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Many people write and call us about this medium and we realize that there still is a little mystery about it. Adding to the confusion is the myriad commercial items being sold over the internet, at boutiques and street corners (yes, street corners).
It’s a sad fact that this highly detailed art form had begun to diminished itself to a novelty item or curio cabinet piece from the saturation of overseas production companies with a limited amount of design or understanding their own technology. In their effort to sustain production they continue to have their own little price wars between one another.
When pricing gets too low, the production time is decreased by placing less and less points in the crystal. We figure at this rate within a few years, you may be able to purchase a 3D laser cube of any design you like for less than a dollar as long as it only has 3 points in it. Ok, so we over exaggerated a bit, but you can see the irony of it all.
Now don’t get us wrong, there are a few good overseas companies that in our opinion understand the basics of design but none truly geared toward custom design. When you do get custom design, you need to get 1000 pieces and a 4-6 week lead time in production plus container freight.
Needless to say, we don’t get much call to do that and that is a good thing because we really enjoy creating the right design.
So why would we decide to create ART in a medium that has become so discounted in these last couple of years, for that a quick background is probably in order.
As some of you may know or seen, the market place is awash with a number of “penguins”, “kissing couples” and the notorious “jumping dolphins” in 3D laser crystal. We only say notorious because so many of these manufacturers produce their products from a “generic” CD distributed used as a startup kit for a number of these overseas government subsidized companies.
“In absence of creativity comes the mundane” is what I personally term this problem, for when I had started doing these designs only a handful of companies existed in the world and the designers (actually modelers) were hidden away forced to create butterflies, and dolphins. The equipment isn’t inexpensive either, with new systems at the low-end selling for around $160,000 and a few for less but skimp on tolerances – you realize that a business needs to “produce” product to make its investment back – the nature of the beast.
When we had first started noticing this “trend” and warned clients of it, the status quo stated that “WE” have to compete with the lowest price, generic designed and fastest produced product. Visions of cloned designs being stamped out this vast machine clouded my mind and I made a decision to not compromise the aesthetics of design simply for “profitability” or “market share” and left behind the promotional industry to start Sharpe Awards.
Each design we are asked to create provides an opportunity of reclaiming this art form as an art form and not simply a term used in mass production. As a result, the designs that I create do take a considerable amount of time to “burn” when compared to the “jumping dolphins”. Additionally, to punctuate this attention to detail we will make the crystal bigger, heavier, higher quality, and as a result more valuable.
Previsuals v.s. Reality
“Hey, this is a computer image” and you would be right. Below is an example of one of one of our commercial “previsual” and the resultant creation. It is my personal belief, that it is important to “see” the design before they were created, not only in the minds eye but to be able to share it with others. Computers have helped achieve this and is now an extension of creativity and imagination.
The techniques and design of these products coupled with knowledge of sub-surface laser technology and over 300 “promotional” designs under my belt allows for the creation of these previsuals in a manner that consistently captures the refractive, reflective, and dimensional aspects in every design we do.
One interesting aspect of these previsuals, although we continue to fine-tune equipment and software as well as to do designs completely representative of the laser capability, the laser produces an even better model – which is usually the opposite of what previsuals do.
Let me put it this way, if we weren’t completely confident that our designs would be faithfully reproduced in this medium we wouldn’t risk the problems of doing so.
Back to the ART
Now I know of only a few people that we consider artists; those that pay attention to the level of detail that we have chosen to work at – their background and work is mostly in the sciences. Others work for companies that will produce “dolphins” as long as people continue to buy them.
So as said before, whenever possible we will want to create a design that is designed with an eye towards art, artistic with a message.
Feel free to contact me for more information, orders and answers to any question (regarding my work).
Thank you again for taking the time.
 One day, we were asked to produce a special protocol gift for the President of the United States. The promotional company that serviced the White House said that the “First Lady” had seen some crystal laser designs and believed they would make an excellent gift for visiting dignitaries.
