How craftsmen choose to engrave a trophy, award or plaque really depends on the client’s needs. Is it an acrylic trophy? A metal plate on a wood backing? Is it a glass or crystal award? And there are other questions to ask as well, like is the engraving an image or text? What font and what size? Sometimes, you can also add color to engravings.
Different Engraving Methods for Different Materials:
Here’s a quick rundown of how different personalized trophies, awards or plaques might be engraved:
- Laser Engraving
Beams of light are used to create very neat and specific words, patterns or images. Laser engraving can be used on many different materials, including metals, stones, leather and wood. But it can only be done on flat surfaces.
- Rotary Engraving
A spinning cutting tool works to remove material from the plaque/trophy/etc. It can be used on plastics, wood and any type of metal, and can vary greatly in size depending on the tip used. However, it usually requires cleanup afterward.
- Abrasive Etching
Mostly used on crystal, this method includes sandblasting and allows for very finely detailed designs. This is different than traditional etching, which uses acids to eat away the material in order to create a design.
- Diamond Drag Engraving
This method uses a diamond tip to almost draw the engraving the way you would use a pen. It is extremely precise and most resembles authentic hand engraving. It’s most commonly used on crystal and stone.
- UV Printing
This method isn’t exactly engraving, but it is a permanent printing process. Fast drying ink is exposed to UV rays to achieve the desired design.
- Direct Engraving (Hand Engraving)
Most often used on metal, this method includes using a variety of tools to manually etch a design into the surface. This is an intricate method requiring an expert artist to create infinitely customizable designs.
Unique Corporate Gifts That Can Be Engraved
When it comes to corporate gifts, many executives only opt to engrave personalized trophies and awards, failing to consider other inventive offerings that are available. Competent and accomplished employees likely boast several engraved trophies and awards. New additions to their collection will likely not motivate them to continue to succeed in the workplace. Employers understand that personalized awards, such as engraved glass gifts, are important to motivating employees.
For unique corporate gifts that can still be engraved, employers can consider personalized clocks. A fantastic desk accessory, a clock can be personalized depending on the design chosen by the employer. Some personalized clocks feature plates, not unlike perpetual plaques, which can be engraved with the recipient’s name.
Another great desk accessory which can be fully personalized and engraved is a business card holder for a desk. A simple desk accessory can quickly be transformed into a special, one-of-a-kind gift that genuinely adds value to an employee’s day-to-day life. Another corporate gift that can be engraved is a pen. Engraved pens are typically used as marketing tools, so why not treat employees to premium pens that feature their name and title? It’s a gift they’ll want to take with them everywhere.
Engraving is a unique and complicated art that works well with all sorts of unique corporate gifts. While personalized trophies and plaques might appear to be the most engraving-friendly, consider thinking outside-of-the-box when it comes to employee award ideas. Engraving is versatile and all needs can be accommodated. We do have an expert craftsman on our staff that does beautiful hand engraving on some of our products. We also love laser engraving for its accuracy, speed and affordability for the client. Ask us today about what we can do for you and your desired order to create some truly unique corporate gifts!
