Plastic is one of the many substrates you can print directly on to, but a variety of factors may affect whether the ink adheres and wears well. That’s the reason some UV-LED printer manufacturers offer plastic-specific inks, adhesion promoters, and most importantly, plastic blanks that are tested to work well with UV-LED printing.

Many plastics laser beautifully, and our industry suppliers offer dozens of laser-friendly plastics.

Acrylic is one of the most popular because the laser cuts and engraves it, leaving a flame-polished edge. The list of safe-to-laser plastics is long and includes polyamide (PA), also known as Nylon®; Polyoxymethylene (POM) known as Delrin®; Polyester (PES) known as Thermolite® and Polarguard®; polyethylene terephthalate (PET) known as Mylar®; polyimide (PI) known as Kapton®; polystyrene (PS); polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) known as Plexiglas®; polycarbonate (PC) known as Lexan® and Makrolon®; polypropylene (PP); and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Though these plastics can be engraved, some may still emit unpleasant fumes or discolor. ABS, polycarbonates, fiberglass, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are among the plastics that can be problematic. The plastics we must not laser are those that contain chlorine. The most popular of these is poly vinyl choloride (PVC), which we tell our customers.

Bottom line: We use a laser-safe plastic from an industry supplier to create beautiful awards.

Most plastics can be rotary engraved because the process doesn’t create fumes. The plastic and type of engraving we want to do will determine the type of cutter we need and the engraving speed. We can determine this with information from our system’s manufacturer or the manufacturer of the plastic. Plastic options include acrylic, ABS, PVC, rigid thermoset polyurethane (RPU), and acrylic with a polymer cap.

Moisture content, density, grain direction, and some other factors vary between types of wood, therefore different species are likely to result in different products, especially with an abrasive personalization method like sandcarving.

Sandcarving does not create contrast and may require paint or stain to achieve any depth of color. Sandcarving typically leaves a less consistent, grain-type etch best suited for projects with a more rustic feel. These variations may affect the way colorants such as paint and stain take to the wood, with softer sections absorbing more color.

Laser engraving “burns” or “vaporizes”the wood, helping avoid some of the waste issues presented by rotary engraving. Unlike with rotary engraving, some contrast can be achieved without paint or other colorants, depending on the type of wood. If we do not see much depth of color after our first pass, try adjusting our laser machine’s focus to about 1/4 in. or 3/8 in. and make as many passes as necessary to reach the color we desire. Increasing the density also may result in greater contrast.

Because of wood’s natural discrepancies, some sections may appear lighter or darker. As with the rotary engraver, we experiment with our machine to identify the best settings. Generally speaking, harder woods respond best to a higher laser power and slower speed, while softer woods tend to require a lower laser power and higher speed.

Need exact measurements? Rotary engraving and routing are a good choice for creating recesses using very sharp cutters at high speeds on dense and hard wood. It may need to test several combinations to identify the best speeds and cutters. Use color filling, stain, or paint to create contrast, yet be sure to use food-grade colorants when working with utensils, cutting boards, or other kitchen accessories.

When personalized, bamboo cutting boards and utensils make a beautiful and functional addition to any kitchen. Encore Awards carries a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including a paddle shape and three rectangle shapes in sizes from 9 x 6″ to 13¾ x 9¾” that include a handle on one side. Then mix it up with two-tone cutting boards in 13½ x 11½” and 18 x 12″ sizes that feature lighter bamboo on the two rounded edges. Also available is a 23½ x 14½”. pizza board complete with a long handle and tapered front edge for easy oven use. Throw in a spatula, salad spoon, and salad fork and you are covered for any occasion. Bamboo is a certified renewable resource that laser engraves well for a completed look.

Industrial nameplates are widely used in following industries:

original equipment manufacturers, heavy equipment manufacturers, solar energy installers, cable installers, electric equipment installers, cable installers, electronic equipment modifiers, electric equipment installers, military equipment manufacturers, industrial complexes, etc.

Our industrial nameplates are fabricated and machine engraved using the highest quality flexible plastics, with your choice of mounting holes, adhesive backing, or magnetic backing.

Choose Printed Pins when your design requires fine line and full color details. Full color images with gradiance or even photographs are most suitable for this type of pin. Your image is printed directly onto a stainless steel metal (if silver) or brass metal (if gold). An shiny epoxy dome is then apply to the surface to give an elegant look

There are more than 750,000 firms in this service sector, employing nearly eight million Americans. Services include legal, real estate,
accounting, design, marketing, social media etc. Companies that build business one client at a time need a polished way to present themselves. A well designed elegant lapel pin is a conversation starter.

Choose Die Cast 3D Lapel Pin for stunning detail and dimension. Die cast (as opposed to die struck) is an alternative process of making pins. The main difference is they can be sculptured to a 3D shape and dimension and can have any number of inner cut outs for no additional cost.

Symbolic as well as monetary value over time make lapel pins a desirable collectible. Sport teams, theme parks, rock bands, resort locations, etc., are excellent candidates for a series program that either releases limited-edition lapel pins or any quantity simply for souvenirs. Tourist attractions, themed restaurants, zoos, museums, sports teams, parks, or universities can use them. They become the perfect way to display a collection.