Imagine picking up a highly designed glass and not just seeing but feeling the artwork’s shapes and patterns. This is no longer the stuff of dreams: Still relatively new digital embossing is a technique that can achieve just this effect. Grandstand is one of just a few U.S.-based printers that can offer you this technology, and here we’ll dive into what it is and how you can take advantage of it to continue wowing your customers.
Digital embossing explained: What exactly is it?
In the simplest terms, digital embossing is the layering of clear polymer on a print surface to achieve a raised design. The process is similar to inkjet or 3D printing. As layers of polymer are applied, they are cured — or bonded — by UV light. This process of layering is repeated to raise individual elements, sections or the entire design off the surface of the glass. You can also add color for a truly full-sensory design experience.
Hear from a Grandstand printing master
To give you an inside look, we asked Grandstand Director of Operations Chad Bryan to jump in to give us the technicals on this decorative technique.
“The digital embossing process begins with a flame-treatment cleaning of the item,” he notes, “and during this step, a silicate coating is also applied. This coating provides for improved chemical bonding of the ink to the substrate.”
Next, Bryan says, the item moves to the decoration machine where inkjet heads apply a water-based primer. This promotes better durability of the decoration. Then, the item is rotated under a UV pinning lamp which cures the primer to the glass. Next, if the design includes color, the item moves under the ink jet heads which contain colors and materials for the decoration.
“After this step, the item passes to the embossing ink jet heads,” Bryan notes. “Here, two inkjet heads pass over the glass multiple times using a high-density clear ink to build the three-dimensional aspects of the decoration.”
Then, the final printing step: a mercury vapor curing lamp before being deposited onto the outfeed conveyor for final inspection.
The advantages of digital embossing
An affordable, premium decorative technique with great markup potential and more
One surprising thing about this very new and innovative technology is how affordable it is. Digital embossing requires less setup work and starts saving customers money right from the start. For instance, the technique does not require the same expensive tooling and mold creation work as traditional embossing.
There are many other advantages. Digital embossing can be used for small-to-medium-sized custom runs — MOQs starting at 48 and growing to nearly any quantity — and is perfect for special releases, company anniversaries, creative endeavors, and more.
Traditional embossing requires the creation of custom molds, and this is expensive work. To bring down cost, a buyer has to order a large number of glasses — tens or even hundreds of thousands — making traditional embossing only available to national and international sellers. Lastly, traditional glass embossing can limit creativity as designs are most often simple, generic, and often colorless. A raised logo, for instance.
Leaning on tech to shake up design: Some leading and some exciting uses of digital embossing
Digital embossing’s tactile revolution holds the potential to send creative minds into overdrive. Want to put a topo map on a glass? How about a portrait? A head distiller or brewmaster signature? All these and more are possible. Let’s roll through some other application ideas.
- “Premiumize” the everyday with love or humor. Picture the gift of a wine glass with a loved one's initials embossed in a tactile, elegant script. Add a date to mark a special event. Thinking more broadly, drop a funny slogan on a glass for a more universal appeal — “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.” Or, “it’s wine-o’clock…” You get the idea! Pints, can glasses, Willi Bechers — the options are endless.
- Corporate gifts and awards. Give an award or thank you gift that will do more than sit on a desk. If you’re looking for a way to honor your top employees, how about a monthly, semi-annual, or annual awarding of a set of custom embossed glassware to the top seller, the most team-oriented individual, or the hardest worker? Print a run and save them for these occasions. Your people will definitely feel the love.
- Retail? Just about anything is possible. While digitally embossed glassware can turn heads at the bar or table, it is a retail powerhouse. Digital embossing’s high perceived value and innate ability to highlight real creativity are sales drivers. Stock your merch area with glassware that will catch the eyes of customers as they either wait for a table or head out after a great experience.
Go a step further: A digitally embossed pint is the perfect home for a banded, premium t-shirt and other fan-favorite promotional items. Create a kit that uses the digitally embossed glass design as the centerpiece and that calls to your top customers. - Steal the pint (or rocks / wine glass) promotions. Breweries, cocktail lounges, and wine bars are upping their game with the tech power of digital embossing. Creating a series of collectible, embossed, must-have glasses is easier than ever. A raised logo with a hip or hilarious slogan can create a buzz and bring in new customers seeking that one-of-a-kind glass.
Mad Duck Craft Brewing Northwest ran with this idea and sold out in just hours. And, customers keep asking when the next custom glass will arrive. - Artistic expressions and decor. What about candles in glass? Those are embossable. Bottles or tasters? Yep, those too. How about making it extra? An embossed whiskey bottle with two matching, embossed glasses in a box? Pure wow.
- Specialty drinking experiences. Got a high-brow clientele? Offer them something truly unique: a glass that lists the beverage name, its ingredients, or its flavor profile — literally. Put your establishment’s signature beverage on a glass, or a customer-favorite glass of wine. That's the kind of immersive experience that would put you ahead of the curve.
- Go the art, topo, or mascot route. Digital embossing is changing the way we engage with art and so much more. Museums are beginning to offer tactile replicas of famous artworks, embossed onto glass plates, cups, or bottles. Dive into this trend but consider putting your locale’s topography, your establishment’s scenic backdrop, or your bar’s furry mascot on the surface of your choosing.
Tips for a successful digital emboss project
Just as with any design project, there are digital embossing best practices to consider before you go into production. Please note the following:
- Avoid too much density or small text. Lines of embossing that are too close together risk blending or pooling. The best digitally embossed designs feature ridges and low spots that deliver the signature tactile effect.
- Consider color! If you want your tactile design to really stand out and deliver a multi-sensory experience, colorized embossing is the way to go.
- Combine digital embossing and other design techniques for a result that is beyond what others are offering. Add a halo or banding. Consider nucleation. You can even seem to go the other way from embossing and rough up the glass for the appearance of a reverse effect!
This glass by Salty Turtle Beer Co. takes the combine-design-techniques idea and hits it out of the park. Go big, and, if you’re inspired, you know your customers will be, too.
- Don’t go it alone! No one’s knocking your passion for your business or products, but design is an art, and if you don’t have a background in it, a little guidance can go a long way. Grandstand Creative is our award-winning, in-house agency. Our team is ready to help you plan your project and has helped many customers complete truly inspiring projects that are drawing in customers and increasing bottom lines.
Reach out to the Grandstand sales team at 1-800-767-8951 to get the ball moving on your digital embossing project now!