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.

Ever wonder how that cool logo was printed on your baseball bat? Its all the result of a technology known as pad printing.

Pad printing makes use of special equipment that allows manufacturers to decorate various metal parts including bearings, stamped metal panels and of course, aluminum baseball bats. Often called the industrial version of screen printing, pad printing can be performed on bare metal parts or those that have been painted, anodized or powder coated.

There are numerous pad printing companies throughout the United States and Canada. Most offer the option of single-color, multicolor or high volume pad printing . Prices vary and the results depend on quality of the equipment being used.