How we make it
Three processes, and the honest limits of each. Two minutes here will save you a round of back-and-forth later — and it might change what you order, which is the point.
Laser engraving
A laser burns or etches the design into the surface itself. Nothing is added, we're removing a whisker of material. That's why it doesn't peel, fade, wash off or pick at the corner, and why it'll outlast almost everything else in the cupboard.
Good For
- Long-lasting. Anything that has to last decades - keepsakes, memorials, awards
- Small details. Fine text and thin line work
- Variety. Timber, bamboo, leather, acrylic, and coated or anodised metal
- Easy cleaning. Anything going through a dishwasher (the engraving won't care)
Won't do
- Colour. You get the natural colour of the material underneath. Usually darker on timber, lighter on coated metal.
- Photographs at small sizes. A face on a keyring becomes a smudge. On an A4 timber panel it can be lovely. We'll tell you which one you've got.
- Bare stainless or raw aluminium. It needs a coating to mark. Powder-coated and anodised are fine.
- Very fine text on rough grain. The timber wins.
If permanence matters more than colour, this is the one.
Coloured Vinyl
Precision-cut adhesive vinyl, applied by hand. This is the one for colour, for full logos, and for surfaces a laser won't touch. It's applied on top rather than cut in, which is both its advantage and its use-by date.
Good For
- Colour. Brand colours, and logos that lose their meaning in one tone
- Alternate options. Bare stainless drink bottles and powder-coated tumblers
- Making a statement. Big, bold and readable from across a room
- A good time, not a long time. Anything you might want to change in two years
Won't do
- The dishwasher. Hand wash, and it'll be fine for years.
- Forever. It'll eventually lift at the edges, sooner if it lives in a car console or a work ute.
- Fine detail at small sizes. There's a minimum thickness a blade can cut and a human can weed.
- Gradients or photographs, unless we go to print. Ask and we'll quote it.
If it needs your exact blue, this is the one.
3D Lettering & Engraved Timber
Letters and shapes cut right through the material and mounted proud of the backing, so they throw a shadow. It's the difference between a sign that's printed and a sign that's made, and it photographs far better, which matters more than people expect for a wedding.
Good For
- Events. Wedding and event signage that has to hold a room
- Signage. Business signage, reception walls, shopfronts
- House Decor. House numbers, names, statement pieces
- Photographing. Anything that'll end up in a hundred photographs
Won't do
- Long paragraphs. Every letter is cut and mounted individually. A welcome sign, yes. Your seating chart, no, that's engraved.
- Very thin script below a certain weight, because the letters need to survive being handled.
- Cheap. It's the most hands-on thing we do and it's priced that way.
If it needs presence, this is the one.
What to send to us
What to send to us
Short version: send whatever you've got. We'd rather redraw something than have you not ask.
BEST
Vector files: AI, EPS, SVG, PDF
Scales to any size with no loss. If you've had a logo professionally designed, you own one of these somewhere, even if your designer never explained that.
FINE
High-resolution PNG or JPG
Works for most things at most sizes. The bigger the original, the better.
ALSO FINE
Screenshots, sketches
We'll redraw it properly. There's usually a small setup fee and we'll tell you before we start, not after.
HANDWRITING
A photo of the real thing
Flat, in daylight, no shadow across it. Pencil, biro and fountain pen all trace well. We show you the traced artwork before anything gets cut.
Note: We can't engrave logos, characters or designs you don't have the rights to use. Make sure you have the appropriate permission before supplying.
Frequently Asked Questions
In vinyl, very close, we can purchase the closest colour match we can find for you if we don't have something in stock. We'll send you the options to select from before we move ahead.
Often yes, and it depends almost entirely on size. Send us the photo and tell us what it's going on and we'll tell you honestly whether it'll look good or look like a smudge. We also do a lot of dog illustrations. So instead of a photo we could offer an illustration.
Engraving, yes. Vinyl, no. Engraved glass is happier hand-washed but won't lose the design either way.
Smaller than you think, but legibility gives out before the laser does. If you send us the wording and the item, we'll lay it out and show you before we commit.
Yes, and plenty of people do. We'll tell you upfront if we think the material will fight us.