The image they wanted was of the White House and it had to be of a quality and size worthy of our President to bestow on visitors from foreign countries.
Since this was extra extra important (but really aren’t they all) – we took our time and spent over 20 hours reviewing every possible photograph and image we could find on the White House. In the process learned a lot about the history and changes made to the architecture over the different administrations (like the front stairs, the car port, even the roof). In the end, we settled on focusing the the primary and most distinguishable elements of the White House with the hopes that these features wouldn’t change anytime soon.
and so we built the White House
In a matter of speaking we did and when it was done we realized that we had a lot more detail than was needed. Now don’t get us wrong, detail is a good thing and one of the principal aspects of every design we do. However, the laser doesn’t like too much detail and the results can produce an unusually ugly piece which can take a long time to produce (not a good thing). We say ugly because all laser designs in crystal deal with a certain level of transparency and because of that, too much detail creates clusters of dots that turn into visual blobs for the viewer blocking other details. Regardless, the issue can become quite frustrating at times and we needed to be revisit the approach. In the end, we decided to remove a number of elements that “clouded” the image while preserving some of the smaller details that round out the piece.
 Detail View of White House Above is a collection of close ups showing the final design in crystal. The detail is allowed to show itself without overwhelming the total image, while subtle elements such as the hanging lantern in the car port or the sconces on the lower part of the front steps help add to its character. [ED: Time Capsule Note - the above was done using a red laser technique which produces larger point sizes than the more advanced green lasers mostly employed today.]
After the White House staff approved the final design, it was presented to the President. As for the final approval from the Commander in Chief himself, we were told that “the President didn’t stand a chance after the First Lady saw it first” – of course, that’s the story we got and we’re pretty sure the actual comments were probably filtered for National Security sake.
Needless to say, you can not buy this design anywhere – this size, design and even some of the subtle elements have been reserved by us for the United States Government. After all, how special would a diplomat feel if they were to walk out of the White House and bump into a vendor selling the SAME crystal regardless of the signature on it – I mean wars have been started for less!
The Obvious Plug
We hope you enjoyed the little story behind our design of the White House; and remember if the President can trust us to get the job done – you can too!
We provide a number of engraving options to accommodate any design ranging from traditional diamond wheel to advanced sub surface laser engraving. Each approach provides a different look to the finished piece.
The majority of our engraving is done with high wattage lasers – we like lasers because they provide a tremendous amount of detail oriented engraving styles with a lower cost to client.
Regardless, understanding the different types available is the purpose of this section.
etching and engraving
A high powered air compressor blasts media onto the surface of the material. The design is protected through the use of a mask which kind of looks like a negative of the design being done. The mask protects the material underneath from being etched (actually removed), so that when the mask is taken off only the exposed areas appear etched.
This technique is great for continuous coverage in areas. Depending how long the design is blasted the material removed can be deeper for added effect. Very fine details between exposed areas should be avoided. Tone can be control by the artist much like using an airbrush in painting. Consistency in multiple pieces is very high.
deep multi-stage engraving
This technique which is a variation of etching that allows for deeper contours to be added to the work by systematically revealing different regions of the mask. Regions exposed earlier benefit from the deeper cuts from the next pass. The overall effect creates a dimensional relief in the material which is stunning in glass.
Setup for these can be some of the most arduous of all etching due to the multiple masks required and registration of the design. They have the same coverage quality with added depth but still concern must be made when dealing with fine details between exposed areas. Consistency in multiple pieces varies but can be controlled when done properly.
surface laser engraving
High powered lasers concentrate a beam of energy onto the material creating a tiny fracture on the surface. The laser can control intensity and pulse of the beam allowing for very accurate designs with a high consistency for multiple pieces. Detail is only limited to the size of the spot on the beam (typically 0.005 inches) and the stability of the material itself.
