Beyond the Gloss: What the 2025 Embellishment Data Really Says

When people hear “digital print embellishment,” they often think of shiny foil or glossy coatings that simply make a printed piece look pretty. But the newest research in 2025 tells a much bigger story. Beneath the surface, these shimmering and tactile effects are reshaping how printers make money, how brands communicate, and how consumers respond.

A new wave of data from this year’s Digital Embellishment Study shows that embellishments have evolved far beyond decoration. They now sit at the crossroads of profitability, customer engagement, design innovation, and technological change. This article looks at what the data really tells us, what it means for the industry, and how every stakeholder can benefit if they read between the lines.

The Numbers That Matter

Let’s start with the facts. The latest industry study on digital embellishments surveyed hundreds of printers currently using digital embellishment technologies to see how the market is developing. The results paint a clear picture: the opportunity is real, but unevenly distributed.

More than half of print providers said their number one reason for investing in embellishment technology was profit. When asked if these jobs actually make more money, about four out of five agreed that embellished projects are either “always” or “usually” more profitable than standard CMYK work. That kind of consensus is rare in print.

Their customers are responding too. Nearly nine in ten printers said their clients are interested in embellishments, especially after they’ve seen a physical sample. Before installing embellishment equipment, only about half of printers said their customers were familiar with these effects. After installation, familiarity jumped to over ninety percent. Once people see and touch it, they understand its power.

Demand is also trending upward. Roughly one-third of printers have seen increased demand over the past year, while only a small minority have seen a decline. It’s not an explosion, but it is steady growth. At the same time, total market penetration remains low, with fewer than ten percent of all printed jobs currently featuring any form of embellishment. That gap represents a massive opportunity for those who can sell and produce it effectively.

One of the most revealing findings was the contrast between profitability and sales volume. Two-thirds of respondents are satisfied with their profits from embellished jobs, but only about a third are satisfied with how many embellished jobs they sell. That shows a clear weakness in sales enablement and client education. The machines are capable, the margins are healthy, but the market isn’t yet fully capitalized.

Applications tell another part of the story. Business cards remain the top use case, followed by direct mail, brochures, packaging, and invitations. In short, embellishment shines where first impressions matter most. But it’s still underutilized in everyday applications where it could add value, such as menus, book covers, and brand collateral.

Why It Pays to Shine

The profit potential in embellishment is undeniable. Higher perceived value leads to premium pricing, and premium pricing leads to stronger margins. That’s the simple equation driving this trend.

Print providers report that customers are willing to pay around twenty percent more for a job that feels special, once they understand what they are getting. The incremental cost of digital embellishment, compared to traditional foil stamping or embossing, is relatively small. The profit spread, however, is significant.

In addition to higher pricing, embellishment gives printers a form of protection against commoditization. When everyone can print CMYK, the only direction left for competition is down. Adding tactile or visual effects changes the conversation from “How cheap can you print this?” to “How amazing can you make this look?”

This is what makes embellishment such a powerful differentiation tool. Printers who can offer effects that their competitors cannot, immediately stand apart. It’s a simple value-added model that lets them move out of the price-war category and into the creative solutions category.

The data also reveals that embellishment often brings in new kinds of clients. Many printers say they’ve used it to attract design firms, luxury brands, or packaging customers who would never have considered them before. And when those clients see the results, they tend to return for more.

So if profitability is up, what’s holding sales back? The study makes it clear: the biggest barrier isn’t the technology itself, it’s how it’s sold.

Selling the Shine: The Real Challenge

The top obstacle named by respondents was their own sales teams. Many salespeople still struggle to explain the value of embellishment in business terms. It requires a shift from selling ink coverage to selling emotional impact. That’s a different kind of conversation.

Clients often hesitate because of perceived cost. When they see a piece that gleams, their first instinct is to assume it’s expensive. Without clear ROI examples, it’s easy for them to default to “maybe next time.” That hesitation is amplified if the salesperson lacks confidence or doesn’t have data to back up the benefits.

But evidence is starting to pile up. In controlled studies, embellished direct mail pieces have consistently outperformed plain versions, delivering response rates roughly thirty percent higher. Those results prove what the senses already know: people are drawn to things that feel good in their hands and catch their eyes. When the piece feels premium, the brand feels premium too.

Successful printers have learned to address this gap by reframing the conversation. They stop talking about price per sheet and start talking about performance. Instead of “Would you like to add foil?” they ask “Would you like your piece to get noticed first?” When clients understand that a small visual or tactile upgrade can improve response or recall, the decision gets easier.

The lesson for the industry is clear. The ROI case for embellishment exists, but it must be communicated with confidence and proof. Printers who can do that turn embellishment from a novelty into a profit engine.

Why Embellishment Engages the Brain

There’s a reason people respond so strongly to tactile and visual effects. Our brains are wired to seek out contrast and texture. When light hits a shiny surface or a raised area catches your fingertips, it instantly signals importance. You pay attention.

Eye-tracking studies have shown that viewers’ eyes move to embellished areas faster than to flat print. The same principle applies to packaging, direct mail, and promotional materials. A small area of gloss or foil can guide the reader’s attention exactly where you want it to go. In a world overflowing with messages, that ability to direct focus is priceless.

Emotionally, embellishments create a sense of value. When a printed piece feels special, people assume the brand behind it is special too. That association increases trust and perception of quality. Think about luxury packaging, wedding invitations, or premium direct mail. The physical feel of these items communicates exclusivity before a single word is read.

