 
Applique
Decoration or design made separately then embroidered, pasted, or sewn on a fabric or garment. Often used on lace, leather, woven, or knit fabrics, especially fleece.
Emblem
embroidered design with a finished edge, commonly an insignia of identification, usually worn on outer clothing. Also known as a crest or patch.
Embroidery
Art of creating and producing ornamental needlework consisting of designs worked on fabric with high luster threads either by hand or machine.
Facing
Material hooped or placed on top of fabrics that have a definable nap or surface texture, such as corduroy and terry cloth, prior to embroidery. The facing compacts the wale or nap and holds the stitches above it.
Lettering
Embroidery using letters or words. Lettering, commonly called "keyboard lettering" may be created from circuit boards that allow variance of letter style, size, height, density, and other characteristics.
Monogram
Embroidered design composed of one or more letters, usually the initials in a name.
Tackle Twill
Letters or numbers cut from polyester or rayon twill fabric that is commonly used for athletic teams and organizations. Tackle twill appliques attached to a garment have an adhesive backing that tacks them in place; the edges of the appliques are then zipzap stitched.
Tone on tone
different shades of the same colour as the garment is used for embroidery thread. For example, a navy blue shirts with a light blue and royal blue embroidery.
Blind embossing
Design stamp without metallic leaf or ink, giving a bas-relief effect.
Blind Stamping
Hot-stamping without foil. The approach, used often with leather, gives a subtler imprint than hot stamping and a shallower imprint than debossing.
Casting
Method in which molten metal is forced into a mold of rubber or plaster, then cooled into the desired shape.
Cloisart
Hot-stamp procedure where the desired logo/copy is foil hot-stamped on a solid brass or metal base then covered with epoxy dome.
Cloisonn
Product in which a colored paste, made from ground glass, is applied to recessed areas, then fired at 1400 degrees and polished by stone and pumice to achieve brilliant color. Since gullies and ridges separate each individual color, fine lines between them are difficult to achieve.
Deboss and color-fill
Combination of hot stamping with debossing, so foil fills an image that is pushed down into the product.
Debossing
Depression of an image into a material such as paper, leather or suede, so the image sits below the product surface.
Decal transfer
Imprinting method in which the decal is printed on an offset or letterset press, submerged in water and placed on the product. Excess water and air squeegeed off and the product is kiln-fired, a process that fuses the decal with the glaze.
Die
Mold into which molten metal, plastic or other material is forced to make a specific shape. Also, a tool of very hard material used to press a particular shape into or onto a softer material.
Die-casting
Process where molten metal is injected into the cavity of a carved die.
Die-cutting
Using sharp steel blades to cut shapes from printed sheets.
Die-stamp
Steel plate engraved with the desired image, generally used to apply a gold or silver imprint.
Die Striking
Method of producing emblems and other flat specialties. A blank, cut from a metal sheet, is struck with a hammer that holds the die.
Dye transfer
In photography, a process of producing color prints by tanning photographic emulsions and using them to transfer dye solutions to film or paper coated with gelatin.
Electronic (Engraving)
Any artwork from child's signature to newspaper is reproduced as long as it can be wrapped around a cylindrical drum.
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Decoration Definitions & Applications
Embedment
Medallion, logo or everyday object is buried deep in what appears to be solid glass but instead is acrylic.
Emboss and color-fill
Combining hot stamping with embossing (opposite of debossing). A raised image is stamped with foil. True embossing cannot be performed on vinyl.
Embossing
Raising of an image on a product accomplished by pressing the material between concave and convex dies.
Embroidery
Design stitched onto fabric through the use of high-speed, computer-controlled sewing machines.
Engraving
Cutting an image into metal, wood or glass by one of three methods: computerized engraving, hand tracing or hand engraving.
Etched
Imprinting method in which the product to be imaged is coated with a protective coating that resists acid. The image is then exposed, leaving bare metal and protected metal. The acid attacks only the exposed metal, leaving the image etched onto the surface.
Foil stamping
Process in which a metal plate or die is heated and then pressed against foil into a surface, causing the pigments of the foil to transfer to the surface. Also called hot stamping.
Hand or manual (Engraving)
Used for detailed work on materials ranging from metal to eggshells. Not practical for volume orders.
Heat-transfer printing (direct-transfer process)
Imprinting method in which an image is screened onto a transfer substrate, which is then laid directly on the material to be imprinted. The image is transferred from the substrate to the material through heat and pressure.
Heat-transfer printing (sublimation)
Process in which a design is transferred to a synthetic fabric by heat and pressure. The heat causes the inks to turn into a gas so that they penetrate the fabric and combine with it to form a permanent imprint. Also called a plastocal transfer.
Hologram
Combination of several layers of refractive material that causes the image to have a three-dimensional effect.
Hot stamping
Dry imprinting process in which a design or type is set on a relief die that is subsequently impressed by heat and pressure onto the printing surface.
Injection molding
Process in which molten metal or plastic is injected into the cavity of a carved die.
Laminated
Coated with clear plastic or two separate sheets of paper joined together as a single sheet to provide a special thickness or varying colors from side to side.
Laser (Engraving)
Imprinting method by which art or lettering is cut into a material by a laser beam that vaporizes the portion exposed through openings in a template.
Litho laminating
Process of mounting a printed lithography sheet to single-faced corrugated to produce a display-quality piece that is structural corrugated.
Pad printing
Method of imprinting in which a recessed surface is covered with ink. When the plate is wiped clean, ink remains in the recessed area. A silicone pad then presses against the plate, pulls the ink out of the recesses and is pressed directly against the product.
Pantograph (Engraving)
Master letters or designs are traced with a stylus that is connected to and followed by a cutting tool that pushes the lettering or image into metal. Used in many jewelry shops and to engrave silver-plated bowls and cups.
Photographic imaging (Engraving)
1. Photometal processes actually develop metal by using photosensitive, anodized aluminum in either metal stock or metal sheet stock. 2. Chemical etching uses negative or camera-ready artwork, exposes it and coats the metal using acid or other more toxic chemicals to eat away impressions on the metal not covered by film.
Screenprinting
Imprinting method in which the image is transferred to the printed surface by ink squeezed through a stenciled screen stretched over a frame. Screens are treated with a light-sensitive emulsion, and then film positives are put in contact with the screens and exposed to light. The light hardens the emulsion not covered by the film, leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee to force ink through. Also called silk-screening.
Sublimation
Dye transfer process where the image consists of a colored dye permanently embedded into the material surface of pores. Used to imprint messages, graphics and photographs on a variety of items, primarily mousepads, mugs, T-shirts, caps and trophy medals.
Thermal (Engraving)
Melts an image into the metal, based on a die. Often used for small items such as name badges and small signs.
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