Pocket mirror engraving

Metal engraving

How to engrave metal to create personalised items and provide your customers with lasting memories using our metal engraving machines.

Metal engraving is a versatile technique widely used to mark text, logos, images, and dates directly onto various metal surfaces. This technique is durable and resistant unlike labelling or other transfert techniques.

You might wonder, how to engrave metal? It can be performed using either laser or rotary engraving, depending on the desired finish and detail. Ideal for personalising items like jewellery, keyrings, and reusable bottles, or for creating decorative pieces, metal engraving offers endless possibilities for customisation. 

Whether you're looking to add a personal touch to a gift or design a unique metal piece for jewellery creation, this technique adapts to any type of metal, ensuring precision and durability

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Are you interested in metal marking for identification?  Please visit our dedicated page.

Gravotech's metal engraving machines

The M10 Jewel is ideal for engraving rings, both on the interior and exterior, and for engraving the interior of bracelets. The metal engraving machine’s small footprint makes it perfect to place it wherever you want, in-store or in the backroom.

The M20 X and M20 X Jewel can engrave various objects like jewelleries, metal cups, pens, and other metal items. This metal engraving machine is recommended for in-store jewellery personalisation. It is also possible to realise fine metal cutting.

The IS400 handles deep engraving on larger products and metal cutting, suitable for workshops or backrooms. 

Diamond engraving tools are user-friendly for in-store use, while cutting tools, requiring cleaning, deliver a sharper finish. The choice of tool influences the engraving's precision, depth and overall look.

The WeLase™ is the perfect metal laser engraving machine for in-store jewellery personalisation, offering precision and ease of use

For larger, higher, and heavier items or higher productivity, the LW2 is the ideal metal laser engraving machine, accommodating a wider range of object sizes. 

These stations use different laser sources —Fiber, Hybrid, or Green— tailored for metal engraving. It is possible to do thin metal cutting with Fiber lasers, delivering sharp, clean results on various metals.
 

Mechanical vs. laser metal engraving

Engraving on a pocket mirror

Mechanical metal engraving

Mechanical metal engraving offers a tone-on-tone finish, with the option to add colour for more variety, with Gravolaque or our gilding wax.

It utilises three main techniques: 

  • Diamond engraving, ideal for fine lines and handwritten fonts, commonly used in stores for its simplicity. 
  • Rotary diamond engraving, which creates a deeper, smoother, and shinier finish.
  • Cutting tools, producing deeper, more authentic metal engravings, typically used in workshops. 

Machines like the M20 X and IS400 also enable metal cutting using cutting tools, with available accessories like engraving gel, cutting tables, chip collectors, and rotary devices. Custom jigs ensure precise engraving on different jewellery and objects, enhancing versatility for both in-store and workshop applications.

Ring exterior engraving with metal laser engraver

Laser metal engraving

Laser metal engraving provides either dark or light contrast, depending on the settings used. It is also possible to add colour with gilding wax

When used on coated metals, it removes the thin paint layer to reveal the metal beneath, similar to rotary engraving. 

Cutting is possible with WeLase™ and LW2 stations (30W or 50W), using the wobbling mode for precious and soft metals like brass, copper, stainless steel, gold, and silver, up to 1mm thick. 

Surface metal engraving is faster than rotary, with options for deeper metal engraving. Essential accessories include a pin table for heat diffusion and a mandatory extractor. There are compatible jigs for the WeLase and LW2, including a cup kit to do flat engraving on cylindrical objects.

Fournier personalized jewel

Why engraving over other techniques?

Metal engraving stands out as the best choice for personalisation due to its durability and resistance to scratches. 

Unlike printing, thermal transfer, or UV techniques, engraved designs are timeless and won't fade over time. 

The in-store marking process offers an interactive experience for customers, enhancing engagement. 

Mechanical metal engraving, in particular, adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to the finished piece, making it a truly noble choice for those seeking both quality and longevity in their personalised items.

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Our solutions match your metal engraving application

Inside ring engraved with rotary engraving machine

Jewellery engraving

Metal engraving in jewellery offers a range of finishes, from the classic, authentic look of mechanical engraving to the sleek, modern style achieved with laser technology. It can be realised on all types of metals such as gold, silver and various alloys.

Jewellers can choose from a wide selection of jigs, tailored to different products, to ensure precise engraving, whether using rotary or laser methods. 

This versatility allows for both intricate engraving and precise cutting, enabling the creation of unique, personalised pieces that stand out for their craftsmanship and attention to detail.

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Personalized pet tag with gilding wax

Pet & dog tags engraving

Gravotech meets both practical and aesthetic needs with its comprehensive range of solutions.

Our product range not only includes laser and rotary engraving machines but associated softwares. It also includes personnalisation items such as blank tags and medals made from anodised aluminium, stainless steel, and brass, as well as colouring products to enhance customisation.

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Personalized pen

Gift engraving

Gravotech's metal engraving machines are ideal for customising a wide range of items, such as knife blades, jewellery, keychains, thermoses, flasks, pocket mirrors, medals, lighters, and pens.

Materials like anodised aluminium, coated metal, stainless steel, and raw aluminium offer high-contrast laser engraving, resulting in either black or white marks depending on the anodisation.

Mechanical engraving on these surfaces produces a linear pattern that reflects light elegantly.

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Mosaic of personalized jewels, glass and perfume

Personalisation

Make it unique, create emotions

You are a luxury brand or an international brand and you would like to develop an exclusive in store customer experience for your clients, on your e-commerce site or during an event?

Gravotech offers tailored solutions that will meet your needs. A dedicated project manager will guide you throughout the collaboration: discussing requirements, running samples on your products, selecting the best-suited personalisation technology, solution deployment and user training.

 

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