Continued my experiments and you are right Ed - to achieved
this soft embossing effects normal maps do work really great.

Just in case you dont know it - "Crazy bump" is a great offline
normal map converter.

I'm glad that is going to work for you. I use Normal Maps for any small lettering or repetitive detailed textures that would be time consuming or difficult to model. It's easier to modify a flat drawing than a 3D model :)

I've tried Crazy Bump, the Photoshop built-in Normal Map generator, and others. I noticed each gives a different result based on their internal algorithm, so play with them and perhaps one will work better than others for your application.

Ed Ferguson

Just discovered the Nvidia - looks like the fastest tool as you can
go on working within Photoshop.

Attached the latest test with Crazy Bump n-maps.

That looks like the real deal! Especially with the paper (canvas?) texture over the piece.

Ed Ferguson