Print Process beginner glossyraisedtraditional

Thermography

Powder fused over wet ink to raise it, the cheap imitation of engraving.

What it does

Resin powder is dusted onto freshly printed wet ink and heated so it swells and fuses, leaving a raised glossy line without the cost of an engraved plate. Business cards and wedding invitations used it heavily. It differs from engraving in that the reverse of the sheet is smooth, with no bruise, and the raised surface is glossier and slightly rounded rather than crisp. Fine detail fills in, so it suits type more than image.

The prompt

[Subject] printed with thermography. Type and rules raised in a glossy slightly rounded relief that catches the light, fine detail slightly filled in where the powder pooled, the reverse of the sheet perfectly smooth with no bruising. Single dark ink on smooth white card, photographed at a raking angle so the raised gloss reads against the matte stock.

Replace [Subject] with what you are shooting. Everything else is deliberate: the gear, stock and lighting are what push a generator towards this look.

Works well in

Midjourney, FLUX

Pairs with

Copperplate Script Letterpress Impression

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