Everything you need to know about Emboss
Emboss creates a raised, three-dimensional relief effect by simulating light hitting a textured surface. It highlights edges on one side and shadows them on the other, making your image appear stamped or carved into metal or stone.
Parameters
- Blend
Controls how much of the emboss effect is mixed with the original image. At 0, no change is visible. At 1.0, the full emboss effect replaces the original. - Amount
Sets the intensity of the relief effect. Low values (1–2) create subtle, gentle embossing. High values (4–8) produce dramatic, pronounced 3D relief. - Radius
Controls the distance between sample points used to calculate the relief. Small values (1–3) capture fine detail. Larger values (6–12) create broader, more sculptural effects. - Angle
Sets the direction of the simulated light source (0°–360°). Changing the angle rotates where highlights and shadows appear, as if moving a spotlight around the relief. - Gray Mix
Blends the emboss result with a grayscale version of the original image. At 0, you see pure emboss (neutral gray with highlights/shadows). At 1.0, the original luminance shows through, adding tonal variation.
How It Works
The filter compares brightness at two points offset in the direction of the light angle. Where brightness increases along that direction, a highlight appears; where it decreases, a shadow appears. Flat areas become neutral gray.
Tips
- 45° (default) simulates light from the upper-left – the most natural-looking angle
- Use lower amounts for subtle texture enhancement, higher for dramatic metal-stamp effects
- Increase Gray Mix to retain some of the original image's tonal character
- Works especially well on images with clear textures, text, or strong shapes