Engraving

Engraving or etching? Not every body knows the difference and some people even when it stares them in the face still do not know the difference!More to the point many a business gift salesperson is equally ignorant. So what chance the buyer?

Today laser engraving has overtaken the old time-consuming hand engraving because it's quicker, cheaper and can handle many more intricate designs in fairly short order.

However, business, promotional and advertising gifts  that sometimes seem to be engraved are in fact not engraved at all...it is so easy to be misled on this.

Business, promotional and advertising gifts  of glass and lead-crystal are sometimes represented as engraved but in reality they are personalised by sand-blasting through a stencil.

The process is quite acceptable but is a cheaper process than laser engraving and the image does not have the same depth...so as long as you know what you are paying for there's nothing wrong with sand-blasting. This method works well on most glassware and can be especially effective on flat glass paperweights.

Engraved images in-filled with colour produce attractive business, promotional and advertising gifts. However, this is suitable for single colours and cannot be used in full colour work. If full colour personalisation is necessary, for a coat-of-arms or club insignia, a transfer print is probably the most economic option...alternatively hand painting is used on smaller quantities.

Other business, promotional and advertising gifts that use laser engraving include identity, name badges and conference badges, promotional and advertising coasters, plaques, flat-glass and lead-crystal paperweights and name plates. Aluminium coasters are particularly attractive as a laser engraved product because the base metal shows through the original coating and has a unique effect. Likewise, identity, name and conference badges can be really stunning when engraved through a coloured background.

If you are buying business gifts it will be helpful if you know about digital printing, die stamping, embroidery, engraving, etching, off-set ltho, tampo (pad printing), screen printing, sublimation printing, transfer printing and weaving.