CIRCLE 91 ON AD EXPRESS
CIRCLE 203 ON AD EXPRESS
THE
Contents
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES advisory
A supplement to The Engravers Journal
THE
6
Publisher
Mike Davis
2006 EJ Materials & Supplies Advisory
Learn about Materials & Supplies from the manufacturers and their distributors.
General Manager
Sonja Davis
MANAGING EDITOR
12
Claudia Sinta
senior contributing Writer
Jackie Zack
Contributing writers
Roy BrewerDale Gruver
J. Tol Broome, Jr.
Richard Hilton
Mike Clarke
Kristin Huff
Mike Fruciano
William J. Lynott
Gene Griffiths
John Pratt
CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS
13
Jaime Peters
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS
Joyce Belczynski
Cecelia McClure
Multimedia & Graphics
Andrea Thill
2006 EJ Value-Added Services Advisory
Value-Added Services are an important part of selecting your suppliers,
see what they have to offer.
Engraving Materials Checklist
By J. Stephen Spence
EJ delivers a comprehensive materials compendium. Learn about materials,
their manufacturers and whether these materials engrave best using rotary
or laser engravers.
© 2006 Davis Multimedia International Inc. All rights reserved. THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL is published monthly
by Davis Multimedia International Inc. (a Michigan corporation), P.O. Box 318, Brighton, MI 48116-0318, (810)229-5725
FAX (810)229-8320. Nothing may be used or stored in any
electronic medium or reprinted either in whole or in part
without the written consent of the publisher.
Letters, photos and manuscripts are welcome, however, no
responsibility can be assumed for the return of unsolicited
materials, and all rights in letters sent to THE ENGRAVERS
JOURNAL will be treated as unconditionally assigned for
publication and copyright purposes and are subject to THE
ENGRAVERS JOURNAL’s unrestricted right to edit and to
comment editorially.
While encouraging the free expression by contributors to
this publication, neither Davis Multimedia International Inc.
nor its staff necessarily agree with or endorse the statements or opinions made in contributed articles and are not
to be held responsible for statements made therein.
U.S. Postage paid at Brighton, Michigan and additional
mailing offices.

17
26
Materials & Supplies Photo Expo
Check out our display of finished products made with many of the
materials presented in the 2006 Materials & Supplies Advisory.
Index Of Advertisers
In Canada, Postage paid at Windsor, Ontario under
Publications Mail Agreement #0040022310.
Canada Post - send address corrections to 401 Lakeside
RR #5, Harrow, ON N0R 1G0.
Subscription Rates
One Year:.........................................................$55.00
One Year: First Class U.S... ............................... 89.00
Two Years:........................................................ 99.00
Three Years:.. ...................................................132.00
One Year: Canada............................................. 69.00
Two Years: Canada..........................................124.00
One Year: International (Air Mail) . ...................125.00
Two Years: International (Air Mail) ...................219.00
Single Copy: U.S................................................. 7.00
Single Copy: International.................................. 10.50
(U.S.
(U.S.
(U.S.
(U.S.
Funds)
Funds)
Funds)
Funds)
(U.S. Funds)
Subscriptions are not refundable.
ISSN 0099-0043
Lithographed in U.S.A.
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
CIRCLE 70 ON AD EXPRESS
6
0
MATERIALS
& SUPPLIES
ADVISORY
0
2
The February/March issues of EJ included the first 2006 Advisory. The topic was Equipment and it
covered Rotary, Laser and Adjunct engraving equipment. The success of the Equipment Advisory has
prompted the publication of the June/July Advisory highlighting Materials & Supplies. In the following
pages you will read the most current information available on Materials and Supplies provided by the
manufacturers and distributors themselves. In addition, you won’t want to miss the feature article “Engraving Materials Checklist” beginning on page 13, this comprehensive materials compendium of rotary and laser materials includes an overview of wood, metal, sublimation, acrylic and plastic materials along with their manufacturer’s recommendations for use. For more details on any of the materials
presented, please circle the Ad Express Number listed at the end of each AdviTorial.
Materials
& Supplies
GRAVO-TAC FOR ADA SIGNS
The grace period is up for ADA signage compliance. Using Gravograph’s Gravo-Tac material
creates signage for complying with all ADA raised-letter regulations. Gravo-Tac’s unique design provides the core (substrate) and cap (profile) layers separately. By rotary engraving the
outline of the desired images or text in the adhesive-backed profile layer and peeling away the
excess material, this raised-letter process is a great way to create multi-colored signage that’s
not only ADA-compliant, but looks great, too!
Contact: Gravograph-New Hermes
(800)843-7637
www.gravograph.com/usa
CIRCLE 115 ON AD EXPRESS
ONE-STOP SHOPPING FOR
ENGRAVING MATERIALS & SUPPLIES
Johnson Plastics continues to provide one-stop shopping for the latest in rotary and laser engraving materials from Rowmark, IPI, and others. They also offer a broad array
of JRS nameplate holders and frames, as well as sublimation stock and badge findings. The products, offered through the Johnson Plastics product catalog and website,
are in stock and ready to ship from warehouses strategically located around the country to provide fast delivery with low shipping costs.
Contact: Johnson Plastics
(800)869-7800
www.johnsonplastics.com
CIRCLE 508 ON AD EXPRESS
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
Looking
to Boost Profits?
Overall
Upright
Size
Size
A6521 7 1/2” x 9 3/4” 6” x 9” 60.00
3/8” thick jade acrylic.
P3950
7” x 9”
P3951 8” x 10 1/2”
P3952 9” x 12”
P3953 10 1/2” x 13”
With competition on every corner you need products and a supplier who give you an edge. The
solution is Airflyte® Awards from Tropar. Our
retail-oriented catalog, wide product selection
and competitive prices make Airflyte products
the most profitable items you can offer.
To learn more about Airflyte products from Tropar
call our Customer Service Department at 973
822-2400 or visit our web site www.airflyte.
com.
Standard discount applies.
48.00
54.00
58.65
78.00
P3944 8 3/8” x 10” 51.00
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
5 Vreeland Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
973 822.2400 • Fax: 973 822.2891
2313 North Preston Street, Ennis, Texas 75119
972 875.5831• Fax: 972 875.4701
3306 West Bloomingdale Avenue, Melrose Park, Illinois 60160
708 343.3200 • Fax: 708 343.4551
8600-4 Jessie B. Smith Court, Jacksonville, Florida 32219
904 378.8846 • Fax: 904 378.8953
www.airflyte.com • tropar@airflyte.com
CIRCLE 166 ON AD EXPRESS
Materials
& Supplies
LASER ENGRAVING &
SAND CARVING MATERIALS
SUBLIMATION
SIGN SYSTEMS
Nova Chrome’s sign system is an ideal
way to quickly and economically create
full-color indoor signs. The system incorporates sublimation printing and metal
plates coated specifically for sublimation.
After the metal plates are printed, they
are placed in plastic holders that are easily mounted. The system is very fast and
does not require any messy inks or other
liquids. Nova Chrome has been a major
supplier of sublimation for over twentyfive years.
Contact: Nova Chrome
(800)788-6682
www.novachromeusa.com
CIRCLE 228 ON AD EXPRESS
LaserSketch, a leading supplier of engraving materials to the laser engraving and
sand carving industries, now offers a complete line of engravable black onyx jewelry, engravable ocean shell jewelry, ChemCast acrylic sheet stock, masking paper,
24K gold back-fill spray, engravable cork,
optical crystal and mirror plaques. All can
be viewed along with LaserGrade Absolute
Black Marble Tiles and Super Black Granite Tiles at www.LaserSketch.com. LaserSketch is your one-stop shop for materials
and supplies.
Contact: LaserSketch Ltd.
(630)243-6360
www.LaserSketch.com
CIRCLE 19 ON AD EXPRESS
THE NEXT GENERATION IN
ENGRAVABLE SHEET STOCK
Rowmark is proud to introduce Multigraph, the next generation of engravable sheet
material. UV-stable, outdoor weatherable and rotary and laser engravable, Multigraph
is truly one material for all applications. What makes Multigraph different from all other
products is its innovative multi-layer construction. UV
stabilizers are built into multiple layers, giving it outstanding staying power in direct sunlight. Multigraph’s
unique polymer liquid cap offers unprecedented resistance to marring and scratches with exceptional outdoor weatherability.
