Lyme Bay Press - How to Set Up and Use Photopolymer Plates for Embossing
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- This is a walkthrough and demonstration of how you can use photopolymer printing plates for embossing. We go from scratch on an Adana platen press, showing how to mount the embossing pair correctly, then we demonstrate the outcomes on different paper stocks and with different designs. We've tried embossing using a variety of different techniques and materials and this has proven to be the most effective and durable setup.
If you want to try this with one of your own designs, contact us via our social media links or by email at info@lymebaypress.com
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Thank you so very much for your channel! I just melt every time I see a Heidelberg Letterpress platen! Just think they were the best ever. I had a Litho Printing Company with Heidelberg Kors and SormZ machines, but come from a letterpress background, having started with the Adana and then 7 years at Cambridge University Press, where I learned as much as I could before setting up my own company. I wish I had a workshop that could accommodate what you have. Just love the craft - well done you for such a great achievement! Keep it up!
Thank you, I'm honoured. We still have plans to add more to the channel, just need a little more time...
Thanks Lisa, I’m starting to think Adana is more useful then most letterpress printer realised!
Very interesting video! I finally received a response regarding the possibility of doing embossing with the Adana. 😊 I would really like to see the rendering of a larger ornamental decoration, for example which would take up each corner of an A5 format. Do you think this is possible? Thank you very much for these valuable tips and have a nice day!
Hi there, you have to know the limitations of your machine and I thing applying the amount of force needed to emboss on something that size on an Adana may be too much for the machine. If your design isn't continuous you sould be able to emboss each corner separately. It's the same with printing normally, you wouldn't get a deep deboss for the entire chase size on an 8x5, unless you were possibly printing on something very soft becase the amount of force needed to crete the impress would be too much for the press to handle. i hope this helps. Lis
Thanks for sharing, I'd love to see more videos on the Adana!
I'll see what I can do :)
Yes, agree 😊
Omg! I’m so excited! I am definitely going to send you my design so I can do my logo embossed and details on polymer?
👍🏼
Thanks Lis! I'm finally going to try my embossing plates having watched this video :)
Babooche Calligraphy great news, about time too :))
Thank you for teaching us what you do. I need all the help I can get.
Oh my god, this is so beautiful I can cry. I'm looking forward to buy an adana 8x5 and I'm sure I will learn so much from your videos. Thank yo so much! Greetings from Argentina!
Fernanda Fernandez thank you Fernanda :)) ❤️
This is a very educational video. Thank you for being good at what you do and sharing it with us!
such a fantastic and helpful video! followed and subscribed! thank you lisa!
Thank you, we're hoping to add more videos to the catalogue :))
It's REALLY AMAZING Madam! Thank you for UPLOADING! Very HELPFUL! God Bless You..
Thank you :)
Great video, so informative for a beginner!
Hi Lisa! Last summer was trying to do some embossing my own way. Went well, but I transferred the job to printing company. They charge was hilarious compare to mine. But I still got commisions. :)
nemiers have another go :)) what’s important is that you got more work :))
This such a great video - really helpful - and I will definitely be putting through some orders as a result!!
You can also very lightly sand the male plate on the platen if there is any splitting on the embossed image. This happens sometimes with just with the shape of the image embossed or the card you are embossing.
Wow, this was a great video! Very informative. Thank - you so much.
Just one question though: Could you perhaps go through the method of how you began with making the two Photopolymer Plates for embossing / ie the designs you have for both sides male and female?
Sunny Mos hi there, that’s a whole different video we haven’t made yet and we’ve found that each design needs it’s own approach. If we get to standardise it I’ll make a video of it :)
Love this, Lisa.. Question for you, please. What is the heaviest/thickest stock taht can realistically be used on the Adana and retain a crisp emboss?
Hi Damien, I wouldn't force an Adana, they really aren't designed for a heavy embossing, or debossing for that matter, I used the Adana to show how easy they are to set up with the embossing plates. I would only go up to a 350gsm board and a soft collton at that, or thinner paper stock. If you want to use a thicker board you will need a bigger press. that said, it also comes down to the size of the area you are embossing, more force is needed for bigger plates than small ones! hope this helps :)
I just received my first embossing job and I'm so excited to try it! Thank you for this very helpful video! Would you recommend printers setting up the male/female artwork on their own, or sending it to a plate maker who specializes in embossing plates. I'm not sure how best to size the male to the female. Sounds like the paper (100gsm) would be a factor.
Hi Jillian, I think you'll be addicted once you start embossing. I would trust your platemeker to make the die for you from your artwork. Just let them know the thickness of paper that you will be embossing and they will take it from there.
