An Eraser
- 5
  Create an image for the stamp. You can draw your own or fabricate one from your computer. Make sure the lines of the image are bold and wide. Make sure the image will fit on your stamp or carving block. Do not use a finely detailed image.
- 6
  Using tracing paper, fill in the black line images you want transferred from the design with a pencil. The pencil will leave a glossy sheen on the paper. Remember that the image will be reversed when it is transferred to the eraser.
- 7
  Transfer the image to the eraser by placing it upside down, lead pattern facing eraser. Rub the back of the paper with a craft stick, making the lead pattern transfer to the eraser. Trace the image on the stamp with a pen.
- 8
  Carve around the image leaving only the areas that are part of the design. Use a sharp utility knife to cut the eraser. Cut away from the image so that you do not accidentally cut into the design. You can use the stamp as it is at this point, or mount the eraser to a block of wood that has the image of the stamp applied to the top. Make sure the image and the stamp pad are in the same location, ensuring that the stamp position is accurate. Attach the pad to the block of wood with rubber cement.

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