Embossing (raised relief or debossing) on CD and DVD Packaging, Embossed disc printing, special effects

Embossing & Debossing on CD and DVD Packaging

Embossed = Raised Relief, so Debossing is "Recessed Relief"?

Embossing, or raised relief, is a great way to make your title stand out, or just to highlight certain features of your artwork. Debossing is doing the reverse process and instead of raising the paper up, the paper is recessed. Guess we could call it Recessed Relief, but let's just say it goes down instead of up, for us simple folk. Male and female dies are used to press the design into the paper accordingly.

Using Embossing to Accent Certain Artistic Features

Embossing creates raised areas in your packaging. This look is particularly effective when combined with hot foil stamping, metallic Pantone inks, or spot gloss effects.
Using Embossing to Accent a Title

Here are a few examples of embossing on titles:
Debossing = Indented or Pressed

Debossing is simply embossing in the other direction. Debossed items are pressed into the stock. Here is a closeup of the slipcase for the "Leonardo, The Complete Codex" DVD showing the debossing of the drawing of Leonardo.
Combining Embossing or Debossing with Spot Gloss, Foil, or Metallics

Alcatraz Reunion slipcase - Matte Lamination, Spot Gloss, Pantone Metallic Ink, foil stamp and embossing

In Alcatraz Reunion, the slipcase has Matte Lamination with Spot UV Gloss, and it uses both Pantone Metallic and hot foil stamp, AND embossing. The face outline is done with tints of Pantone 877 Silver Metallic, with overprinting black images. The title "Alcatraz Reunion" in foil stamped "into" the, glossy, embossed name board at the bottom.
"Disc Embossing" - Spot Color Knockouts under Matte on the Disc

As you might have guessed, this is not really embossing, butThis is a really beautiful effect—features that knock out to the disc surface, when seen under a matte coating, seem to take on a 3-D effect. Simple colors are key to pulling this off. Here's a particularly nice example:

logan disc face with spot color and matte varnish

Send us your art and we can help you set this up. CHECK OUT Our Disc Printing Page (www.megalodon.com/graphics/disc-printing.html) for some more tips on this.
Setup of Special Effects in the Disc or Packaging Artwork

The majority of special effects can be easily set up as separate layers in your favorite graphic design or layout program. Whatever color you use, for embossing have everything that needs the effect in a single color, at 100% ink. Call or e-mail to be walked through the process depending on your program of choice, or have a graphics specialists set up the special effects for you (may incur additional cost).

One of our favorite titles for show & tell is the Deva Film Reel as it actually has all of the effects; hot foil stamping, embossing, debossing, spot UV glass & lamination. Be sure to check our the full spec for the special printing effects on Deva's Featured TItle page.