This emotional response also drives retention. People tend to keep embellished pieces longer, show them to others, or remember them more vividly. The difference between an embellished and a plain brochure is not just aesthetic, it’s neurological. The first triggers both visual and tactile memory, the second only visual.

For brand marketers, this insight is gold. In a time when digital ads come and go in seconds, a printed piece that engages multiple senses can forge a stronger bond with consumers. The return of sensory print is really the return of human connection. Embellishment makes print memorable again.

The Design and Education Gap

While the appeal is obvious, the execution takes skill. One of the biggest challenges revealed by the 2025 study is design. Designing for embellishment is not the same as designing for flat print. It requires planning, layered files, and an understanding of how light and texture interact.

Many print shops find that their customers or in-house designers simply don’t know how to create the necessary files. That lack of know-how slows projects down or limits creative use. Having a designer or prepress operator who understands the technical aspects of embellishment makes a huge difference. Some shops have even created internal “embellishment specialists” whose job is to guide clients through the process and prepare the files correctly.

Training is another gap. The study found that sales and design education are the top two missing ingredients for success. The technology works fine, but people need to learn how to sell it and how to design for it.

The most successful print providers have taken this to heart. They’ve branded their embellishment offering with a distinct name and marketing identity. They create sample kits, host workshops, and show customers how to use embellishment strategically. By turning it into a recognizable product rather than a quiet add-on, they make it easier to sell and easier for clients to imagine.

Printers who fail to market their capabilities are leaving money on the table. Some still do not promote embellishment at all, treating it as an internal feature instead of a customer-facing advantage. Those who have branded and showcased it, on the other hand, report significantly higher success rates. Seeing, touching, and naming the effect makes all the difference.

The Strategic Opportunity Behind the Shine

At its core, embellishment represents a structural shift in how print is valued. For decades, the print conversation has centered on efficiency and cost reduction. Embellishment brings the focus back to creativity, differentiation, and human response.

In a digital-first world, print has one distinct advantage: you can hold it. Embellishment amplifies that advantage. It turns a static page into an experience that engages touch, sight, and emotion. This is not about nostalgia for craft; it’s about measurable impact in an age of attention scarcity.

Brands are rediscovering the power of physical media, especially as digital fatigue grows. A well-designed, embellished piece stands out precisely because it feels real. It occupies physical space in a consumer’s life, and that makes it harder to ignore or delete.

From a strategic perspective, embellishments help build brand defensibility. When a brand adopts a unique finish or tactile style, it becomes part of its identity. That creates a visual and sensory fingerprint that competitors can’t easily replicate. For printers, providing that capability makes them invaluable partners rather than interchangeable vendors.

There is also growing optimism about where the market is heading. The majority of current users feel positive about the future of digital embellishment, and many plan to invest in additional equipment. They see embellishment not as a trend but as the next stage of evolution for print.

Innovation continues on several fronts. New materials, eco-friendly coatings, and recyclable finishes are expanding the possibilities while addressing sustainability concerns. Even postal authorities are now encouraging tactile and sensory elements in mail campaigns by offering discounts. When regulators are incentivizing a technique, it’s a sign that it has proven its worth.

In short, the industry is moving from “Why should we embellish?” to “How can we afford not to?”

Recommendations for Each Stakeholder

For Print Service Providers:

Make embellishment part of your core identity, not an afterthought. Train your salespeople to talk about results instead of features. Create an internal or external brand name for your embellishment offering and promote it like a product. Build a physical sample library that showcases what you can do. Use case studies and data to prove ROI. Educate your clients through open houses or webinars. The more your team can connect the creative value to business outcomes, the faster sales will grow.

For Brand Marketers:

Look at embellishment as an ROI-driven marketing tool. Use it where it can make the biggest emotional impact, such as premium packaging, direct mail, or event invitations. Test it in A/B campaigns to measure the lift it brings. Collaborate closely with your print partners and ask for prototypes. Think about how touch and light can reflect your brand’s personality. If your brand stands for luxury, innovation, or creativity, make sure your printed materials communicate that through their feel as well as their design.

For Designers and Agencies:

Learn the mechanics of designing for embellishment. Understand layers, masks, and how effects align with print. Attend workshops or use online tutorials to expand your skills. Collaborate early with printers to ensure your vision is achievable within their production capabilities. Think about user experience: what do you want people to feel when they pick up the piece? Let that emotional goal guide your choice of finishes and textures. When you integrate embellishment thoughtfully, it elevates both the design and the message.

For Equipment and Material Suppliers:

Support your customers beyond the sale. Provide ongoing training, design resources, and marketing materials that help them succeed. Develop sample packs, ROI calculators, and ready-to-use templates they can customize. Simplify workflows through automation and integration so that embellishment becomes easier to adopt for smaller shops. Keep investing in sustainable and cost-effective solutions that meet the growing demand for environmentally responsible print. The easier you make it for users to create beautiful results, the faster the market will expand for everyone.

The Real Story Beneath the Surface

The 2025 data makes one thing clear: embellishment is not just about decoration. It’s about how print reclaims its power in a digital world. The gloss, foil, and texture are the outward signs of something deeper: the transformation of print from a commodity into an experience.

Yes, there are challenges in selling, designing, and educating, but they are solvable with strategy and commitment. The opportunity far outweighs the obstacles. Those who understand this are already turning embellishment into a major profit driver and brand differentiator.

Beyond the gloss lies the real story: print that people notice, touch, and remember. And in a marketplace crowded with noise, that is the kind of print that truly shines.