Contact: Rowmark, Inc.
(800)ROWMARK
www.rowmark.com
CIRCLE 118 ON AD EXPRESS
MODULAR
SIGN FRAMES
Are you still mounting signs
to the wall using double-sided
tape? What happens when
it's time to repaint or replace
the sign? The secure keyhole-shaped mounting hole
on Gravograph’s injectionmolded and aluminum modular frames is your answer.
Here's how it works: The
frame hangs by the keyholes on standard screws and drywall anchors. When it's time to repaint, pull the sign out of the frame with
a suction cup, loosen the screws and remove the frame.
Contact: Gravograph-New Hermes
(800)843-7637
www.gravograph.com/usa
CIRCLE 120 ON AD EXPRESS
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
ALUMAMARK HIGH GLOSS
MIRRORED FINISH
High gloss mirrored finish AlumaMark has been added to
the line of laser markable aluminum manufactured by Horizons Incorporated. AlumaMark yields dense black graphics
on the surface of the aluminum when marked with a CO2 laser. High gloss silver AlumaMark will enhance any decorative
identification or recognition project. It is an ideal material to use
for plaques, desk plates and ornamental labeling.
AlumaMark is also supplied
in Satin Silver, Matte Silver, Satin
Brass and Satin Bronze colored
aluminum. Contact: Horizons Incorporated
(216)475-0555
www.HorizonsISG.com
CIRCLE 149 ON AD EXPRESS
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
Materials
& Supplies
HOT STAMPING DIES
Pella Engraving has been etching metals
to produce printing plates and foil dies for
the printing and hot stamping industry since
1934. They offer hot stamping dies, embossing dies and polymer plates up to 27" x 37",
in die thicknesses ranging from .064" to 1/4"
and with a variety of mounting base options. Several set-up options are available.
Same-day service is available when camera-ready art is supplied by 10:30 a.m. CST.
Contact: Pella Engraving Company
(877)549-5447
www.pellaengraving.com
CIRCLE 28 ON AD EXPRESS
SUBLIMATION ESSENTIALS
Condé is the recognized leader in the digital transfer market and stocks everything
needed to get into the custom imprinting business including transfer systems, production software, blank imprintables, transfer paper and supplies, instructional videos
and educational workshops. During all stages of product selection, sales and post sales Condé offers expert
knowledge and superior customer support. Call today for
a copy of Condé’s new Digital Imprinting Catalog featuring a broad offering of sublimation and heat transfer
products.
Contact: Condé Systems, Inc.
(800)826-6332
www.conde.com
CIRCLE 22 ON AD EXPRESS
BADGE FINDINGS
& MORE
Magic Novelty features a full line of badge findings including pinbacks, clips, magnets, military
bars, tie-tack pins and clutches, key rings, split
rings, tie clips and swivels in their just released,
highly anticipated, new Badge and Engravable
Items catalog. In addition, Magic Novelty features many engravable products such as paper
clips, high polished key rings, bookmarks, letter
openers and moneyclips. There are many other
items shown catering to ASI, badge and trophy
and engravable badge industries.
Contact: Magic Novelty Co., Inc.
(212)304-2777
www.magicnovelty.com
CIRCLE 268 ON AD EXPRESS
THE BEAUTY &
TRANQUILITY OF NATURE
COLOURMAGIC!
LASER SUBLIMATION
CARTRIDGES
Grab some “magic” with Alpha Supply Company’s CMYK laser sublimation cartridges. Developed by awards professionals, for the HP
4500/4550 laser printer,
ColourMagic! Sublimation cartridges provide
vibrant, totally opaque
colors on gold and silver
metal. Award pros also
appreciate the low transfer cost of about a quarter a page. You can also
see the Magic! yourself,
by requesting free samples and transfers.
Contact: Alpha Supply Company
(800)908-9916
www.colourmagic.info
CIRCLE 210 ON AD EXPRESS
Standing at 10" high, these majestic waterfalls
symbolize the beauty and tranquility of nature.
Cascading waterfalls decoratively flow over
the precision cut machine polished crystal and jade awards. Rayzist Photomask, Inc.,
manufacturer of corporate awards and promotional gifts is proud to once again raise the
standards in the engraving industry. Their vertical or horizontal waterfalls will allow your
creative freedom to flow. From the leaders in sandblasting innovation.
Contact: Rayzist Photomask, Inc.
(800)729-9478
www.rayzist.com
CIRCLE 36 ON AD EXPRESS
SUBLIMATION SUPPLIES
Marco presents its new line of sublimatable
identification tags, disks and sheet stock.
These items plus more can be found in the
312 page full color catalog, available free
upon request. Marco now provides fast service from all of their 24 locations.
Contact: Marco Awards Group
(800)229-6592
www.discount-trophy.com
CIRCLE 286 ON AD EXPRESS
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
Materials
& Supplies
LASERABLE PRODUCTS
& MATERIALS
Universal Laser Systems is best known for their
complete line of CO2 laser engraving systems.
ULS is also a leading supplier of quality laserable products and materials. The Laser Products
Source has a wide range of premium engravable
items, including badges, findings, dog tags, luggage tags, pens, desk accessories, key rings, photo frames, plaques and more. All
items are available with no minimum order and at very reasonable prices.
Contact: Universal Laser Systems, Inc.
(480)483-1214
www.ulsinc.com
CIRCLE 137 ON AD EXPRESS
SHEETS, BLANKS
& ACCESSORIES
Plastic-Plus Awards offers same day shipping on hundreds of quality laserable, engravable and sublimatable items! Plastic and
metal sheets, blanks and tags, frames and
holders, magnets and pins, adhesives and
more are in stock, including brands such as
AlumaMark, UNISUB, Innovative Plastics Inc.
(IPI), JRS and many of their own quality findings and metal sheets. These quality products are stocked in nine warehouses and all
orders placed before 5:00pm are shipped the
same day!
Contact: Plastic-Plus Awards
(800)422-5554
www.plasticplusawards.com
CIRCLE 40 ON AD EXPRESS
LASER SHOP OFFERS 100 STOCK SELECTIONS
Innovative Plastics has established itself as “the leader of the pack” for top quality laser engraving products. The LASER SHOP has been expanded to over 100 stock selections of
the most laser-friendly materials in the industry, introducing the new self-adhesive LASERULTRATHINS and magnetic LASERTHINMAGNETICS. They have the material to meet any
laser project need, even custom applications. So when you’re choosing your laserable plastic, look to everyone’s favorite pick—Innovative Plastics, where the hits just keep coming!”
Watch this summer for their new LazrMirr & Gemstones!
Contact: Innovative Plastics, Inc.
(815)477-0778
www.inoplas.com
CIRCLE 318 ON AD EXPRESS
ALUMINUM, BRASS & VICTORY
ENGRAVING PLATES
Tower Ribbons and Awards offers a selection of
over 100 different engraving materials. From the
popular 12" x 24" sheets of aluminum and brass
to the beautiful finished Victory plates. All of these
items are in stock for same day shipping in their Indiana, Ohio and Illinois locations. Call Tower for a
free catalog and to place your next order.
Contact: Tower Ribbons and Awards
(800)582-1912
www.toweradv.com
CIRCLE 220 ON AD EXPRESS
10
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
LASERFROST IN BRIGHT GOLD
AND SATIN SILVER
LaserFrost allows you to laser through a printed frosted background to bright gold or satin silver to create
the time honored look of their “etched and frosted”
process at a fraction of the cost. LaserFrost metal is
available in standard 12" x 24" sheets, stock circles,
name badges and desk name plates. LaserFrost provides a new dimension to the world of laserable metals.
Contact: Identification Plates, Inc.
(800)395.2570
www.idplates.com
CIRCLE 62 ON AD EXPRESS
LASERDARC ADDS DRAMA
LASERDARC black powder from Smoke-Wood is used to increase contrast on regular engraving of wood plaques. After lasering simply brush in the black powder then
brush it out for a beautiful contrasting finish. The LASERDARC Colored powders offer
the same beautiful contrast in red, blue, green, yellow, gold, silver/gray and white and
are baked into the surface using your laser engraver. These colors are used primarily
on wooden plaques, but also work well on acrylics, particle board plaques, fiberglass
and bamboo flooring.
