Engraved gift branding methods are often a mystery to many experienced promotional gift buyers and, incidentally, to many people selling advertising gifts. In fact, there are customers who really want traditional engraving but are unaware of the many modern marking methods. These include sandblasting, laser engraving and chemical etching.
Hand engraving a personalized business gift has almost no place in personalized corporate gifts, because it is slow and laborious, as well as being expensive. Also, it is nowhere near as good as laser engraving for corporate gifts.
If you want intricate and complex motifs and logos to be reproduced reasonably cheaply then laser engraving is the process of choice. However, in truth, many corporate logo gifts which appear to be engraved are not actually engraved and sometimes even the most experienced eye can be initially misled.
Often glass and crystal which are sold as engraved are actually personalized by using a stencil and sandblasting the design into the glass or crystal. This is OK if the customer is aware of this cheaper process and knows precisely what they are buying.
The sandblasting method of personalization, as used on some popular engraved gifts, is fine in certain circumstances and is a favorite way of personalizing glass paperweights. This is useful if there is a logo, a strap line and perhaps a person’s name.
Engraved designs may be filled with a choice of color and have a most delightful effect. However, this method is only suitable for spot colors and it is not possible to reproduce a full color image using this method.
Should full color personalization for a coat-of-arms or club crest be required on glass or crystal a transfer print is probably the only economic answer? However, occasionally, hand painting is practical if the quantity is fairly small – say fewer than 25 or so.
Other promotional giveaways and recognition products benefiting from laser engraving are identity badges, conference badges, advertising coasters, award plaques, glass paperweights, crystal paperweights and desk name plates.
Steel, brass and aluminum advertising giveaways are at their most eye-catching if laser engraved. This allows the base metal to show through the coating creating a pleasing impression. Likewise, other promotional products such as identity badges, name badges, conference badges are often quite stunning when showing through a colored background.
Advertising pens, the post popular of all branded gifts, reach another plane as promotional giveaways and recognition products when laser engraved or chemically etched. Especially is this so when the pen gifts are at the quality end of the market.
In essence, like many things in life it is horses for courses. If the gift is glass and comparatively inexpensive sand blasting is perfectly acceptable. On the other hand, if the promotional item is from the luxury pen range and is likely to be around for a number of years, laser engraving is a definite must if you want get a good return on your investment in engraved gifts.
