Embossing adds a beautiful, personal touch to any custom cover, but achieving the perfect look takes a bit of insight. We enlisted the help of our Art Manager, Niki, to share her expert advice on what works best — and what to avoid — when it comes to choosing the ideal cover and font color combinations for your Photo Book or Album99. Plus, with our new fonts, Eye Catching, Sabon, San Serif, and Recoletta, there are more ways than ever to elevate your album or photobook cover. Here are our Do’s and Don’ts for embossing followed by some of Niki’s favorite pairings!
Embossing Do’s & Don'ts
Ultimately, the choice is up to you, but here's a couple Do's and Don'ts when choosing your embossing for your Photo Book and Album covers
DO think about color contrast when choosing embossing color compared to your cover’s color. Not all colors pop equally on every cover. Niki’s advice is to think about how the color will contrast with the cover. For example, if you’re choosing our Oatmeal Linen cover, black embossing will give you a bold, stunning result. The contrast with the lighter tone makes black the optimal choice here, ensuring your design stands out.
DO avoid low-contrast colors on light or subtle cover tones. When working with softer tones, steer clear of light embossing colors. They can blend in too much, making it difficult for the details to shine through. There are some exceptions that Niki recommends below!
DON’T overlook the importance of color and texture compatibility. The combination of material and embossing color is crucial. If the texture is pronounced, like our Etched Ivory or Black Leather, it can sometimes interfere with the clarity of intricate font styles.
Niki’s Favorite Combinations
"Silver embossing + our Camel vegan leather cover is a nice, clean, and modern combo with a sort of 'I drink oat milk' vibe."
"Evergreen is GREAT. I highly recommend it for anyone that wants black but also doesn't want black. I feel like any embossing (other than black) would work on it, but the Eye Catching in silver felt very cozy-winter, but also sophisticated and classic."
"Similar to Camel + Silver, I think the Rust Linen and Silver (or maybe white) works best. It pops against the cover color, while the rose gold and gold are a little too warm and blend in a little too much."
"Again, if you want black but not black, the charcoal looks great with all (except black) embossing colors."
"This one is a little controversial, but I think the gold on the Fog or Pistachio Linen cover is very pretty and delicate looking. So far it hasn't photographed the best but is lovely in real life."
"Speaking of Pistachio Linen, black embossing in Eye Catching or San Serif looks great on this cover."
"Black Leather + gold embossing are probably the most popular Album choices, but it's for a good reason. And the new pebble black has a really nice texture in real life."
Choosing the right combination can make your cover a true masterpiece! With these embossing tips and the exciting addition of Eye Catching, Sabon, San Serif, and Recoletta fonts, your album or Photo Book or Album will reflect your style perfectly. Design yours today!
