What they actually are
They are the metal itself being reshaped, not something added to the surface. A die presses the sheet and the mark stays because the metal has moved.
That is why they survive everything. Print can scuff and foil can lift; an embossed mark is still there after the pack has been in a bag for six months.
What they do to a pack
They make somebody touch it. A raised mark under the thumb is the thing people notice without being able to say why, and it is most of what separates a pack that feels expensive from one that just looks it.
They also work with no ink at all. A blind emboss on a plain matte tin, no print anywhere, is one of the strongest looks available in this material.
What it asks of your artwork
Simple shapes. A die has to physically form the metal, so hairline detail and very fine type will soften or disappear. Logos, monograms, borders and pattern work all read beautifully. A four-point serif does not.
Give it room too. Emboss too close to a corner radius or the lid seam and the metal has competing demands in one place.
How it combines
Emboss under print is the common one: the mark is raised and the colour sits on top of it. Emboss beside print, with the raised area left bare, gives you the metal showing through as its own colour.
Deboss holds ink well because the recess catches it, which is why debossed type with a colour in it stays legible at small sizes better than embossed type does.
Hold one before
you specify it.
Tell us what you're packing and we'll send the formats that suit it.