Contact: Smoke-Wood
(800)248-2352
www.smoke-wood.com
CIRCLE 294 ON AD EXPRESS
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
Materials
& Supplies
VISES & JIGS COMPLEMENT
ENGRAVING SYSTEMS
Xenetech supplies a variety of vises and jigs for their engraving systems. These vises hold a variety of items including military
badges, seals/medallions, pens,
I.D. bracelets, pendants, rings,
cuff links and other small jewelry
items along with lighters, letter
openers, flasks, pens, business
card holders and more.
Xenetech develops and manufactures a full line of computerized rotary engraving systems,
laser engraving systems and
professional engraving software
for the recognition, sign, rubber
stamp and industrial marking industries. Established in 1986, the Baton Rouge-based company maintains a global distribution network.
Contact: Xenetech Global, Inc.
(225)752-0225
www.xenetech.com
CIRCLE 426 ON AD EXPRESS
MATERIALS & MORE
Panterials is celebrating its 25th year as a supplier of
Rowmark engraving plastic, premium brasses, cutting
tools, JRS holders and frames, Universal lasers and all
supporting machinery. Panterials is the only company in
the world which sells and rebuilds the Gundlach shear
(the same shear which was sold by New Hermes for more
than 40 years) using original factory parts. Their specialties are accurate custom fabrication and multi-colored
hot-stamped badges.
Contact: Panterials, Inc.
(800)231-4644
www.panterials.com
CIRCLE 4 ON AD EXPRESS
CUSTOM FABRICATED
CORIAN
Crooked Creek Creations is your master crafter of a wide range of Corian solid surface materials, an acrylic-based material that’s usable
indoors or out and available in a variety of colors. Let Crooked Creek help you by fabricating signs, donor walls, dedication awards and
a wide range of customized products. Their
blanks can be laser engraved with intricate
grayscale photos and color filled with paint to
achieve any look desired.
Contact: Crooked Creek Creations
(734)463-6264
www.crookedcreekcreations.com
CIRCLE 159 ON AD EXPRESS
CIRCLE 339 ON AD EXPRESS
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
11
Value Added
Services
CUSTOM ACRYLIC AWARD
MANUFACTURING
Acrylic Idea Factory can custom manufacture
acrylic awards and plaques designed to your
specifications. Offering the “Best Ideas in Acrylic” and fast turnaround, they welcome the opportunity to quote on any of your acrylic product
needs. With thicknesses ranging from 1/8" up to
23/8" thick, AIF’s custom products can accommodate a wide variety of awards in Crystal Clear,
Jade Green, Glacier Blue and their exclusive
AIF Gold acrylic. Custom screen printing and laser engraving services are also available. For
a custom acrylic quote or for more information,
please call.
Contact: Acrylic Idea Factory
(800)543-9253
www.acrylicidea.com
CIRCLE 80 ON AD EXPRESS
FABRICATION SERVICES
& SUBLIMATION SUPPORT
Count on Johnson Plastics to support their products
with value added services to help assure your success. The company offers custom fabrication services with skilled personnel utilizing the finest materials and equipment to produce custom fabricated
plastics and metals made to your specifications.
Johnson Plastics also supports the sublimation process participating in Project
Sublimation Seminars across the country and providing easy access to sublimation specialists and a variety of software, marketing and training tools.
Contact: Johnson Plastics
(800)869-7800
www.johnsonplastics.com
CIRCLE 136 ON AD EXPRESS
PERSONALIZED SANDCARVING
For a unique and beautiful gift or award, have your text,
graphic or logo sandcarved into a product. Pella Engraving Company can sandcarve many different items
such as crystal, glass, medals, stones, marble, clay pots
or crocks, many of which they supply. They can use your
submitted artwork, copy and photos for a result that is truly original. Many products can be further personalized by color filling the
image. Crystal or glass that is sand-carved will have a frosted look.
Contact: Pella Engraving Company
(877)549-5447
www.pellaengraving.com
CIRCLE 6 ON AD EXPRESS
LASER FABRICATING AVAILABLE
SHARING SECRETSTHE BOOK OF LASER TIPS
Sharing Secrets is Smoke-Wood’s book on tips and techniques of laser engraving. Topics include general lasering,
using colored foils and vinyls to create multicolored logos,
time saving jigs and fixtures, photographs, various materials, etc. Most of the information has been collected over 12
years of experience. The simple tips are well worth the cost
of the book in the time you’ll save. To view sample work visit
Smoke-Wood’s website. A CD with sample tiff files is included with the book.
Contact: Smoke-Wood
(800)248-2352
www.smoke-wood.com
CIRCLE 467 ON AD EXPRESS
Fabricating unique shapes of metal for nameplates, display
parts, signs and the like can now
be accomplished through Nutron’s
unique laser engraving capabilities.
Complex parts or short run needs
can be satisfied where tooling was
often required in the past. The process is particularly useful where
decoration is also necessary such as with logos, cover plates, specialty plaques, etc. Customer supplied or in-house generation of
CAD drawings and digital instructions provide design flexibility.
Contact: Nutron Nameplate
(888)737-5052
www.nutronnameplate.com
CIRCLE 52 ON AD EXPRESS
We hope you’ve enjoyed your tour of Materials & Supplies. Don’t forget to fill out the
Ad Express Card in this issue and receive more detailed information directly from your
favorite or your soon-to-be favorite new supplier. Thank you for your interest in EJ’s
2006 Materials & Supplies Advisory and we look forward to presenting you with the
Awards Advisory scheduled for the October/November 2006 issue.
12
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
In the simplest of terms, there are two types of engraving machines
used today: rotary and laser. To accommodate these two engraving
methods, not to mention the numerous applications for engraving, an incredible
number of specialized materials have been developed. So many, in fact, that it’s
difficult for the uninitiated to sort out what material works best with what. This
checklist attempts to offer an “at a glance” reference sheet.
Having so many materials to choose from was not always the case. In the
earliest days, engraving materials consisted only of phenolics which
were expensive and very difficult to cut and engrave. By the time I
entered the scene in 1989, New Hermes (now know as GravographNew Hermes), Rowmark and others had taken us far beyond the
limited world of phenolics into laminated or coated ABS plastics. It
was a new and exciting world where the addition of a new color was
something to celebrate! I remember when the idea of doing fine detail engraving in plastic was unthinkable. All plastics had a cutting
depth of from .007" to .012" deep which left no room for detailed
logos or the super tiny text we’re accustomed to seeing today. I well remember the introduction of the multi-colored California Colors line that included color combinations such as pink and
burgundy, green over green or beige over blue, it was revolutionary! They didn’t sell well, but they were revolutionary just the
same. I remember, too, when “The Identifiers” (not to be confused
with the current Rowmark badge holders) were introduced. The Identifiers
were molded, elliptical edged name badges that had three different layers of
plastic. These layers were developed so that when you engraved through the
first layer you exposed one color and when you engraved even deeper you
exposed a second color. A similar plastic sheet is still sold by Gravograph-New Hermes, but the name badges didn’t stay around
long since the thickness of each layer varied so much they were
nearly impossible to engrave with consistency! Still, it brought
our world a little closer to the multiple color work that’s now
done mostly with sublimation.
Photos courtesy of Horizons, Cleveland, OH,
Identification Plates Inc., Mesquite, TX,
Gravograph-New Hermes, Duluth, GA,
Johnson Plastics, Minneapolis, MN, Magic
Novelty, New York, NY, Plastic-Plus,
Charlotte, NC and Nova Chrome, Pleasant Hill, CA.
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
13
All of the innovative ideas weren’t
busts. I remember when the early “laser friendly” plastics were introduced.
They were about twice as expensive
as conventional plastics and the color choices were—shall we say—limited. Still, it was a start. From there,
the number of colors, textures, patterns, designs and color combinations
has continued to grow and it shows
no sign of stopping. Not only are the
choices much broader, the material is
better too. Tight tolerances for caps,
microsurface materials for super high
detail engraving, UV stability and
weatherability, all unheard of only a
decade or so ago, are now commonplace.
With the advent of lasers came a
whole host of new products which
are all rotary engravable as well, but
innovation hasn’t stopped for rotary materials either. Rowmark’s new
Granites Deluxe material and their
Heavy Weights open the door to all
kinds of possibilities while Gravograph’s metal-over-plastic concept is
ideal for the company that wants metal signage at a reasonable price.
