Case study · Business cards · TUSK
TUSK ↗Pressed, not printed
An off-white 100% cotton card combining blind embossing with a one-colour black letterpress deboss.
The idea
TUSK is an apothecary and private tattoo and piercing studio in Scranton, Pennsylvania, now at 308 Penn Avenue. The card shown was printed at the studio’s earlier Spruce Street address.
Two rules
- 01The name as an impression. A large blind emboss with no ink, so the name is carried entirely by depth and light.
- 02Just enough ink. Small black letterpress type, debossed beneath the blind impression and kept out of its way.
Why it works
The card is mostly paper and pressure. At a studio where the work itself is an impression, that is the right idea.
Start from these materials
Same paper, foil and finish, locked in — nothing of TUSK's artwork comes with it.
Questions
- What is blind embossing?
- An impression formed in the paper with no ink or foil, so the design shows through depth and shadow.
- Why use 100% cotton paper?
- Cotton fibres compress cleanly and hold a tactile impression. This card uses an off-white sheet for a warmer, softer ground.
- Can blind emboss and letterpress share one card?
- Yes. Here the large name is blind embossed, while the small details are letterpress printed and debossed in black.
