Avoiding Engraving Mistakes – Call on Trophy & Medal Boutique
As is the case with any type of skill or technique, engraving also has room for error, human or otherwise. Unfortunately, at times, perfection can be an impossibility, but that isn’t a problem when you know what to look out for in order to avoid these potential pitfalls.
Allow Trophy & Medal Boutique, with expert craftsmanship in engraving, and established in 1989, to identify some common mistakes and how to avoid them as much as possible.
The Most Common Engraving Mistakes
One of the mistakes we most often see relates mostly to laser cutting specifically. It is when the object is engraved on an incorrect location on the trophy or award. This can happen with more traditional methods, and it is most often due to the computer not being reset after its last job. This means that the computer implements a preset location, which may not be where you wanted your etching to appear.
Another common mistake is incorrect information being etched onto your award or even having a word misspelt. Due to human error, spelling can often go wrong, which is unfortunate. Especially seeing as engraving a name onto a material is what can give it its uniqueness and prestige. This can happen due to a simple misunderstanding or not being able to properly read the information given by the client.
A mistake that many people can overlook is not knowing what materials can even be engraved at all. If a client were to bring in a material to be engraved which cannot be etched on, the attendant should inform them accordingly. For example, different types of metals cannot be engraved or can only be cut into using a specific technique. Some materials also don’t work like the client would prefer them to. For example, if you want a “frosted” look, acrylic will probably not be able to show this off as glass would.
How to Fix or Avoid These Mistakes
Thankfully, most small errors can be fixed quite easily by an expert. If a mistake is found, like a misspelt name, it can usually be engraved over if it’s small enough. Another way is to sand out the mistake, which can be done if the etches are shallow enough. If the lines are deeper, they could even be filled in with another material, like casting resin, cement, melted metal, or wood.
In the end, though, the best way to fix mistakes is to try to avoid them in the first place. While mistakes are often inevitable, it is still best to leave the engraving work to the professionals. The more expertise a business has in the skill or field, the less likely they are to make avoidable errors.
Contact Trophy & Medal Boutique. We are established industry leaders in awards and engraving services.