As for sublimation materials, what
can I say? Just ten years ago, the best
quality sublimation material was metal and compared to today’s offerings, it was pretty poor. There was
no UV stability, color rendition was
terrible (of course, we didn’t have
much to print with either) and resolution was a mere 300 dpi at best.
Today’s state-of-the-art sublimation
surfaces by Unisub, Rowmark and
others generate stunning near-photographic quality images on metal, tile,
plaque boards and ceramic products.
These advancements haven’t been
without trials, but sublimation has
finally come of age and no longer
needs to feel like an outcast to other
personalization methods.
The Recognition and Identification industry has taken huge, bounding steps forward in the past 10-15
years. Manufacturers should be congratulated for having stepped up to
the plate, both in the introduction of
new and better materials, and for taking risks to find out what works and
what doesn’t. Some of their mistakes
have been both expensive and embarrassing, but all have worked together
to advance the industry, constantly
breathing new life into a proud in14
dustry made up mostly of little guys
and gals like you and me who don’t
live on multi-million dollar deals.
Instead we must rely on local businesses, sports teams and neighbors to
keep coming back, knowing that every time they visit our place of business, they’ll find something new and
exciting. Now let’s take a look at the
amazing selection of materials that
are available.
Real Wood
Although thought to be a material exclusively for lasers, most wood
plaques and similar products can also
be rotary engraved using the same
carbide cutters used for plastics with
great results. Walnut: The most common of the
laserable woods is walnut. Walnut
plaques are usually made from strips
of walnut with little concern about
grain or color since it will be stained
to match prior to being finished. “Laserable” walnut, which usually sells
for a premium of 10%-20% higher
than traditional walnut, is made from
wood that has been hand picked for
consistent color and grain and isn’t
usually stained. The absence of stain
allows for greater natural contrast
when lasered. Both can usually be
“paint filled” for additional contrast
using a liquid or paste shoe polish or
a darkening process such as LazerDarc.
Alder or Red Alder: Fast growing in popularity for laser engraving,
alder is a soft wood that can be easily engraved with a 25 watt laser. It’s
extremely popular for laser engraving
since this light colored wood lasers
with a dark engraving naturally and
doesn’t require paint filling. Alder
can be filled for greater contrast, but
never with liquid shoe polish.
Cherry: Cherry is a very hard
wood and requires a powerful laser
or multiple passes for deep engraving. Cherry is commonly sold in one
of two colors, “natural” which is a
very light wood that lasers dark and
the dark reddish stained version that
most people associate with the word,
“cherry.” The stained version offers
little contrast when engraved, so it’s
best when darkened using a paste
shoe polish or LazerDarc. Never use
liquid shoe polish on cherry.
Oak: Oak is a very hard wood that
doesn’t laser well due to its heavy
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
grain. The dark grain of the wood
is much harder than the pulp of the
wood, leaving ridges in the engraved
areas.
Piano Finish: A newcomer to the
wood inventory is something referred
to as “piano finish.” This is often
made from mahogany as a core wood
and has a heavy epoxy finish applied
to it. This can be engraved. Since
there will be little or no contrast, it
will need to be paint filled. Because
of its very smooth finish, it’s easy
to fill with a variety of liquid paints.
Gold paint works especially well. Because you actually engrave into the
epoxy coating more than the wood,
it’s important to control the power to
prevent as much heaving up as possible around the engraved areas. You’ll
often experience a raising of the edges around the engraved areas that’s
caused by heat transfer and makes
paint filling more difficult.
Fur, Pine, Poplar: Although not
usually thought of as good woods for
engraving, they can be lasered if the
wood is “clear” or absent of knots and
heavy grain. Grain in these woods
will behave much like the grain in oak
and results in ridges when large areas
are engraved. These very soft, light
colored woods tend to “tear” when
rotary engraved if the cutter isn’t kept
sharp and can be a challenge to paint
or color fill. Never use liquids to color fill these woods.
Imitation Wood (MDF or
Foil Covered) Plaques
PDU’s SpectraWhite Plaques:
These plaques have a white face with
oak colored foil edges and laser very
well.
Unisub & ColorLine Plaques:
Although these plaques are intended
for sublimation, they can also be laser engraved and paint filled for a
very nice look. Liquid shoe polish or
a wide variety of paints can be used
for filling. Unisub recently introduced
a solid black plaque for laser engraving (can also be rotary engraved). Try
using gold paint to color fill these
plaques.
Imitation Oak Plaques: These
MDF boards with an oak-like foil laser very well and can be color filled
with liquid shoe polish or acrylic
paints. Don’t oversaturate the foil
when paint filling.
Colored Plaques (White, Blue,
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
Green, Purple, etc.): There’s a wide
variety of plaques available in just
about any color you can name. Most
of these are MDF plaques with a foil
face and will laser very well. Light
colored foils tend to do much better
than dark colored plaques since it’s
much easier to darken the engraving
than to lighten it. Watch for the few
out there that are covered with paper
(rather than foil) because these tend to
react very poorly to color filling.
Imitation Cherry & Walnut
Plaques: Although very popular as
plaques, these offer little to the laser engraver since they must be paint
filled in order to produce any contrast. Filling a product to make the engraving lighter than the background
is difficult at best and is generally
avoided.
Metal
There’s a long list of metals to
work with. Some work best with
one engraving method or another but
some can be either rotary or laser engraved. Actually, engraving metals
requires a bit more explanation to
provide the new engraver with a satisfactory explanation. Even the phrase
“rotary engraving” can be misleading when you talk about engraving
metals. Here’s a brief synopsis of the
main alternatives.
Diamond Drag Engraving: This
is technically not “rotary engraving”
because the diamond graver doesn’t
“rotate” during the cut. Instead, the
highly polished bullet-shaped graver
with an industrial diamond set into
the tip involves “dragging” the graver
through the metal, cutting a shallow
and narrow but very visible and highly polished groove.
The beauty of diamond drag engraving is it’s almost 100% foolproof,
providing results ranging from satisfactory to excellent on almost any
metal, including all types of plating
and surface finishes and a number of
hard and tough alloys that would defy
cutting using conventional “rotary”
tooling.
Rotating Burnishing Engraving:
This engraving process utilizes a rotating faceted burnishing cutter and
(usually) a burnishing adapter which
applies a very delicate downward
spring action of the cutter against the
metal. The result is a wide and bright,
but very shallow, cut. Burnishing
works better on brass than aluminum
and not at all on some metals which
are not designed as trophy and engraving metals.
Rotary Engraving: Rotary engraving using a conventional rotating cutter works on most trophy/engraving metals such as aluminum and
brass. The problem, at least for use
with decorative, polished and lacquered engraving metals is it’s difficult to avoid scratches in the lacquer
coating on the metal surface, due to
the interaction between the depth regulator nose and the metal chips created during the cut.
Now let’s take a look at the metals, starting with the industry’s all
time classic: Brass.
Brass: This soft metal has an ultra-attractive gold appearance, making it popular for a variety of uses.
Traditional brass has a yellow-gold
color but brasses having a silverywhite color or a reddish bronze color
are also available. You can purchase
CIRCLE 96 ON AD EXPRESS
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
15
sheets or blanks in either bright or satin finishes in .020" and .025" thicknesses. Most of the brass available
in the industry is “free-machining,”
meaning it contains a small amount of
lead, making it easier to engrave using rotary cutters.
Brass for engraving is usually polished and then finished with some
type of aerial oxidation-resistant coating on one side. For example, lacquer-coated brass has a .35 mil clear
lacquer coating; the enamel-coated version is covered with opaque
enamel. The colored enamel provides
a very attractive contrast with the
shiny, gold engraved designs. Black
is a popular enamel color, though
there are many different colors and
patterns to choose from. Brass plated with another metal, like chrome or
nickel, is also an option in this material.
