How to Engrave in 5 Steps

Ever wonder how we create one-of-a-kind designs on our custom engraved plaques and other various engraved awards? Well, in this blog we’ll pull back the curtain on our engraving process and show how engraving consists of the following 5 simple steps. 

1.) Load Design onto the Computer

To get the process started, we have created an all new engraving engine that allows you to design your award plaques on line and to see in real time exactly what your plaque will look like.  Take for example our team photo plaque. When customers order this plaque, they can specify what the want the plaque to say with unlimited personalization. Top choices to have engraved on this plaque includes the team name or year. This personalization information is included into the design and a file is output from the computer for the cutter. Now that the computer has the file ready we send it over to our laser engraver. We double check the job order number to make sure the engraver has the right job order and load the design on the machine.

2.) Load your Gift or Award

Once the design is fully approved and is ready to go, we load one of our ten laser engraving machines with the product we are engraving. The product we place in the engraver could be the plaque itself or a plate that will be attached to the plaque or trophy. We then make sure the plate or plaque is lined up correctly in the machine. This helps ensure the engraving goes where it was intended to on the product.

3.) Start Engraving!

Now the process for engraving can truly begin. Nowadays, engraving is a process where lasers are used to permanently mark a surface with a design or wording. Engraving has been around for centuries and used to be done completely by hand with specific tools. While the process has been around for centuries, computers and the use of laser cutters have helped speed up the engraving process. This helps make custom engraving faster and more affordable than ever.

4.) Gloss

Now that the plaque is engraved we are ready for the next step. We add an extra bit of shine by glossing over some of awards after we engrave. Some of the products we add that extra bit of gloss to is our glass products like our glass engraved plaques.

5.) Pack it up, Send it out!

Finally, it’s time to send those engraved plaques on their way! K2 Awards & Apparel offers fast shipping with all orders, so those plaques will get where they are going….fast! As you can see engraving is a fast process over here at K2 Awards! This is why we offer unlimited personalization with all of our trophies and awards.

This blog was updated to reflect our all new engraving engine.