Apparatus and methods are provided for the embossing of a sheet of flexible graphite material between a pair of embossing rollers. The embossing rollers include a primary embossing roller and a backup roller. The primary embossing roller has an embossing pattern defined thereon. One or both of the rollers include a raised stabilization area adjacent a periphery of the embossing pattern. The raised stabilization area preferably has a roughened outer surface for better gripping the sheet of flexible graphite material. The raised stabilization areas apply a stabilizing force to the sheet adjacent the periphery of the embossing pattern, thereby limiting egress of the material laterally away from the embossing pattern. The roughened surfaces increase the grip of the raised areas upon the sheet, thus aiding in pulling the sheet between the rollers and also aiding in the application of lateral stabilization forces to the sheet.