| Engraving... what comes to mind is the | | | | follows the commands for each movement |
| permanence and the sense of personal | | | | This method is more sophisticated in |
| ownership it gives to a precious stone, | | | | that one can vary the fonts and the |
| metal, or wood. It basically entails | | | | sizes of the patterns just with a few |
| removing a portion from the exterior of | | | | clicks of the mouse. |
| a bare material by etching signs, | | | | Laser engraving, on the other hand, uses |
| insignias, or designs. | | | | a laser beam rather than a stylus or a |
| Engravers-to-be need to choose from 4 | | | | sharp tool, to etch a design on a blank |
| techniques: hand engraving, pantograph, | | | | surface. |
| Computer Numeric Control engraver and | | | | However, laser engraving utilizes |
| laser engraver. | | | | computer software to convert the design |
| Hand engraving is the oldest approach of | | | | into numeric instructions. Engraving |
| engraving and the most expensive too. | | | | using this method is more precise, fast, |
| This is performed with the use of a | | | | and clean. The downsides to this method |
| chisel or a sharp tool carefully tapped | | | | are its being high-priced and selective |
| into the material surface with | | | | material requirement. |
| differently weighed hammers. Each tap | | | | Materials commonly used for engraving |
| should be controlled for precision and | | | | are stone, brass, aluminum, wood, and |
| accuracy of the over-all design. | | | | plastic. |
| For minute design details, the hand | | | | Brass and aluminum plates are normally |
| engraver has to use a magnifying glass | | | | thin and engravers etch on them and |
| or enlarging equipment to ensure that | | | | later attach them to trophies, frames, |
| the design is followed to the minutest | | | | and other surfaces. The metals' glossed |
| details. | | | | coating is first removed to enable the |
| Engraving by pantograph or the drag | | | | etching tool to write on the surface |
| method is another old style that | | | | beneath. However, this process scratches |
| requires the use of a device (the | | | | only the top portion of the material. |
| pantograph or commonly called a tracing | | | | Deep engraving, on the other hand, |
| machine) to scrape the surface of a | | | | requires digging deeper into the |
| material with the use of a sharp stylus | | | | material. This is particularly used for |
| manually operated by the engraver. | | | | permanent name plates and industrial |
| The basic concept is tracing the letters | | | | molds. |
| or the design patterns from the design | | | | Wood, as well as plactic, is other |
| paper to the surface material using a | | | | commonly used engravers' materials. Wood |
| sharp tool or the pantograph. The risk | | | | engraving is not as common as brass, |
| of this method is the uneven, probably | | | | aluminum or plastic engraving. Engraving |
| unprecised way of etching the design or | | | | tools (laser or stylus) marks the wood |
| letters. | | | | material and the cut area is filled with |
| Since the stylus operator controls the | | | | coloring material to provide contrast. |
| writing, mistakes like those caused by | | | | Engraving on plastic is done on thin |
| shaky hands are not unlikely to occur. | | | | layers of the material, usually |
| Pantograph engraving is faster than hand | | | | differently colored. The stylus or laser |
| engraving. | | | | cuts away the upper portion of the |
| Computer Numeric Control (CNC) engraving | | | | plastic thus showing the next colored |
| is a more precise method as it is | | | | layer. Shown together, the over-all |
| computer-controlled. The letters or | | | | appearance of the engraving is one of |
| design are written in a uniform manner | | | | contrasting colors. |
| and use particular graphic software like | | | | One has to decide which approach he is |
| that of cross-stitching. | | | | most comfortable with, considering the |
| The computer changes a design into | | | | price of the equipment and tools to be |
| numeric instructions which is then | | | | used in creating one engraved piece of |
| transmitted to an equipment which | | | | art. |