UTEE vs Regular & Fine EP's

Many people have asked about UTEE - what it is and what to do with it so today I thought I'd start off with showing what exactly UTEE is and how it compares to other embossing powders.

First, UTEE stands for Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel - this is actually the trade marked name for Ranger's brand of thick embossing enamel. There are other companies out there that do offer a thick embossing powder but they aren't as readily available as Ranger's UTEE is so I'm going to stick with theirs since that's what most people work with.

The major difference between UTEE, regular or fine embossing powder is the particle size. You will notice that the UTEE particle sizes is 4x+ larger than the regular embossing powder particles.

When it is compared side by side - Fine (l), Regular (c), UTEE (r) the difference is remarkable.

When I teach classes about UTEE I like to explain and compare it to the various sizes of sugars found in the marketplace. There are a vast array of sugars available for a number of specific needs - the same can be said for embossing powders. For example, everyone knows you use regular white sugar is the most common and widely available variety used in homes today. The same can be said for regular embossing powder which is the work horse if you will of the embossing world. It can be found virtually anywhere. Some lines on detailed images may blend together but still yield acceptable results.

Confectioners or Powdered Sugar is sugar crystals ground into a fine powder is reserved for special purposes such as making icing, confections, whip cream and "dusting" baked goods or drinks. The embossing powder equivalent would be Fine, Super or Ultra Fine Embossing powders. These powders offer up amazingly crisp, clear, defined results especially when applied to highly detailed stamped images.

Coarse or Sanding Sugars are also specialty types of sugar used for a specific purpose. The large crystal sizes makes them ideal for sprinkling on top of baked goods. Highly visible it reflects light and adds a bit of glitz to an other wise ordinary product. THIS is where UTEE fits into the embossing picture. It too offers up unique and amazing results. Not ideal for embossing detailed images it can offer satisfactory results to some bolder stamped images. It is idea for adding extra depth and dimension in 2 or 3 layers where other embossing powders would take 10+ layers to even begin to compare.

Here they are side by side.... you can click on the images to look at larger photos if you would like. You can especially see the difference in the before heat is applied. The UTEE has lots of open space between the granules where the Extra Fine EP is one solid image and the Regular EP falls in between.

You can actually see (and if you were here feel) the difference between the three powders. UTEE offers a much higher lift than either of the other two powders. You can also see that the UTEE has a rough pitted surface with one coat. The other two are much smoother and have an even texture.

I hope this first glance at UTEE has answered many of the questions you may have had and has you wanting to see more!

Tomorrow I will begin to show you some basics on what you can do with this very unique embossing powder.

I also have some way cool news to share but...

alas ~ I have to wait till I get the o.k.

Till then you'll just have to guess - LOL!!

(nope, it's not another book although I would LOVE to write another.)