Aluminum: This metal has a whitish-silver color and is soft. Although
not quite as attractive as brass, it’s
a more economical choice—it costs
about half the price per sheet. Aluminum is available in polished and finished sheets or pre-cut blanks and is
typically .025" thick. Lacquer-coated
aluminum has a clear or color-tinted
coating or you can select aluminum
coated with opaque enamel. Anodized aluminum is characterized by a
very durable matte coating (available
in various colors) and is also a popular choice for some award and gift applications, though it is more commonly preferred for industrial tag work.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel, a
metal primarily made up of iron, chromium and carbon, usually has more
specific applications than aluminum
and brass. This metal is strong, durable, inert and heat-resistant, making it
popular in industrial environments for
uses such as control panels and machine parts.
Laserable Metal: The popularity
of CO2 laser for engraving prompted the invention of laserable metal.
There are two types of lacquer-coated
metals available.
One is a laserable product that consists of polished brass that has a clear
coat applied. A color coat is then applied over the clear coat. A CO2 laser
will vaporize the color coat, but not
the clear coat, so the engraved areas
appear as bright metal but have a pro16
tective lacquer coat to prevent oxidation. Victory’s (Chicago, IL) “LaserBrite” is one example of this type of
product. There are other manufacturers of similar products as well.
Standard trophy and engraving
metal is not designed for engraving
with a CO2 laser, but it can be accomplished with some effort. In this case,
a CO2 laser will remove about 90%
of the lacquer coating. The remaining
10% of the coating can be removed
using a brass cleaner and some “elbow grease.” This type of lacquered
brass plate also works well with a
YAG laser or with rotary engraving
systems. The downside of this material is that is will tarnish over time,
whereas the LaserBrite-like product
will not need polishing.
Laserable Aluminum
Anodized Aluminum: Typically, any anodized aluminum product
can be laser engraved. The mark is
nonintrusive and doesn’t change the
characteristics of the anodizing process. This is because the lasering process doesn’t remove any of the coating from the metal, it only bleaches it
and leaves a mark that’s more white
than silver. These materials offer extremely high detail and contrast with
the exterior capabilities of anodized
metal. Although commonly used as
an exterior material, it’s not really
UV stable and may eventually fade.
Excessive or prolonged heat can also
cause fading.
These metals can also be rotary or
diamond engraved. However, engraving with a standard cutter or burnisher
does remove the coating and exposes the underlying natural aluminum,
making it vulnerable to the elements,
tarnish and chemical reactions. When
rotary engraved, the soft metal engraves a silver color.
Anodized aluminum comes in a
variety of surface colors and specialty materials including flat black,
gloss black, red (burgundy), green,
blue, gold and silver. Colors offer a
medium to high contrast and excellent detail. These have the same wear
capabilities as the black anodized
aluminum. Gold and silver anodized
aluminum offers the same characteristics as the others, but not the contrast. Note that anodized colors have
a “dull” look to them not a glossy,
highly reflective color.
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
AlumaMark: AlumaMark, manufactured by Horizons Inc., is actually
a form of anodized aluminum, but it
differs in that it has a natural aluminum surface that laser engraves with
a black image. This material is for
laser engravers only and is an alternative way to mark gold and silver
metal using a laser. Although the material is for interior applications only,
it’s very stable and very durable. It’s
available in both satin and matte finishes in gold and silver. AlumaMark
is available from Johnson Plastics,
Gravograph-New Hermes and LaserBits, among others.
LAMA (Laserable Anodized Mirrored Aluminum): Currently, there
are four colors offered, Bright Gold,
Bright Silver, Bronze and Smoked
Chrome. LAMA’s are intended for use
with CO2 lasers only. Be aware that
when introduced, the Bright Silver
version of this metal requires a 50 watt
laser to work. The other colors perform well with a 25 watt laser. LAMA
is available from Johnson Plastics and
Identification Plates.
LaserFrost: This is a new material and is similar to the LAMA material and intended only for lasers. It
produces a bright gold or silver mark
on what appears to be a sheet of satin
gold or silver metal. The material is
intended for use on plaques and highly decorative products and is available from Identification Plates.
Printable Metals: These metals
are designed for laser and wax thermal sublimation. They are typically
available in solid brass, white, bright
and satin gold and bright and satin
aluminum. They aren’t suitable for
inkjet sublimation. Sources for these
metals include Johnson Plastics and
Identification Plates.
Sublimation Materials
Although there are many brands
and distributors for sublimation metal, the metal actually comes from
only a few sources and falls into distinct categories. Their quality ranges
from superior to terrible, depending
on the way the metal is made. These
are some of the more popular labels. Unisub White Metal: This extremely durable white, coated metal is
intended for sublimation and includes
UV inhibitors that allow sublimated
products to be used outdoors for two
or more years without fading.
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
Materials
& Supplies
2
PHOTO EXPO
See page 25 for photo captions.
1
4
3
6
5
9
8
7
12
11
10
13
14
15
16
17
18
continued on page 21
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
17
ColorLine White Metal: This extremely durable white, coated metal is
intended for sublimation and includes
UV inhibitors that allow sublimated
products to be used outdoors for two
or more years without fading.
DynaSub: This metal presents an
excellent image on white metal at a
lower cost than Unisub, but doesn’t
have the UV resistant characteristics and isn’t as scratch resistant. The
metal is also available in gloss silver and gloss gold. Although the image is excellent on these materials,
color management must be adjusted
to accommodate the gold or silver
backgrounds. Sources for this product include Identification Plates and
Johnson Plastics. LaserSub: This is a new product
from the DynaSub people that allows
you to sublimate an image on metal
and then laser engrave over the top of
it to produce a metallic gold image as
well. It uses the same coating as the
DynaSub just discussed. LaserSub is
available from Identification Plates.
SuperMetal: Johnson Plastics’
brand for their quality gold and silver
sublimation metal. Dye-Trans Metal: Condé System’s brand for their quality white,
gold, silver and bronze sublimation
metal.
Ultra-Coat Metal: Nova Chrome
USA’s brand for their quality white,
gold and silver sublimation metal.
Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic
(FRP): This is a product designed
for sublimation that consists of a 1/8"
sheet of fiberglass specially coated
with a UV resistant polymer coating. It can be rotary engraved and cut
with a rotary cutter. Although it can
be laser cut as well, it’s not usually
recommended because laser cutting
leaves a nasty edge. The tar-like residue must be cleaned off with sandpaper. Still, this does offer a product for
making special shapes. It’s marketed
under two brands: Unisub, which is
available through various distributors
and sublimation dealers or ColorLine,
which is sold through most Rowmark
dealers.
Unisub/ColorLine Hardboard
products: These companies offer a
wide variety of sublimation products made using 1/8" hardboard (Masonite). This material can be rotary or
laser engraved as well as sublimated
18
and can be cut using a laser. Unisub
products are sold through Unisub distributors while ColorLine is a Rowmark brand available from their distributors.
Acrylic
There are two basic forms of
acrylic: cast and extruded. Rotary engravers can work with either. Laser
engravers should restrict raster engraving to cast acrylic only; however, lasers can “cut” either. Most finished acrylic products such as napkin
holders, pencil holders, stemware and
various containers are made from extruded plastic and laser engrave very
poorly, but can be rotary engraved.
Try using a burnishing cutter and a
“burnishing adapter” to mark these
products or a conventional rotating
carbide cutter.
Plastic
Corian & Fountainhead: These
two extremely dense plastics are often
called “solid surface materials” and
are widely used for countertops. They
can be both rotary and laser engraved
and paint filled easily. The material
cuts, sands and routers like wood and
is weatherproof and scratch resistant.
Corian comes with a flat finish while
Fountainhead is highly polished. To
achieve depth, these plastics may require a laser of 50 watts or more.
ABS Plastics: Products made with
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
plastic can usually be rotary engraved
but cannot be laser engraved. They
can however, be cut with a laser.
Polycarbonate Plastics: Polycarbonates such as “Lexan” are often
used in the medical and chemical industries and can be laser engraved.
They do especially well with YAG
lasers, but CO2 lasers and rotary machines can, also be used.
Plastic Engraving Stocks
Engraving plastic is a multi-layer
product that contains at least two layers which are referred to as the “cap”
and “core.” When the engraving tool
or laser cuts through the cap, it exposes the core resulting in a two-color
product. These plastics have become
extensive and use a wide variety
of combinations of materials. In the
most basic terms however, there are
two types of plastics used: acrylic and
ABS. Any product using an acrylic
core should be laser friendly, regardless of its cap. ABS core products,
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
however, are more the venue of the
rotary engraver. There are exceptions
to this rule, so a quick test is always
the best way to be sure. All of these
materials can be rotary engraved using a standard cutter.
