An embossing device comprises a first embossing roller and a second embossing roller forming a passage for a web of wrapping material to be embossed, which has a main line of extension and a direction of feed; the first embossing roller comprises on its outer surface toothings to make an imprint on the web; a first toothing having a first impression to imprint on said web a first segment of a reference for identifying a section of the web and a second toothing to imprint a decorative pattern on the web; the second toothing comprises a zone without teeth for defining on the web a second, unembossed segment of the reference; the first toothing and the zone without teeth are offset from each other along a directrix of the first roller.

A method is provided for cutting, creasing and/or embossing a cardboard in a cardboard processing machine (10) comprising a rotary die cutting machine (12), the rotary die cutting machine (12) comprising a first rotating cylinder (22) and a second rotating cylinder (24), wherein each of the first and the second cylinder (22, 24) has a cutting, creasing and/or embossing area (26) and a compensation area (28) that extends along the circumference of the respective cylinder (22, 24). A continuous cardboard web (11) being printed with a plurality of repetitive printed sections (40, 41, 42) is run between the two cylinders (22, 24) in a processing direction, wherein a printing length (l) of a printed section (40, 41, 42) is shorter than a circumference of the rotating cylinders (22, 24). Afterwards the cardboard web (11) is pulled back in a direction opposite to the processing direction to such an extent that after a full rotation of the rotating cylinders (22, 24) the cutting, creasing and/or embossing area of the rotating cylinders (22, 24) meets the beginning of the second printed section (41). Moreover, a cardboard processing machine (10) is provided.