There are many materials that can be engraved from wood to plastic to stainless steel as well as many others. In this section we’ll provide information on our standard complement of media. We have many suppliers for different materials and we always look for more and better materials/suppliers.
Standard Engravers Plastic The most common material we use is a modified Acrylic. Modified acrylic media generally has two layers. The top layer, or cap, serves as the background for the text and images. The engraving machine then removes the cap to form the text and reveals the bottom layer, or substrate. It is available in many color combinations and classifications for different applications and uses. Click here for more details.
Metals When it comes to metal, there are as many choices as you have with plastic. However, metal does have its limitations. Nearly all metals can be rotary engraved, but due to the different thermal properties of various metals, some can be engraved with a laser and some cannot. Some metals come anodized or coated with some other material so that the engraving process very is similar to that of engraving plastic.
Phenolic - “Lamaciod” or “Norplex” Phenolic Materials tend to be very rigid and fibrous. They are usually chosen for their non-flammable and fire retardant qualities. They are also preferred in certain environments where chemicals are used and standard engraving plastic would be a poor choice. The main drawback is that they usually cost more and are harder to work with. Also, these materials tend to be very susceptible to humidity.
Other Materials With the advent of laser engraving, there are now many more materials that can be engraved. Please see our Laser Engraving page for examples of wood, glass, rubber, leather, and many more.