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Laser engraving

Laser engraving is the state of the art way of engraving things. Images can be engraved in great detail on many materials. Laser etching can take place on many materials including slate, granite, stainless steel, leather, arborite, glass, mirrors, premium hardwoods and on graphite it’s a clean operation.

Laser engraving uses a computer to control a laser beam which is pointed at the object to be engraved. As the laser moves it removes tiny dots of material. The image is usually built line by line, similar to the way an inkjet printer works.

Laser engraving can reproduce virtually any digital image in great detail. Many different materials can be engraved with a laser, and some machines can make color laser engravings on metal.

Laser engraving equipment has been around for a few years, but from about the year 2000, has become affordable for small sized businesses. With plenty of business owners spending money on the equipment, there has been an explosion in ideas of how to use laser engraving and it really is a fascinating field.

There are many advantages to laser engraving compared to other engraving methods:

• Fewer consumables used and less wear and tear as no part of the machinery touches the object being engraved
• Highly accurate as it's computer controlled. Laser engraving can engrave images at over 1000 dots per inch, so is highly suitable for reproducing graphics.
• Material being engraved does not need to be held down
• Easy to use. Some laser engraver machines are as easy to use as a normal computer printer
• Many materials may be engraved with one pice of equipment. E.g. wood, plastics, glass, metals, ceramics, cloth, leather, marble, melamine, paper, rubber, fiberglass.