Embossing Basics

Definition of embossing: In the broadest sense, it means to change a surface from flat to
shaped, so that some areas are raised relative to other areas. On this website, I use the
word "embossing" only as it applies to thin and malleable materials. In most cases, each
raised area on one surface of the thin material is matched by a recessed area on the
opposite side, and vice versa. One exception to this is sometimes called "pattern
pressing". This occurs when areas of one surface are recessed while the corresponding
areas of opposite side remain flat or are also recessed, causing the material to become
thinner in those areas. This is typical when embossing leather or when using heated
embossing on a nonwoven to create thermal bonding. High pressure pinpoint pressing with
very narrow wheels against a hard smooth cylinder is used to create ply bonding (for facial
tissue and bath tissue), and this is sometimes called edge embossing.
Materials that are embossed: Just about anything that is thin, flat, and malleable can be
embossed. This includes paper, plastic film, metal foil, nonwovens, textile fabric, leather, and
even glass. These materials may be provided in continuous form (like paper unwinding from
a roll), or in discrete form (cut into individual sheets before embossing).
Purpose of embossing: Sometimes embossing is done for purely decorative
reasons. However, in most cases, the purpose of embossing is to change the physical
characteristics of the material. Embossing a metal foil with a fine texture pattern makes it
much easier to handle the foil within the machine that wraps it around a piece of chewing
gum. Embossing a plastic film changes its elastic properties dramatically. Embossing tissue
paper improves absorbency and flexibility, but almost always at the expense of
strength. Embossing increases the overall thickness of the material. In some cases,
embossing is used to bond two or more layers of material.
Methods of embossing are often determined by the properties of the material, and how it is
provided. The material may be malleable or fluid, or somewhere between. It may be
provided in continuous form (without breaks), or in discrete lengths or pieces.

For malleable materials, a permanent shape change is imposed simply by the

application of force. This usually has a very significant effect upon the mechanical
properties of the material. Most tissue paper is embossed this way, while the paper is
completely dry.
For fluid materials, the embossing step starts out more like casting onto a mold while
the material is still fluid, and then the material is changed from fluid to solid. This
reduces the effect of the embossing upon the strength and elasticity of the material. In

the case of tissue paper, the fluid state is the suspension of paper fibers in water, the
mold is the forming wire, and the material becomes more solid as the water is
removed.
Some embossed materials are somewhere between malleable and fluid. For
instance, tissue paper can be shaped after it is formed, but still very wet. The results
are much different from traditional "dry embossing".
When the material to be embossed has been cut into discrete lengths, it is usually
necessary to employ an intermittent method like stamp embossing, where the sheet is
pressed between two plates.
When the material to be embossed is provided in continuous form, without breaks,
then the preferred method is rotary embossing, where the material is passed
between embossing rollers. Rotary embossing is much, much faster than any of the
intermittent embossing methods.

Embossing, in Greater Detail

The remainder of this discussion will cover only continuous rotary embossing, and will focus
upon how this is applied to absorbent tissue paper in the dry state. Much of this is also
relevant to embossing other materials.
The fundamental mechanism in rotary embossing is the embossing nip, which is the area
where two embossing rollers come into contact. The simplest embossing applications use
only a single nip. Others may involve several embossing nips, either in series or in
parallel. Sometimes embossing is directly combined with other finishing processes, such as
printing or laminating (which involve other nips).
The types of embossing nips are named after the materials that have traditionally been used
for the surfaces of the embossing rollers. These materials are still the most common, but
newer materials are being developed.

S/S (steel-to-steel): Both rollers are engraved with patterns that are designed to
engage each other in some way. The surfaces of these rollers must be hard enough
and durable enough so that the raised protuberances on each is able to deform the
paper. Traditionally, both surfaces have been steel, and therefore this type of
embossing nip is called a "Steel-to-Steel" or S/S embossing nip.
R/S (rubber-to-steel): Only one of the rollers is engraved, while the other roller is
covered with a elastic material like rubber. The surface of the elastic material is
smooth, except while it is being pressed against the engraved roller in the embossing
nip. Elastic recovery to its original smooth shape is extremely rapid. The surface of
the engraved roller must be hard enough and durable enough to deform not only the
paper that is being embossed, but also must deform the elastic material of the
opposing roller (which requires much more force and energy than the paper
does). Traditionally, the engraved surface has been steel and the deformable surface
has been rubber. However, the engraved roller could have a laser engraved surface

made of very hard rubber, while the smooth roller could have a surface made of an
elastomeric plastic.
P/S (paper-to-steel): There is another type of embossing nip which is really a hybrid
between the two described above. It is mostly used only for paper napkins where the
embossing must produce bonding of multiple plies and/or high visual definition in the
pattern. In this case, the steel roller is engraved with the embossing pattern, while the
opposing roller is a paper-filled roll that is initially smooth. A "run-in" period is required
to transfer the pattern from the engraved steel surface into the paper surface initially,
and also to repair any damage that may later occur to the paper surface.

Embossing nips may be combined in parallel or in series.

Serial nips: This is sometimes used to superimpose one embossing pattern over
another, by passing the paper first through one embossing nip, and then through
another. It works best when the first pattern is a very fine-scale pattern that has
complete coverage over the paper (like a micro embossing pattern), and the second
pattern is composed of larger figures with large open areas between them (like a spot
embossing pattern). However, a very similar effect can often be achieved in a single
nip less expensively.
Parallel nips: This is only used for products that have two or more plies. In a twoply product, one ply is passed through one nip while the other ply is passed through
the other nip, and then the two plies are brought back together again, usually with
some method of bonding the plies together. This is most often employed in two-ply
laminated towel products, which use very carefully placed dots of glue to bond the
plies together. The choice of embossing patterns, how the pattern on each ply aligns
with the pattern on the other ply, and the placement of the glue are all critical elements
in the design of an embossed/laminated paper towel product.