This technique works with many materials including glass and crystal although the defining edges on these can appear slightly rough when not properly set up.
sub surface laser engraving
Without getting into a technical dissertation (you can read some of it here) - sub surface laser engraving is truly a marvel to see when executed correctly and less than impressive when not. The reason we say this because when treated like a microwave (throwing in a model or scene to laser) the design gets lost with overlapping surfaces and visual clutter.
In a more positive note, when the design is executed properly it has the ability to play with the viewer by leveraging its dimensional properties while retaining structure of design. This is one of the areas we specialize having produced hundreds of original designs in this medium.
This technique only works with optical crystal and glass that has the composition to support laser engraving. If you are considering having us design a piece for you, you should read some of the additional sections we have on our website (like here).
diamond wheel
The truly traditional art of wheel engraving is very beautiful on glass and crystal. Most of you are more familiar with crystal loving cup or goblets which use with this age-old art form.
While we don’t do that traditional style of work (but know those that do should you desire one), we have used it for more geometric design in crystal as a background treatment. The visual effect allows for crisper depths than deep engraving but is mostly limited to linear designs which is why we stay in that comfort area. The refraction quality of these cuts can be further enhanced when polished as well.
what is it?
Above is a rendering showing laser points of a client model for evaluation – as you can see the inherent translucency of the medium reveals too much of the surfaces on the back side and in-between – in a word confusing and ugly. This problem can be further complicated since it is 3D – meaning the viewer can see additional angles that hide elements due to this visual overlapping. The sad part is many of the additional surfaces that typically included in most 3D models have already been removed from this example. Meaning “out of the box” these models would appear more dense (which isn’t a good thing).
Below is the solid model of the above model and now you can see the model for what it truly is. More importantly, details that are present in the above model are now clearly visible. This is because we see the shadows enforcing the contours of the shape we are looking at (lack of transparency helps too). Look again at the model above and you will see how these shadows are not enforced. Needless to say, we advised the client against this type of model for their design.
Understanding this and a host of other visual cues allows us to design in ways that complement the medium in a way that is recognizable. We do this a number of ways through selective surface manipulation, density selection and just a sense of what works through constant practice in this medium. This is perhaps one of the single largest reasons we provide our service and expertise in collaboration with other designers to bring a practical solution to their vision.
Below is an example of a properly balanced model that reveals its components while not overly obscuring itself.
One other thing that should be mentioned since we are on a bit of an educational bend is scale (size). The design above is in a 4″ cube which allows the model to breath a bit. If the cube was half this size it would have less points to define it because the points don’t get any closer together – and we all know what happens if they do get too close together. However, smaller designs can work if the design complements the medium size.
That’s all for now!
is more like CLEAR and WHITE since our black is the absence of white which is the relative color of the laser etch point in a typical lit room.
In the real world, printing is done on white paper, ink is black, shadows are dark, highlight is light and the world is round. In our world, our paper is clear, the ink is white, shadows don’t exist, white is viewed as substance (the world is still round just upside down and backwards).
here is an example swatch of how tone is rendered by a laser – remember the BLACK is clear
continuous tone on top/segmented in middle/laser dithering below
Since we don’t have shadows to define elements, we do have contrast between our “colors” – in the example above we can clearly discern the difference between segments on the bottom row – more so the farther apart they are. This is a good example of how textures in an image or model can best be used to enhance the result using our “inks”.
There are basically three different techniques in use by sub-surface engraving houses, each of which vary in their approach but all fall into similar categories. Regardless, of the technique the palette is the same – white or shades of white <why>.
Another important thing to know is the objects in the design will rarely ever look like a solid white object because they cast no shadow on themselves. With white being the primary “color” and no ability for shadows to enforce contours, the designer should have a working knowledge of negative space, spatial juxtaposition and a basic understanding of good design.
