What is laser engraving, and what can it mark?

Laser engraving marks a design into the surface of an object with a focused beam of light, so the mark is part of the material and cannot peel or wash off. It can mark names, logos and text on steel tumblers, aluminium, acrylic, wood, leather, glass and 3D printed parts, in one tone set by the material, such as frosted white on acrylic or bright metal through a coloured tumbler.

We engrave in-house at our studio in Singapore, from one named gift to a corporate gift run.

Laser engraving at a glance

Lead time runs from the day you approve the proof. A large batch takes longer, so check with us.

Know what you need? Send the artwork and the item

Engraving, cutting or UV printing: engraving is a one-tone mark

The same kind of laser can engrave or cut, and a UV printer can put a logo on the same items. The difference is what each one leaves behind.

• Laser cutting goes all the way through a sheet to make a shape, such as a sign letter or a keychain blank. Engraving only marks the surface. One file can do both: cut the shape and engrave the name in one run. Our guide to laser cutting materials covers what can be cut.
• UV printing lays full-colour ink on top of the surface and cures it with ultraviolet light. Choose it when a logo must be in its real colours. Choose engraving when the mark gets handled every day, because there is no ink to wear. See UV printing.
• Raised lettering you can feel needs a 3D printed or cast piece. Engraving can cut deeper for a mark with some depth, but it never builds anything up.

See everything we engrave

Materials: how an engraving looks on each one

The laser does not add colour, so the material decides the look. This is what to expect on what we engrave most.

On a batch of personalised tumblers, the laser burned through the blue and black powder coating to the steel underneath. On clear acrylic the same beam leaves a frosted white mark instead.

Buying the items yourself? Send us a photo or the make and model before you order them, and we confirm they will take a clean mark. PVC and vinyl never go under our laser, because of the fumes they give off.

Send a photo of the item you want engraved

Artwork: send a vector for text and logos, a photo for portraits

What you send decides how sharp the result is.

• Logos and text: a vector file. SVG, AI, PDF or DXF, with the text converted to outlines so the font cannot change. A vector is made of lines, so the laser follows its edges exactly at any size. Our guide to laser file types shows how to set one up.
• Photos and portraits: the original photo. We engrave it in shaded tones, marking the darker areas more heavily, or redraw it as clean line art. Line art reads better on small items such as keychains.
• Names for a batch: a list. One name per line in a spreadsheet, spelled exactly as it should appear. We lay out every piece and you check the proof.
• No vector? Send what you have. We can redraw a logo as a clean vector, and we will tell you if it needs it.

Tell us the item too: its make and model, or a sample. We set the size and position of the mark from it.

Send your artwork for a proof

Detail: sharp to 0.1 mm, but tiny text and fine texture fill in

The laser places a mark to within plus or minus 0.1 mm, so lettering lines up and a batch looks the same piece to piece. What limits detail is how small the design is, not the machine.

• Small text needs room. Very thin strokes and tiny letters can blur together. We flag it on the proof and suggest a size that reads.
• Photos lose fine texture when small. Hair and skin detail blur together on a small tag, which is why small portraits are drawn as line art.
• Shape matters. Flat faces and straight-sided round items engrave cleanly. A rotary attachment turns tumblers and bottles so the mark wraps evenly. Very textured or sharply curved faces may not take a clean mark, and an engraved plaque can carry it instead.
• It cannot add colour. If one part of a logo must be red, that part needs UV printing.

Engraving plaques? Read how to choose one

Lead time: about three working days for one piece

Engraving is quick once the proof is approved. As a rough guide, from the day you approve it:

• One piece, such as a plaque or a named gift: about 3 working days.
• A gift run of tumblers, bottles or tags: 5 to 7 working days.
• A large batch of several hundred: check with us, and tell us the date first.

If you send us your own items, the clock starts when they reach us. Allow time to check the proof, because nothing is engraved until you have approved it.

Tell us your date and quantity

Live engraving at events: marked while your guests wait

We also bring a laser to events. Guests scan a QR code at the booth, take a photo on their own phone, and see it as line art on the item in about 20 seconds. We check each drawing, engrave it on site and send a WhatsApp when it is ready to collect.

Guests can take home a stainless steel bottle, a black acrylic keychain or a mirror steel luggage tag, each with a name if they like. The booth needs a table and a power point. It suits company dinners, family days and launches, and our guide to fringe activities shows where it fits in a programme. For keychains ordered in a batch rather than at an event, see custom keychains.

Planning an event? Ask about the live booth