Although personalized embossers might seem outdated in the "paperless" world, there are still many excellent uses for them, including books, return address flaps, gift tags, napkins, personalizing stationery, foil seals, wine labels and more. In order to determine which personalized embosser is best for you, you should consider what types of paper you will be embossing, how many items you will be embossing and whether you would like to keep it on your desk or stored away. Depending on your requirements, you can find a personalized embosser that is very inexpensive or quite expensive.
The most important determination in choosing a personalized embosser is the type of paper you will be using. Embossers are designed to be used with paper of a particular thickness, often referred to as the weight of the paper, with the lighter weights signifying thinner paper. If you plan to use your personalized embosser for books, envelopes and stationery, you should select an embosser for standard weights of paper. Most of the commercially available embossers are designed for standard weights of paper, but check with your supplier.
If you will be using your embosser primarily for lightweight paper, such as copy paper or delicate art projects, you might wish to get an artwork embosser, which will emboss lighter weights without tearing. If you have note cards or foil seals in mind, you should look for a heavy duty embosser designed for thicker paper. You still will be able to use a heavy duty embosser for standard papers, but you will have more flexibility with heavier weights.
Consider whether you will need to use the embosser on special documents or other material. If you will be using your embosser primarily for library books, or if you want the design more than 1-2 inches (2.54-5.08 cm) from the edge of the paper, you should consider an extended reach embosser. If you will be embossing return address flaps as well as stationery, you should order separate plates or separate embossers for each orientation.
After you have determined how you will be using your personalized embosser, you must determine what quality to purchase. High-quality embossers will come with brass or steel plates that should last for years. If you use your embosser regularly or for many different purposes get brass or steel. If you are buying a custom embosser for occasional or single-event usage, however, such as embossing napkins for a wedding, you might be able to purchase an embosser with a lightweight plastic plate. These are less expensive than brass plates, but they will not emboss heavier paper or last nearly as long.
Finally, consider where you want to keep your personalized embosser. If you will be using it frequently and have a space for it, a desktop embosser is a good choice. If the space on your desktop is spoken for or you use your embosser only occasionally, consider a handheld embosser.