3d modeling
A scene, logo, or product is designed completely in 3D cad system – ideally, different components may have differing shades of white. This approach works well with simple shapes that are easily identifiable for the viewer. Complex shapes create numerous overlapping surfaces which confuse the viewer with dense white regions and hide the actual shape. <show me> Best used sparingly by a designer that understands “less is more” for a better result – cad file drops from the client rarely provide satisfactory results out of the box.
2d bitmap
One of the most common methods of laser engraving for both sub-surface and surface engravers. Images are converted into a “halftone” which is a pattern of dots spaced to evoke a sense of tone across the varying intensity of the image. The brighter (whiter) the area, the closer the dots are placed to one another. Less dense areas appear less bright creating tonal changes in the image. Look at newspaper print of an image – same idea – different medium. This approach works well with photographs that have good contrast in them as well as single or two color logos or text. There is some size limitations though since images, symbols and text need enough dots to be recognizable.
2.5d bitmap
This is an interesting approach which combines the advantages of 2D bitmaps and some of the dimensionality of 3D modeling. This techniques builds as many as seven to eight layers of points over one another to create a whiter “white” than is available with the basic 2D approach. This approach works really well with logos and a certain amount of text – photographs of heads are commonly done but we feel they look “spiky” when viewed from subtle angles and suddenly loose the visual effect desired.
what do we use
Actually, we use all of the above techniques just a bit differently. Sometimes we mix techniques with the laser and with traditional engraving – other times, one or two is all that’s needed. Some of these variations include proprietary halftone techniques, dimensional texturing or even digitally redrawing on a tablet.
Regardless, we always show you the technique and how it can be best presented for your needs before it is ever engraved.
so what is it?
Sub-Surface Laser Engraving or SSLE as it is being termed nowadays, is a technique “discovered” in Russia. Originally the creation of these “dots” was a problem known as “Laser Induced Damage” and was exhaustingly studied. At the time, the idea was to avoid these problems by selecting specific material compositions and laser optics to improve laboratory use.
In the process, a list of material compositions was created that provided good transparency with minimal heat absorption. There was also another list which didn’t and it was somewhere in there, that laser technicians found it “cool” to write their name in these materials.
Needless to say, someone decided there might be some commercial applications for this and began writing dissertations about the controlled placement of these dots inside of the crystal.
Over the years, the science of this process has become more of an art form that balances the technical aspects of high-powered lasers and delicate balance of image design within them.
So how is it done – the somewhat technical explanation is:
“The creation of our 3D laser crystals utilize high-energy laser beams to produce a phenomena known as “Multi-photon Absorption” within optically perfect crystal. This phenomena which use the electromagnetic wave of the laser beam known as coherent light creates an electric field greater than 10 million volts per centimeter.
When the laser beam is focused within the interior of the subject crystal the energy creates unattached electrons also known as “free” electrons. These “free” electrons, accelerated by the electric field created by the laser beam causes the high energy electrons to collide with atoms and ions in the focus area.
As the process continues it causes a chain reaction and produces about 1 million trillion free electrons per cubic centimeter in about 1 trillionth of a second. The laser then emits a short pulse beam of a few billionths per second and produces a tiny micro crack. The laser head then align and position tens of thousands of additional micro cracks to create 2 or 3 dimensional images. Each of these micro cracks is unstable if positioned in too close a proximity to one another – in effect the entire cluster of these micro cracks are held together through the internal stress of the crystal itself.
Although, the laser generates power densities of 10 billion watts per square centimeter, the surface of the crystal is not damaged due to the highly transparent nature of optically perfect crystal. The resulting images appear to float within the crystal. “
actually, we prefer the simpler explanation:
“A big sophisticated machine called a high powered laser generates an ittsy-bitsy spot of heat inside the crystal. This heat creates a teeny-weeny dot.
The machine moves across the crystal a little at a time and creates another teeny-weeny dot. Each of these teeny-weeny dots is far enough apart to not touch the other teeny-weeny dots (which wouldn’t be a good thing). The machine does this again and again to create a really really (really) lot of teeny-weeny dots.
