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!
Choosing the right sign for your business is extremely important. After all, it needs to reflect your brand while also offering strong visibility and dependable durability. To achieve those results, many business owners find themselves choosing between laser engraving and laser etching for their signage.
They might sound the same, but these are different processes that suit different needs. While laser engraving cuts into the surface of a sign to create indentations, laser etching slightly melts the surface to leave markings. While both have their own benefits and drawbacks, here are just a few reasons why engraving is generally better for business signage.
Engraving Provides Deeper Impressions
Probably the most compelling reason to choose laser engraving over laser etching is that engraving makes much deeper impressions, regardless of your chosen material. Those deeper impressions provide greater visibility, allowing people to identify and read your signage even from afar, from different angles or during periods of poor weather. Additionally, deeper impressions also mean the marks on your sign will be easily discernible to the touch. In contrast, the impressions left by laser etching are often so shallow that they cannot be felt.
Engraving Offers Exceptional Durability
When it comes to business signage, durability is paramount. Your signage reflects as well as identifies your business, so you'll want signs that will look good and remain easy to read years into the future. While laser etching can be ideal for making more precise markings, it generally isn't as resistant to the wear and tear most business signs must endure. In contrast, deeply engraved signs will be able to take a lot of punishment before they start becoming hard to read.
Engraving Can Be Performed on a Wide Range of Materials
You'll find plenty of options available when choosing the right material for your business signage, but you may not find that all those materials are suitable for laser etching. However, engraving should work with almost any type of plastic, wood, glass or metal, making it ideal for most applications. This is particularly beneficial if you want to create different types of signage or expect to do so in the future.
Laser Engraving Is Usually More Cost-Effective
It can be tough to compare the cost of laser engraving against the cost of laser etching, but you'll generally find that etching is more cost-effective when dealing with higher volumes while engraving is less expensive when you're only having a few things made. Since most businesses only require a couple of signs or even just one, you'll probably find engraving is the most cost-effective option.
Contact a professional to learn more about laser engraving.
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