UV stability is always an issue
that should be considered when working with these plastics since most are
not UV stable and will fade fairly
quickly when used outdoors. Always
check the manufacturer’s specifications to see which products are UV
stable.
Manufacturers & Their Materials
There are a number of manufacturers for these materials in today’s
market. For our purposes, we will
consider the top four: GravographNew Hermes, Innovative Plastics Inc.
(IPI), Rowmark, Inc. and Scott Machine Development Corp. A printed
color-swatch sheet can be requested free of charge from each of these
companies. A swatch book having actual samples can be purchased from
each for under $50.
For Rotary Engravers Only
Materials that have a thick cap and
require a cutting depth of more than
about .008" are generally the realm of
the rotary engraver. There are a couple of exceptions however. A few materials with a cutting depth of as much
as .007" can be lasered, but some may
require two passes.
Gravograph-New Hermes Plastics
Gravoply 1: This laminated material is intended for interior signage
and comes in a standard satin finish,
as well as matte or textured options
and has a thick cap over an ABS core.
This makes it a rotary only material
with a cutting depth of at least .010".
Do not confuse these versions with
their acrylic counterparts which are
exterior grade. All Gravoply 1 is designed for interior applications only.
Selected colors of this material are
also available in a 3-ply version and
can be used for protruding signs that
read from both sides.
Gravoply 1 Décor: Same material as Gravoply 1 except it has a matte
finish.
Gravoply 1 Textured: Same material as Gravoply 1 except it has a
textured finish.
Gravoply 2: This material falls
into two distinct categories: The first
is traditional colors with a standard
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
matte finish and a cap over an ABS
core. It varies from Gravoply 1 in that
it has a very thin foil cap (.001") allowing for highly detailed rotary engraving. The other category under
the same Gravoply 2 label includes
Woods, Naturals (marbles) and Tech
Patterns. Although not recommended for lasering, those products with
a black core do laser pretty well. The
reason these aren’t recommended for
lasering is because they’re ABS and
tend to melt and yellow when lasered.
This material is recommended for interior use only.
Gravoply 3C: This is a truly
unique material that allows signage
to be created using three colors, all
from the same sheet of plastic. The
3-ply material starts with a very thin
cap of only .002", but under that is
another cap of about .012". So, by
engraving .003" deep, you’ll expose
the first core layer and by engraving
.012" deep, you’ll expose the second.
Custom combinations can be made to
order with a 10 sheet minimum. This
is recommended for interior use only
and has a matte finish over ABS.
Gravoglas 1: Gravoglas is Gravograph’s exterior grade 2-ply material for signage and general applications. It has a thin micro cap on a rigid
clear solid acrylic core. It’s available
in a glossy finish. Although acrylic,
this material can be rotary and laser
engraved and requires an engraving
depth of .008" - .015". Gravoglas 2-Plex: Gravoglas 2Plex differs from Gravoglas 1; it is
available in three finishes, glossy,
matte and textured and is intended
for surface and subsurface engraving while all the other materials listed
are intended for front or surface engraving. Although rotary engraving
is recommended on this material due
to the cutting depth required, it can
also be lasered using multiple passes
since it is acrylic. This product is exterior grade provided any color filling
paints used are also exterior capable. Metallex: This product line is
ABS plastic that looks like metal and
is available in a variety of colors, as
well as glossy and matte finishes. It is
designed for use with name badges,
plaques and interior signage. All are
ABS materials with a very thin cap allowing for highly detailed engraving.
There are three different categories of
this line.
Metallex Gloss: This product has
two silver and three gold color variations layered over a 1/16" black core
with a high gloss, scratch resistant,
glossy, metallic-like surface.
Metallex 2: This product is available in four silver and three gold color variations layered over a 1/16" black
core and is available in either a matte
or gloss finish. Its recommended usage is for interior applications where
a normal level of scratch resistance is
needed.
Metallex: This product is available in bronze, silver and gold layered over three thicknesses of black
core (the brushed bronze has a white
core), 1/32", 1/16" and 3/32". Not all colors are available in all thicknesses
however. This is a good material for
making gold or silver trophy plates or
plaques using the 1/32" thick version.
This is also ideal for personalizing ad
specialty products that have a space
for a piece of engraving stock.
Gravofoil: This is a highly flexible material (.008" thick) that comes
with a self-adhesive backing for making labels and industrial signage. It’s
an exterior grade material with a
matte finish and is intended for rotary
engraving only since it’s made with
PVC (PVC should never be laser engraved since lasering creates fumes
that are toxic to people and corrosive
to your laser system!).
Gravostral: This is a really unique
material that is made up of two sheets
of thin metal (aluminum) laminated
to a black phenolic core. When you
rotary engrave through the metal and
expose the black core you have an interior metal sign that doesn’t require
paint filling. One side of the material
is matte silver while the other side
is brushed gold. Required engraving
depth to expose the core is approximately .012".
IPI (Innovative Plastics, Inc.)
Innovative Plastics products fall
distinctly into two categories: Acrylic core (laserable) and ABS core (not
laserable). However, this is not always true. Many of the IPI products
do laser fairly well even with an ABS
core provided the core is a dark color
(white tends to yellow) and the engraving areas are not too bold (say,
under 24 pt. type). Most of these
products are “microsurface” materials
CIRCLE 85 ON AD EXPRESS
so a 25 watt laser can easily penetrate
the caps.
Brushed Satins: These are extra
thick caps for IPI over an ABS core
that require a cutting depth of .007".
Primary Plus Line: Economical
line of microsurface ABS core products that afford excellent detail work
and are available in matte, satin and
CIRCLE 15 ON AD EXPRESS
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
19
high-gloss finishes.
Metals: IPI offers a wide range
of gold and silver (plastic) metals,
including mirror finishes. These all
have dark cores (usually black) and
can usually be lasered even though
they have an ABS core. They also
offer a line of laser-friendly metals.
Note that IPI offers a line of “Hardware” metals. This is their version of
a scratch resistant metal.
Architectural Stones: IPI offers
the widest range of marble-like or
stone materials. These have an ABS
core and are available with light and
dark colored cores.
Euro Colors & Pastels: The Euro
Colors include unusual color groupings with lots of burgundy and silver combinations and were designed
to meet the needs of emerging color
trends. The Pastels or Isochromatic
Series is made up of soft, subtle colors and have a matte finish. They utilize a microsurface coating over an
ABS core.
Woods: Woods have long been
the territory of rotary engravers. Such
is the case here with these microsurface ABS products. The Corporate
Series offers realistic, high-fidelity
wood patterns in a variety of wood.
The white cores of this product line
restrict them to rotary engraving.
Elites: This line of metals offers red, green and blue cores with
a glossy, brushed finish. They don’t
work well with lasers, but the microsurface gives great detail with a rotary
engraver.
Sparklers & Reflectors: This microsurfaced ABS offers the look of
flashy trophy metal in plastic. The
reflectors reflect brightly in the dark
when hit by a light source, similar to
a bicycle reflector. They are rotary
engravable and can also be vector cut
with a laser. Electrics, Nightlites & Blacklites: These lines are the most unique
in the industry with plastics that when
engraved, either glow in the dark or
utilize the popular neon colors for a
glow-in-the-dark look.
Exterior Series: This line uses
acrylic cores and an acrylic cap to
provide UV stable basic color combinations.
The .005 Crystals-Reverse Engravable: This multi-layered acrylic blend is reverse engravable and is
20
fused with a .005" thick engraving
layer for durability and fine line engraving. Although these are considered to be rotary only, they can be
lasered, but several passes may be
required to adequately penetrate the
thick acrylic cap. Rowmark Plastics
Satins: In spite of its name, this
product is an interior product that has
a high gloss finish with very light
brush marks over its surface. Between
the ABS core and the .012" cutting
depth, this is strictly for rotary.
Silks: This product has a nonglare matte finish with a cutting depth
of .007" and ABS construction and is
strictly a rotary product used for interior applications.
Weatherable Metals: With laminated impact acrylic construction and
deep cutting depth of .012", this is a
rotary product. A new version of this
material is slated for mid-2006, it
will be laserable and is called “Metalgraph Plus.” Check under the laserable products list for details.