When the machine is done, we see all the teeny-weeny dots as a complete shape floating in the crystal. We see these teeny-weeny dots as an object because of a process that takes place in our heads known as “Perception” and “Pattern Recognition”. It is these cognitive skills which allow us the ability to visualize objects in our mind, based on a interpretation of visual patterns, their structure and symmetry but, that’s an entirely different story…”
No matter how you come to understanding of how they are produced, we feel that the results speak louder than words.
When choosing the shape of the optical glass/crystal it is important to understand the overall composition of the design being engraved. Wider designs obviously are best in a landscape orientation but it really isn’t that simple. The different shapes we select (regardless, of the medium) are chosen on two basic principals:
Dimensions that are appropriate for most designs
Appropriate dimensions are directly related to the proportions of the design, Think of a model train being placed in a square cube. It would look pretty lonely in there since the cube has a 1:1:1 ratio and a train would be more like 8:2:1 <ratios?>. Using that same example you may want some text in there, and there would be plenty of room – but what would you notice first the text or the train? Using the right proportional ratio for the design allows for a maximum scale of the design to accommodate the size available.
The majority of the dimensions we use are chosen to produce a stature and presence while remain as cost efficient as possible for each size. The reality of material cost is directly proportional to the volume of glass used, its finishing and market production volume. This is why we lean towards flatter standing pieces as opposed to cubes for a number of designs – they simply provide more presence at a similar cost of a smaller cube.
Exclusivity through size provides another aspect to consider. While many people are visually impressed with our 8″, 10″, and larger standing blocks what many fail to appreciate is that these blocks take as much as three months to cool properly. Couple this with the fact that most manufacturers could make more smaller cubes from that same raw material at a price that more people would generically purchase and you understand why these larger blocks and slabs come at a premium. However, these larger scale shapes provides more area to engrave which means more detail available when needed. Which means the letter “I” floating in the middle of an 8″ tall, 24lb block of crystal might be “artful” but really doesn’t leverage the available resolution of detail.
Perception – avoid generic gift store/discount shapes
A number of people have contacted us in the past to ask for a unique and custom design for some special event and THEN ask that it be placed in a generic sized cube (like one they saw at a flea market or discount store). These shapes also usually have heavy bevels , extremely ornate (in our opinion – gaudy) and restrict the area we can engrave.
Our role is to advise our clients with the best approach and make suggestions if we believe a design may be less than optimal. Still, if we were to blindly accept this request and the buyer understood that a custom design cost more than a mass-produced piece – what would the end result be. Here is a scenario we envision.
The gift is presented and they open the gift box (is it a ring? – its too heavy)
the cover lifts off and the first thing they see is the overall shape and size of the crystal
they think “I have seen these before” – hmm
they look closer and marvel at the detail
of the Sistine Chapel within the confines of this crystal Faberge-ish
and realize that their name engraved within
They pause and look at you
to say “How thoughtful, you got my name engraved!”
Never mind the Sistine Chapel or the fact that it is custom designed – in their mind, they saw one of these on a cash register at a local gas station, being hawked on eBay or by a street corner vendor.
It would be like putting thousands of dollars into a custom interior and engine in a Honda (oh, they do that!).
The point is the results of creating a custom design shouldn’t be confused with the generic mass produced shapes.
The use of ratios of different elements is rather important to design. Nearly everything can be equated to one of the two approaches pictured below.
These proportions when used with one another is very similar to what people do in framing a photo (2D) or packing a box (3D) – only difference is we can resize to make things fit in what we are placing them inside of. Even make them float in 3D!
Although we can resize, sometimes you just shouldn’t – mostly due to details that can become lost when the laser collapses many points of a larger design into a just a few points.
Regardless, the idea of ratios is really only being discussed for now to describe how to avoid designs that don’t make use of the available space, maximizing the available design or move to alternative shapes and sizes when the design call for it.
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