The standard CO2 lasers that are used for engraving today won’t work on metal, but yet people see engraved metal all over the place, all the time.

The reason behind that is the YAG laser. It can do a lot of things that the CO2 laser just can’t handle. However, it’s not good for acrylics and other applications. Unless you’re going to be engraving a lot of metal, an investment in the YAG laser probably isn’t a good one.

Brass, brass plated steel, aluminum, and anodized aluminum are some of the most common metals that are engraved with a laser, and they’re all different so they have to be handled differently, as well. In addition, gold and silver and other metals can be engraved, too. Once again, be sure what metal you’re engraving before you start, because different metals require different techniques, and mistakes can be costly.

One of the best things about laser engraving for acrylics is that it’s actually pretty easy to do. The acrylic that’s sold today is designed for engraving, so that makes it difficult to buy the wrong thing. Also, even low-power engravers can produce great results on this material.

Make sure that you’re getting cast acrylic, though, and not extruded acrylic, as the extruded variety doesn’t engrave well at all. One of the best rules with acrylics is to keep your designs and engraving relatively simple. This will make the piece look very elegant and you won’t have to worry too much about getting too involved or fancy.

You can also use the same techniques that you use on clear acrylic to engrave colored acrylics as well. Lastly, make sure that the engraving looks right before you remove it from the machine. If it’s too light you can go over it again, but not if you’ve moved it, so take your time.

If you’re planning on doing some laser engraving on a wood surface, there are some simple things that you should know. There are a lot of different power levels when it comes to engravers that work on wood, so be sure you’re getting and using the right one for the task.

The goal is to find the point when the laser just vaporizes the wood, and doesn’t char it. The wood that’s in the engraved area should be the same color as the rest of the wood, not blackened or discolored.

Only the area where the actual engraving appears should be darkened. Otherwise, the scene that was engraved will not stand out clearly and the area around it will look burned or muddy. Since all woods are different, experimentation is the key to finding what works best for you.

The craft of glass engraving is somewhat of a lost art form that always makes a good gift idea for your loved ones. When shopping you will find that each piece is truly unique with a style of its own.

Etched with skilled precision, glass engraving produces a level of detail and sharpness that looks much cleaner than pieces resulted from sandblasting. This procedure is ideal for monogrammed names, letters and initials of texts and designs.

Whether it’s a wine glass, shot glass, bear mug, ornament or award, glass engraving offers personalization that makes a great gift for any occasion.

Laser engraving can be used to make hundreds of different products. Nameplates can be created for anything you would like such as names on doors, nametags, nameplates for a desk or office, name plates on helmets or souvenirs, information to be placed on a display case or a trophy.

Most laser engraving is done on some type of metal but it can also be done on plastic. When thinking of most nameplates that you have seen, the traditional silver or gold nameplate on sports trophies or display cases come to mind but it is possible to have nameplates made in a variety of colors and combinations.

Determining the size of the nameplate that you need will depend on how much information needs to be included on the nameplate which will then determine the actual size of the finished nameplate.