Engraving

Engraving is most commonly done by a form of laser, with different laser wavelengths and intensities producing different results on different materials. Typically laser engraving is a form of ablation, in which the top layer of material is burnt away, revealing a contrasting material underneath. The vast majority of metal products has a coating of some form that readily burns away to reveal the base material, be it a golden brass, a white aluminum or grey steel. If the colour of the base material isn't to your liking then post engraving treatments such as oxidizing can turn a gold brass into a black colour to increase the contrast of the logo.

Engraving on plastics is commonly done with a rotary bit and wood can be engraved with a rotary bit or a laser. In addition to metal, wood and plastic, even things like leather and cardboard can be engraved with great effects.

While it is possible to engrave from a bitmap image, this method is time consuming and expensive, it is far better to have vector artwork to engrave from.

The cost of engraving is determined by the time a product takes to engrave, which in turn is controlled by the size of the engraving. Factors like special handling or bulkiness also increase the time and cost of engraving.

Certain round products (ie:steel mugs) can be mounted on a rotary axis to significantly increase the maximum engraving area but this added step significantly adds to the cost of engraving and is rarely utilized.