Embossing changes the entire look of leather. But what is embossed leather exactly, and why is it done? I’ve gone over all of that below so you’ll know the ins and outs!
Embossed leather is a traditional leather with a particular pattern stamped into it.
Embossing is a process that uses both heat and pressure to permanently etch a pattern into the leather itself so that it takes on the new texture and hides the classic, smooth buttery appeal of traditional leather. This is a popular process in leather crafting because it can replicate exotic leather while using more affordable cow leather!
I’ll talk about embossing pros and cons below in more detail to help you see just what it could look like for your leather collection.
What is embossed leather?
Embossing is when you mark or decorate leather with a design. It means deliberately manipulating the natural grain. Whether it’s an imitation of another print (like snakeskin) or a decorative pattern, it’s considered embossing.
This art form is trendy in personalizing journals, handbags, and more. You can apply it to every visible inch of your leather or part of it.
What are the different types of embossing?
There are three main types of embossing that you can consider for your leather customization. They include:
- Blind embossing
- Gold embossing
- Color imprinting
Blind embossing
This is when a pattern is stamped directly onto the leather without any color added. It’s the native color of the leather and blends right in other than the embossing pattern itself.
Gold embossing
This embossing will put gold into the areas where it is embossed. It gives a glint of color and helps draw the eye to the embossing texture. I see this often on journals and jackets where people want to emboss their initials onto them.
Color imprinting
As you can guess, this embossing will inlay some color into the stamped area! It could be red, blue, green, whatever color you want to put in. While I do enjoy all embossing, I have to say that color imprinting is probably the most impactful form of embossing just because it’s so impressive to look at! If you want to go all out for the decadent appeal of your leather, color-imprinted leather is the way to go!
Is embossed leather good quality?
Yes, the embossed leather will be as good as before the embossing. The higher your leather’s quality, the better it will emboss, too! There will be no change in the quality or durability of your leather after embossing.
Is embossing eco-friendly?
This depends on how you look at it. The process is either mechanical or done by hand (more on that in a bit) and uses a heat gun and a stamp. So, the process is considered eco-friendly.
The way that I see it being eco-friendly is that it saves on wastage because it can cover up those imperfections that I mentioned earlier. It’s also eco-friendly because it doesn’t kill exotic animals just for using their skin — embossing artificially creates it!
Is embossing waterproof?
Embossing won’t waterproof your leather, no. It’s just a pattern stamped onto your leather, after all. You’ll still need to care for your leather and treat it with a waterproofing spray.
How is embossed leather made?
To emboss leather, you just take your piece of leather and use a heat gun to apply the stamp pattern of your choice for the leather! The heat makes it easier for the pattern to set in the leather. You can either do it this way for a handmade approach or go with a roller that will mechanize the entire process!
As you can guess, hand-done embossing is more of an artisan touch, and commercial embossers are about creating rolls and rolls of imprinted leather to be produced into whatever the final product is going to be!
How long does it take to emboss leather?
The longest part of the embossing process is the “curing” time. After the heated leather is pressed, you must leave it in that pattern until it cools down. This process will ensure that the pattern stays in the leather! Most will recommend waiting at least 20 minutes, but preferably longer!
Commercial rollers and larger imprinting machines may have different instructions, so make sure you always follow those!
How can you tell if leather is embossed?
Embossed leather will have some sort of print on it! However, some will find that high-end embossing can sometimes be hard to distinguish from the real thing as far as patterns are concerned. For example, distinguishing between genuine snakeskin and imprinted artificial snakeskin!
Pros and cons of embossed leather
There are so many advantages of embossed leather that I can’t wait to share with you all! My highlights include the following:
Pros of embossed leather
- It makes your leather more unique
- It creates an exotic look
- Hide imperfections
- Helps create an even grain
Fun Fact: Embossed leather helps protect against wastage since you can correct the grain and imperfections instead of those pieces being tossed out as garbage.
You’ll also want to consider the cons, though, since choosing to emboss is an important decision if you’re looking at doing it yourself at home. The top ones to think about are:
Cons of embossed leather
- It can be hard to remove
- It takes a bit more work to condition and clean
- It won’t have a classic leather appeal
Some will say that leather should always be its natural grain, but others (like myself) enjoy the personalization of imprinting!
Is leather embossing permanent?
Embossing is often intended to be permanent, yes. However, you can remove most of its evidence by applying a heat gun and buffing out the pattern! You may not be able to remove all of the pressure lines, though.
Can fake leather be embossed?
CraftsBliss explains that fake or faux leather can be embossed using the same focus as authentic leather. This is great for those that want to go with alternative leather for ethical reasons but still want to consider customizing their leather.
Can vegan leather be embossed?
Vegan leather is an excellent choice for embossing. It is a great candidate for intricate patterns and color imprinting. While authentic leather will resist the imprinting a bit since it’s an organic material, artificially created leather doesn’t have that bias.
How do you care for embossed leather?
You’ll mostly care for embossed leather as you’d care for classic unstamped leather. The main difference is to take extra caution when conditioning and cleaning your leather. Since excess care products can get caught in the patterns, you must be diligent in caring for the patterned part of your leather.
The other difference is to be extra cautious about rips or scratches in the embossed sections, particularly if they’re gold or colored. The imperfections can stand out and also ruin a bit of the imprint.
The world of embossed leather is plentiful, and it can offer some great ways to customize leather into something you’ll treasure forever. Embossing adds texture, color, and customization to your piece of leather. Whether it’s used as an imitation animal print or you are embossing initials or a message, it has an exceptional effect on the final leather.
There are a few different imprinting techniques to know about and some specific care instructions to help you enjoy your embossed leather to the fullest!
If you know someone who’s going to love the customization of this leather patterning, share this with them!