Lacquers: An extremely high
gloss finish, this laminated impact
acrylic material is restricted to rotary
due only to its .012" minimum cutting
depth. The acrylic composition makes
this a good product for exterior use.
Ultra Mattes: A matte finish material including gold and silver, this
material is restricted to rotary due to
its thick cap. This is one of the few
materials that offers a matte gold or
silver core under a colored cap and is
suitable for interior and exterior use.
Earthtones: This laminated impact acrylic has a matte non-glare
finish and requires a .012" engraving depth making it a rotary product.
Selected Earthtones are also available
in a reverse engraving material of the
same name.
Granites Deluxe: Rowmark Granites Deluxe products are an extremely
thick-capped laminated impact acrylic material suitable for indoor and
outdoor signage. Required cutting
depth is .038", making this material one for bold rotary engraving, not
fine detail. This is as close to engraving “real stone” as one can get.
Textures: This co-extruded acrylic has a textured finish and .007" engraving depth and was designed for
rotary engraving. Many of us do laser
it by running two passes feeling it’s
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
worth the effort because of its excellent durability and UV stability.
Heavy Weights: This heavy gauge
3-ply polymer material resembles the
Textures material except it’s much
thicker. Cutting depth can be as much
as .060" and the material itself comes
in 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses. It’s great
for exterior applications where the sun
or weather causes other plastic signs
to bow or curl.
Slickers: This gloss finish, indoor/
outdoor product is a reverse engravable laminated impact acrylic with a
thick cap. This material may best be
used with rotary although multiple
passes with a laser will also work if
a laser friendly product is not available.
Scott-Ply Plastics
Scott-Ply plastics from Scott Machine Development Corp. are all intended for rotary engraving, most are
microsurface meaning they can be
lasered if they have a dark core and
the engraving isn’t too bold. The microsurface materials offer high detail.
The Satin material offers one very
unique color combination (green and
yellow).
Colors: This Microsurface ABS
material is available in a variety of
basic colors.
Woodgrains: Although microsurface, the white ABS core restricts this
product to rotary engravers.
Metals: These gold and silver
combinations are microsurface over
ABS. Because they have a black core,
they will laser provided the text isn’t
too large.
EZ Grav Satins: With a cutting
depth of .012", this one is strictly for
rotary.
For Both Rotary & Laser Engravers
Gravograph-New Hermes
Gravoply Ultra: This is the material for laser engravers. It’s made of
a modified acrylic so it engraves and
cuts well with a 25 watt CO2 laser.
However, the material can also be engraved with a rotary engraver. It has a
thin cap, is exterior grade and comes
in either a matte or satin finish and is
UV stable. There are also some colors offered in a fairly flexible .020"
thickness which is excellent to use on
plaques or ad specialty items.
Gravolase: This is also a material
that can be used with either a laser or
rotary machine. Gravolase is intended
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
Materials
& Supplies
PHOTO EXPO
19
See page 25 for photo captions.
20
24
22
21
23
25
26
27
29
28
32
31
30
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
21
for interior use and offers a variety of
gold, silver, bronze and copper metallic faces with a variety of core colors. It’s also available in two marble
materials with gold cores. These are
very popular for all kinds of engraving needs.
Innovative Plastics, Inc. (IPI)
The Laserables: This is a fairly
extensive line of matte or gloss materials offering a microsurface acrylic
product that lasers well. A few colors
are also offered in 1/8" and 1/16" 3-ply
configurations, but most are a standard 1/16" thickness. Most are UV stable for exterior use and some are not,
so check your application carefully. The line includes metallic sheets
that are both interior and exterior
grades, unique marble configurations
and there are even a couple that look
like trophy metal.
Laserables II: This interior product offers a .050" thickness with basic
microsurface colors.
Heavy Metal: This line is an extension of the Laserables product line,
but features all metallic colors including a variety of gold, silver, bronze,
copper, nickel and blue steel. While
most of these are UV stable, a few are
not, so select your material carefully.
Gold Coast: This line of exterior
grade plastics includes a variety of
marbles, exotic woods and basic colors over a gold core. Two thicknesses
are available, .030" (approximately
1/32") and .060" (approximately 1/16").
The .060" material is UV stable. The
available finishes include matte and
gloss.
LaserThins: This material comes
in only a .030" thickness but offers
several unique colors including some
brushed metals and two mirror finishes. The material is thin enough to substitute for engraving stock and can be
easily scored or cut with a laser. Most
colors have a matte finish and are intended for interior use only.
Reverse Engravables: This thin
cap acrylic product cuts well by rotary or laser. Many of the colors are
UV stable; always check the manufacturer’s specifications. All are 2-ply
and most have a thickness of 1/16" although a few are also available in 1/32"
or 1/8".
Rowmark
LaserMark: LaserMark actually offers two complete lines of inte22
rior grade materials under one name
with one being front engravable and
the other reverse engravable. This is
an acrylic material with a non-glare
matte microsurface cap that lasers
easily. The product line includes marbles, woods and solid colors in the
front engravable and solid colors for
the reverse engravable. Two thicknesses are offered: .052" (approximately 1/16") and 1/8".
LaserMax: Max is a fairly extensive line of 1/16" no-glare matte finish
colors including marbles and brushed
metals. The advantage of these over
the LaserMark materials is that they
are UV stable and are recommended
for interior and exterior use.
Multigraph: A new product line
intended for use by both rotary and
laser engravers that offers five basic
colors in both 1/32" and 1/16" thick materials. With a matte and gloss finish,
these acrylics are UV stable for outdoor use.
Metalgraph Plus: A new product
line intended for both rotary and laser
engravers that offers four basic gold
and silver metallic colors over a 1/32"
and 1/16" black core. These metallic
products are extremely durable and
UV stable for exterior use.
Textures: Although the .007" engraving depth of this material seems
to make it for rotary engraving, many
do laser it by running two passes,
feeling it’s worth the effort because of
its excellent durability and UV stability.
ColorCast Acrylics: These extra
durable cell cast acrylic sheets have
a very thin color cap, are available
in a non-glare matte and gloss finish
and are intended for reverse engraving and offer a very clear acrylic face
that can also be engraved with either
a rotary or laser. Available in 1/8" and
.236" (approximately 1/4") thickness,
and UV stable for exterior applications (provided the paint filling is exterior grade), this makes a very versatile product.
FlexiBrass & FlexiColor: Although this gloss or brushed metal
finished material might be considered
just another Rowmark product, it’s really unique because of its .020" thickness (the same as most metals) and
its variety of gold, silver and bronze
metal colors. This makes it an alternative for using satin gold or brushed
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
silver metals. It also comes in marble
look-a-like colors and several basic
color combinations. It can be both laser and rotary engraved and easily cut
with a laser or rotary engraver or rotary wheel paper cutter.
Self-Adhesive Materials
Gravograph Stick-A-Lase: This
material is available in black with a
white letter or silver with a black letter and is a very flexible interior material ideal for labels, trophy plates
and a wide variety of other applications. At .004" thick, it can easily be
wrapped around a cylinder and can be
laser cut into special shapes. The material comes in 4.75" wide rolls.
Rowmark LaserLIGHTS: This
is a product that is in a category all
its own. At .004" thick, the material
is flexible enough to flex around a
trophy column, fit in a medal or for
hundreds of other applications. This
material is usually laser engraved.
The material is not UV stable enough
for prolonged outdoor use, but it does
have a weatherproof adhesive. Gold,
silver, bronze and several basic color
combinations are offered including
black that engraves with a metallic
gold letter. LaserLIGHTS can be cut
with scissors or a laser. This material
comes in 12" x 24" sheets.
Magnetic Materials
Rowmark LASERmag: Again,
this is a unique product to the industry with a magnetic sheet material that
can be laser engraved. Intended primarily for interior applications, it can
be cut using a laser or utility knife. It
doesn’t contain PVC and is available
in gold and silver. It leaves a black
letter when engraved.
Rowmark magMATES: This is
a magnetic sheeting product designed
to be sublimated.
