Laser engraving

What is laser engraving?

Laser engraving is the modern standard in the field of engraving and permanently refines a wide variety of materials with a laser beam. The extremely hot laser beam burns or vaporizes the material. The laser engraving creates structures that are different from the rest of the surface. In the case of organic materials such as paper or wood, colour is created through chemical conversion processes of the material. In the case of coated materials, the uppermost coating is removed as part of a paint removal process, so that the colour underneath comes to light.

What materials can be engraved by laser

Because laser engraving reaches very high temperatures, it can't be performed on all materials, but most of them will be perfectly imprinted with your logo. Here are the materials that we can laser engrave:

Metals - the best material for laser engraving is obviously metal because it's highly resistant; the most common one being stainless steel
Woods - although it may sound counterproductive, wood can also be engraved quite nicely
Plastics - although plastic melts easily, certain ones can also be laser engraved
Glass - certain types of glass can also be engraved, revealing a slightly darker colour with the desired design
Hard materials - some other hard materials can also be engraved, if you'd like your promotional product to be printed with this method, feel free to ask our team.

Advantages of laser engraving

Laser engraving at allbranded.co.uk comes with the following benefits:

It is permanent and will last a lifetime
It is very fast and secure, being done only by a machine
Can be used on a wide range of materials
Creates clear designs that are clean and tidy
Can make a promotional product more elegant and luxurious
It can make your brand stand out from the crowd

Engraving colours

Unlike the other printing techniques, laser engraving can only really be done in one single colour. The reason behind this is the way that lasers actually work. A laser beam will lightely and carefully melt or burn the surface of an object, revealing the layers underneath the surface. This results in a light scratching of the surface, which in turn gains a slightly darker colour. Therefore, there is no ink, paint or colour, for that matter, involved with laser engraving.

This single-colour printing technique is limiting, but in turn, one of the most accurate and elegant ones out there. Impress your top employees and VIP customers with an engraved promotional product and your company will be at the forefront.

Commonly asked questions

How does laser engraving work?

Although it sounds complicated, it's actually very simple. The engraving is done by a super-focused and sharp beam of light, called laser, that removed the top layer of the material to be printed. This is often done with a preselected image, in our case, your logo, which will then be carved into the merchandise.

Is laser engraving better than screen printing?

It's impossible to compare the two printing methods, as they are both used for different types of material. While laser engraving works on hard materials, screen printing work on soft fabrics.

What is later engraving used for?

This printing method is used for branding quite a lot of merchandise. We offer laser engraving for promotional products such as keyrings, cups, mugs, pens, technology gadgets and so much more. Please keep in mind that each product has different printing methods assigned to it on our website.