An embossed wine label has a small physical depth at the brand line. The label is not flat. The customer who picks up the bottle can feel the brand mark before they consciously read it. The label feels expensive in a way that the eye cannot quite identify. The depth is doing the work.
Specification
Our standard deboss depth is 0.3 millimeters. This is at the upper end of what is achievable on the cream paper substrate without compromising the paper's structural integrity. Deeper deboss (0.5 to 0.8 mm) is achievable on heavier card stocks but requires a board substrate rather than a paper substrate. We use the cream paper for its tactile and visual properties; the deboss is calibrated to the substrate.
Why depth matters
The fingertip detects deboss depth at thresholds around 0.2 millimeters. Below this the deboss is visually present but tactually absent; the customer sees the deboss but does not feel it. At 0.3 millimeters the fingertip feels the deboss as a substantial physical impression. The label feels considered. The depth is the difference between a printed label and a finished one.
The test
Pick up the bottle with eyes closed. Run a thumb across the brand line. The label should register as physically dimensional. If it does, the deboss is at production specification. If the brand line feels flat, the deboss is at the lower threshold and the customer is feeling cold foil or a shallow stamp. Trust the fingertip.