ADA Signage Materials
Materials for making raised letter
ADA signage come from two companies, Gravograph-New Hermes and
Rowmark. They consist of two pieces
of plastic referred to here as “Core”
and “Appliqué.” These are assembled
to form the completed product. The
Appliqué must be 1/32" thick and usually has a double-faced adhesive already applied to its underside. The
Core can be 1/16" but is often 1/8" thick
to give the sign rigidity. These are
solid color materials and gain their
contrast by using a different color for
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
the Appliqué and the Core.
Material thickness, colors and color combinations are determined by
Federal Government ADA Regulations and must be followed carefully.
Be sure you understand these regulations before selling ADA signage
(www.ada.gov). (For more information see “ADA Signage: Get it Right,
Make it Right” in the March 05 issue
of EJ.)
Gravograph-New Hermes: Use
GravoTac for interior applications
and GravoTac Exterior for exterior
applications. Each of these offers the
1/32" tactile appliqué and either a 1/16"
or 1/8" thick solid core material.
Rowmark: Use ADA Alternative
Appliqué and ADA Alternative Substrates to build the color combination
of your choice. The Appliqué line is
24
/ " thick for tactile lettering while
the Substrate line is a single color
core product available in 1/16" or 1/8"
thicknesses. All Rowmark ADA materials are recommended for interior
use.
Grade II Braille
Raster (Dots): Over the years,
there have been a number of ways
to create Grade II Braille for signage, including engraving. The latest Government regulations, however, require a round top dot making a
process called the “Raster Method”
the most popular. This is a licensed
process available through Accent Signage that allows the user to drill and
install his own Braille elements using
a rotary engraver. Although it is possible to apply Rasters using a laser,
it’s tricky and not generally recom1 32
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
mended. Both automated and manual
insertion systems are available.
Phenolic
Phenolic is an old material that
often looks like engraving plastic,
but it’s different. It was developed in
the early days of engraving and restricted to rotary engravers only. It is
extremely brittle and difficult to cut
or engrave due to its brittleness and
abrasiveness. It’s commonly specified for military engraving because it
doesn’t burn. Only a few color combinations are still available in this material. The cost is about twice that of
conventional engraving plastic. Most
phenolic comes in a 3-ply form with
the same color cap on each side of a
black or white core. A carbide cutter
is used to engrave phenolic. Sources for phenolic engraving stock are:
Johnson Plastics and GravographNew Hermes (Gravostral Phenolic).
Over the years, there have been
many changes in the engraving world,
not the least of which was the introduction of the CO2 laser. With it
came a slow decline in sales of rotary engravers that lasted a number
of years and the advent of numerous
new “laser friendly” materials. Now
we’re seeing some reversal in that
with a significant increase in rotary
sales as engravers find that there are
still a lot of jobs that can be best done
with a rotary machine and the advent
of innovative new materials such as
Rowmark’s Granites Deluxe and the
1/4"and 1/2" thick Heavy Weights.
The next generation of engraving
materials may well be created due to
the addition of YAG type lasers to
many shops. As their price drops and
their flexibility increases, there will
be more YAGs in the marketplace.
With that, we’re sure to see even
more “laser friendly” materials being
introduced and these will be designed
to meet the needs of the YAG’s light
frequency.
In the meantime, however, perhaps
our checklist will help you to spot
and compare the various materials on
the market and find a few you didn’t
know about—at least, that’s our hope.
If we missed a product or product line
in our “Materials Checklist,” please
let us know. With all the varied materials on the market, it’s likely that you
know something we don’t. We would
like to hear from you.
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
Materials
& Supplies
PHOTO EXPO Captions
Photos on pages 17 & 21.
1. This Rowmark sign uses ADA Appliqué
and Lasermark materials.
2. Multigraph from Rowmark can be rotary
and laser engraved.
12. LaserFrost from Identification Plates
produces a bright gold or silver mark on a
sheet of satin gold or silver metal.
13. Three Rowmark materials were used
in this sign, ADA Alternative Colors, ColorCast Acrylic and Reverse LaserMark.
3. Gravoply Ultra from Gravograph.
14. Alder wood (sheets available from LaserBits) is fast growing in popularity for laser engraving.
4. ColourMagic! sublimation transfers from
Alpha Supply were used on this award.
15. The “Raster Method” is a licensed process available through Accent Signage.
5. Rowmark’s LaserLIGHTS were used
here. Photo courtesy of Mike Clarke.
16. This sign was created using Horizon’s
AlumaJet Ink Jet Printable Aluminum.
6. Rowmark’s Satins are rotary engravable
and designed for interior use.
7. AlumaMark brass offers high quality CO2
laser engraved photo and text options. LaserBits photo.
8. AlumaJet from Horizons can be printed
in full color from an inkjet printer.
9. The etched and frosted technique was
used on these badges from Identification
Plates.
10. Architectural signs are made with IPI’s
Laserables line.
11. LAMA (Laserable Anodized Mirrored
Aluminum) from Johnson Plastics is available in four colors.
17. Gravoglas 1 from Gravograph is an exterior grade 2-ply material for signage.
23. This poster was made with IPI’s Laserables line.
24. Pella Engraving Company used an
etched sublimatable magnesium plate to
create this remembrance plaque.
25. ADA materials can be used to create
architectural signage. Photo courtesy of
Accent Signage.
26. This laserable AlumaMark blank from
Plastic-Plus can be used as a plate on a
perpetual plaque.
27. The Heavy Metal line of materials from
Innovative Plastics, Inc. was used for this
sample.
18. The rosewood stained piano finish
plaque from Tropar has a gold Florentine
border and marble-like center.
28. Rowmark’s Granites Deluxe was used
to create this signage.
19. UV stable LaserMax was used for this
sign from Rowmark.
29. The Ultra Mattes from Rowmark can be
used in a variety of ways.
20. Gravoglas 2-Plex from Gravograph is
available in three finishes, glossy, matte
and textured surface.
21. Metalphoto from Horizons and gets its
durability from the unique process that imbeds the image within its sapphire hard
anodized layer.
22. The walnut plaque from Tropar comes
with a solid brass engraving plate.
30. This assortment of badges from IPI was
made with their Printables and Printables
Plus lines.
31. Rotary engraved badges from JDS.
32. Colorful plaques, nameplates and
badges can be created from SuperMetals
from Johnson Plastic.
CIRCLE 260 ON AD EXPRESS
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
25
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
AD EXPRESS #
Condé Systems ......................................................................................p.15
Epilog Corporation..................................................................... Back Cover
Gravograph-New Hermes ..............................................Inside Back Cover
Horizons Inc. . .........................................................................................p.25
Identification Plates Inc. ........................................................................p.26
Innovative Plastics Inc. . ..........................................................................p.3
Johnson Plastics . ......................................................... Inside Front Cover
Laser Reproductions, Inc. .....................................................................p.11
LaserSketch Ltd. ....................................................................................p.19
Nova Chrome ..........................................................................................p.19
Rowmark Inc. ............................................................................................p.5
Tropar ........................................................................................................p.7
96
55
74
260
481
203
91
339
85
15
70
166
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
R & I professionals delight in the flexibility and magnitude
of the engraving materials at their fingertips. Beginning in
the upper left corner and proceeding clockwise and ending
in the middle, we thank the following suppliers for sharing
their completed photographed projects with our readers:
Pella Engraving Company, Pella, IA; , Johnson Plastics,
Minneapolis, MN; Nutron Nameplate, North Olmstead, OH;
Identification Plates, Inc, Mesquite, TX, Rowmark, Inc.,
Findlay, OH; Nova Chrome, Pleasant Hill, CA; Horizons,
Inc., Cleveland, OH; Marco Awards Group, South Windsor,
CT and Plastic-Plus Awards, Charlotte, NC.
J. Stephen Spence
J. Stephen Spence is president and founder of Recognition Concepts in
Huntington, WV. He has been in the R & I industry for over 15 years. Steve is
a recognition authority and a certified recognition specialist, as well as a well
known lecturer and author of a number of books about engraving and sublimation. His
areas of expertise include sublimation, laser and rotary engraving and sales and marketing.
Steve is also a recognized authority on Data Matrix and the government’s UID Program.
Steve can be reached at sspence@engraversjournal.com or visit www.jstephenspence.com.
CIRCLE 481 ON AD EXPRESS
26
THE ENGRAVERS JOURNAL
2006 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES ADVISORY
CIRCLE 74 ON AD EXPRESS
CIRCLE 55 ON AD EXPRESS