My name is Mike, and ever since I was small, I have loved making celebratory signs. I was always the kid with the 'welcome home' or 'happy birthday' sign at my house, and as soon as my parents bought our first computer, I started making signs using software programming. I followed that path later in life and have helped many friends design their signs. I love special occasion signs in particular. If you own a business, are planning a party, or have a special event coming up, please explore this space. It has everything you ever wanted to know about signs and hopefully more!
If you laser engrave business signs, you get a crisp, professional and cost-effective solution. However, you don't have to take a traditional route here. While you can have signs engraved from the front, you can also use reverse engraving to make your signs.
How does this process work, and why is a good solution for corporate signage?
What Is Reverse Laser Engraving?
Reverse laser engraving creates a sign from the back rather than the front. It is most often used on transparent, plain or coloured acrylics.
During the process, you use the laser to carve out your sign's letters, numbers, logos and designs in a mirror image to how they will appear from the front face. The laser cuts through the material to remove it from behind. However, it usually leaves the front layer untouched. The etching on your sign is enclosed behind this top layer.
So, when the sign is finished, its front will be smooth. Depending on the design you choose, you can leave the sign plain, say if you want to backlight it. Or, you can add colours into the engraved areas individually or put on a coloured back cover.
What Are the Benefits of Reverse Lasered Signs?
While regular laser signs look slick and professional, some people don't like the appearance of the cut-out etching they leave on the front. For example, they might feel that this effect looks old-fashioned.
If you reverse engrave signs, then you don't get these cut-outs. They sit inside the material, and the front of the sign is smooth and flat. This gives you a more modern look that might suit the way you want your branding to look around the building.
Reverse laser engraved signs are also easier to look after. You don't have to worry about dirt or dust settling into the etched cut-outs on the sign. You don't have to get your cleaning crew to spend too much time making sure that the sign looks clean and fresh. The smooth front gives you a layer of protection. To clean these signs, you simply need to wipe down their face.
Reverse etching also works well if you want to backlight your signage. Light shines through much more effectively if the etchings start at the back. While you can backlight front-engraved signs, you won't get as much light coming through, as the back of the sign is solid.
If you're interested in laser engraving your business signage, ask local sign companies for advice.
Share