May I ask, when you create your embossing plates does your female need a slight offset to allow for the paper to fit between the male and female plates?
@@kimberleyrussellart yes you will, it will depend on the thickness of the paper you are embossing .
@@LymeBayPress thank you ☺️
Hi, thanks for the video , really helping for beginner. Wondering if there is some tips to adjust the pressure of machine when print it, having lot problems that some part of works is having more pressure than other parts . Thanks for helping
What press are you using to print? If you'd like to email me, lisa@lymebaypress.com, I'll be able to help.
Hi Lisa, thanks for helping, just send you the email. Wondering if I am the only one having this issues , or all the beginner has the how to adjust pressure problem. Have a nice weekend
@@LymeBayPress❤
Hi Kiang, i"ve replied to your email, we'll get you sorted.... Lis
Beautiful! Question…how do you keep the outline of the plate from showing on the card?
Our embossing plates are made slightly larger than the embossing area, with some slight adjustments to your press you shold be able to avoid the plate edges showing. I hope this helps L
This is really great. I have a 6x4, would this press allow for enough pressure for a 540gsm?
Hi Adam, I’ve not actually tested on a 6x4, I would say that you would need too much pressure to emboss on a 6x4 with a 540gsm board and you could damage your press. If the 540gsm is a colorplan I would say it will be too dense for a successful emboss on a small press, but as I said, I’ve not tested it….
@@LymeBayPress Thanks. I'm keen to have a play with some embossing plates, I might play it safe and try on 350gsm. 🙏
@@AdamGreasley just don’t force your press too much…. And let me know how you get on :))
@@LymeBayPress Thanks, I will do.
Information video! I've always wanted to make letterpress invitations. Letterpresses are expensive though! So I am looking at purchasing this smaller model. Can you use paint and foil with this smaller press? And what machinery/product is needed to make the plates?
hi Sophie, if you send me an email I'll be able to give you more detail, you won't be able to foil with a printing press unless it has a foil conversion but you'll be fine with ink. I think a little time on google and youtube will show you the equipment that you need to make your pwn plates, mainly the unexposed plate and a UV unit. Hope this helps for now. Lis
Hello, wonderful video it’s the first one I see on embossing, I bought a 10x15 C&P and I’m looking for a polymer plates supplier, ¿ Do you know any? Thanks 🙏🙏
If you are looking in the UK then contact us at Lyme Bay Press, we also ship all over the world... Lis
@ thanks, but I’m in the USA and probably it will take a little to long before I can get it , thanks anyway…God bless you!
love it brillant
Hi Lisa, is it possible to print in say black with the male plate, then when the ink is dry, use both the male and female to emboss and Deboss the area printed?
I ask because I’ve never had a go at this but it sounds feasible to me
Black Night100 hi, I did think about this, but the male plate is the wrong way around so it for example it’s text it will be back to front. If you have a design however that is perfectly symmetrical this should work. Unless there’s another way of converting the plates to male and female. Someone may let us know if there is, but from what I’ve tried this is what I’ve found. Hope it makes sense. Lis
Yes you can do this. Another thing you can do when embossing the printed image is ever so slightly emboss out of register. Try it!
Hi Lisa, what type of tape are you using to attach the plates, assuming you are embossing without heat? That also looks like my press in the background!!
Hellooo, it’s the normal sticky that we use for our printing plates and yup, no heat :) Which press? I have a few :)) Lis
@@LymeBayPress ah ok, thank you. The one to the right (Marshall's 96 series by the looks)
That sounds confusing when I re-read it, there are two on the bench behind you, so I meant the one to the right of them both! 🙈
To transfer the male from the female I always use 2 or 3 spots of grease. Easily cleaned off!
Embossing on the Adana seems to be quite strenuous for the wrist and arm, especially if you had to do that a hundred or more times. Maybe you can put the Adana on the floor and press the handle with your foot!
I didn’t have a problem, but I generally tend to use the Adana just to show people what to do, I prefer my Chandler or Heidelberg’s :) but I appreciate that not everyone has those large presses, it’s more a case of managing expectations, if you have a large run of a tricky job that may beat your press up it may be worth outsourcing, the letterpress community is great and there’s always someone to help.
At 8:30, you said "deboss" when you should have said "emboss". Embossing is when the image is raised, as you showed on the card.
Yup, just seen that, but as the video is about embossing I’m sure I will be forgiven. We plan on redoing all videos at some point and I’m sure there will be more mistakes, I am only human! :) but thank you for noticing, at least you didn’t have it running in the background as white noise.