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Every debossed leather order at Corium starts the same way: a custom die is cut from your client’s logo, then pressed into full-grain leather. The die can only be as clean as the artwork it is cut from, which is why we ask every distributor for a vector file. This guide explains what that means, how to tell whether the file you have is actually vector, how to get one from a client who “only has a JPEG”, and what makes a logo deboss well once the file is right.
Why vector, and not a JPEG or PNG
A raster file (.jpg, .png, .gif, most .pdf exports from a website) is a grid of pixels. It looks fine at the size it was saved, but scale it up to fit a desk mat imprint area or down to fit a key fob and the edges turn into stair-steps. A die cut from that artwork has soft, uneven edges, and the impression in the leather looks the same.
A vector file (.ai, .eps, .svg, and some .pdf files that were saved from Illustrator) stores the logo as mathematical paths: lines, curves and fills. It scales to any size with perfectly crisp edges, and the die-cutting equipment can follow those paths exactly. That is the whole reason we ask for it.
The quick checklist
- Yes: .ai, .eps, .svg. A .pdf saved from Illustrator with “preserve editing capabilities” usually works too.
- No: .jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, a screenshot, a logo copied out of a Word document or an email signature.
- Usually no: Canva exports. Canva’s SVG and PDF exports often embed a raster image or convert type in ways that do not produce clean paths. Ask for the original file the Canva logo was built from.
A file extension is not proof on its own. A JPEG that has been placed into an .ai file and saved is still a JPEG inside. The test: open the file in Illustrator (or any vector editor) and zoom in to 800 percent. Vector edges stay sharp; raster edges blur or pixelate.
Where to get the real file
Almost every company has vector artwork; the person you are dealing with just may not have it. The marketing department, the agency that designed the logo, the print vendor who did the business cards, or the sign company who did the building all have it. Ask for “the vector logo, .ai or .eps, with fonts outlined.” That sentence alone gets the right file nine times out of ten.
If no vector exists (a very old logo, a founder-drawn mark), a designer can redraw it as vector in an hour or two. It is worth doing once; the file will be used for every branded order the client places from then on.
Prepare the file for debossing
Convert type to outlines. In Illustrator: select all, Type → Create Outlines. This turns text into shapes so we do not need the font installed.
One color. A die has no concept of color. Convert everything to solid black on white. Gradients, drop shadows, glows and halftones must be removed or simplified to solid areas. For foil debossing, the entire logo takes one foil color, gold or silver.
Watch line weight. Very fine lines and hairline serifs fill in or break in leather. A minimum line weight of roughly 1 point at final imprint size holds well; if the logo has thinner detail, use a simplified version (many brands have a “small use” logo for exactly this reason).
Remove the background box. A logo sitting inside a white or colored rectangle will deboss the rectangle too. Delete it unless the box is part of the mark.
Size it to the imprint area. Each Corium product page has a downloadable artwork template showing the imprint area. Placing the logo on the template lets you and your client confirm size and placement before we cut the die.
Quick export guide
Adobe Illustrator: File → Save As → Adobe Illustrator (.ai), or File → Export → Export As → SVG. Outline fonts first.
Adobe Photoshop: Photoshop is a raster program, so a logo built there is usually raster. If the logo is a shape layer, right-click the layer → Export As → SVG. If it is a pixel layer, it needs to be redrawn.
Affinity Designer, CorelDRAW, Inkscape: all export .eps and .svg natively; outline or convert text to curves before exporting.
Figma: select the logo frame, right-click → Copy/Paste as → Copy as SVG, or export the frame as SVG with “outline text” enabled.
What happens after you send it
Email the file to sales@coriumusa.com with the product, quantity, color and in-hands date. We check the paths, flag anything that will not reproduce well in leather, and return a virtual proof showing the logo on the piece at size. On approval, the die is cut (tooling and setup is $100(V); repeat orders re-set up for $31.25(V) because we keep the die) and production begins. Most items ship within 10 business days.
For a deeper look at blind versus foil, embossed versus debossed and how the press works, read our debossing guide. To see the imprint areas that suit a given logo, browse leather coasters, desk mats and mouse pads or key fobs, and see how to order from Corium for the rest of the process.
