I’m looking for recommendations on stock selection for a high-end letterpress booklet. The goal is to achieve a deep, tactile impression with that characteristic pillowy hand, but there’s a wrinkle: the same sheet also needs to carry a digitally printed, registered emboss element.

In other words, I want the lush, soft qualities you’d expect from a letterpress-only piece, while still making sure a digitally printed watercolor element (https://res.cloudinary.com/datn3jcud/image/upload/v1757448989/250810-Watercolor-for_Sahre_ffeeq6.png) holds crisp registration for embossing.

Has anyone found a stock that balances these competing demands—one that takes a strong letterpress impression beautifully but is also receptive enough for high-quality digital printing and can stand up structurally to embossing? Any firsthand experiences with specific papers or finishes would be invaluable.

The Canson Infinity inkjet paper line offers four papers that will work well for this project. The base papers are produced at the renowned Arches mill in France. Each paper is 100% cotton and comes in a thick weight of 310gsm. Ideal for crisp embossing.

Canson Infinity Arches papers offer the newest proprietary inkjet coating. This coating produces the highest quality inkjet reproductions.

This range offers various surface textures; Arches 88 (smooth), BFK Rives (medium texture) and Aquarelle Rag (rough).