As engraving becomes increasingly hard to find, thermography has grown in popularity. Printers have called it the “poor man’s engraving” because it does look strikingly similar to traditional engraving without the huge price tag. The ink is raised instead of depressed like letterpress. Thermography is a heat process and leaves a glossy finish on the ink (think most corporate business cards) but there’s also a lesser known process called dull thermography. It’s the same process but the result is a matte finish that looks even more like engraving. Some cons: it’s not as even as engraving. If you have large blocks of color it tends to bubble up. It also doesn’t have the bruising on the back of the piece that the engraving plate leaves behind. That said, it’s a great economical alternative to engraving.
