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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.
If you organize or manage an Association, Club or User Group and would be interested in fundraising, we have developed an associates program to do just that.
With this program you can brand your organization without any start-up costs or fees – your revenue is completely based on the participation of your membership.
The idea is very simple and you have total control on how to administer it. We provide you with associate pricing for different size crystals – this pricing includes all the make-ready charges for the custom designs that will be placed in each crystal.
You advertise to your membership about the designs and customization available (we can even provide you with image samples for your website) along with the pricing of each crystal size being offered. If you have an order system with PayPal even better, you already know how to create an order page.
To allow even better flexibility and allow for better commissions you can choose to handle each order individually, or batch multiple orders of the same design together for a better commission percentage.
Here are a few examples:
You manage an internet site that deals with clubs, classmates or like minded individuals. You offer your group organizers an opportunity to provide commemorative or special event crystals for fund raising, membership gifts, or just as gifts. Your website fields the initial inquiry and we handle all the design needs and present it to the customer through your site. Upon approval, you collect all moneys and place your order through us for drop shipment anywhere in the country. We can even include line cards or other printed media if needed.
or
You have a Club or Association for Cats which has 100 members. You provide us a logo or design for your club and we provide images of your logo in different crystal shapes and prices. You then offer to your membership the availability to purchase a special member crystal from the sizes you choose.
or
You have a small user group of architects and you want to promote the club membership by providing a club logo and a design of a classic architectural shape like an arch. We create the design imagery and provide it to you for advertising on your website or newsletter.
or
You announce to your members that the club is offering a limited series of club crystals in two sizes – the larger of the two would be higher priced but of lower quantity (50 pcs) and the smaller one would still be limited in production (200 pcs)
In both examples:
You take the orders, collect the money and place your order with us for the designs, we produce the order and ship them to you for distribution to your members. You keep the difference between the selling price and the associate pricing – all without any start-up cost.
The size commission you make is all in how you batch your orders to us or rally your membership – for even more commission, we have pricing for single order customization as well.
Each box is provided in a satin lined gift box with room for a special card or announcement that you can print and provide with each crystal.
If you like the idea of providing a unique crystal award or custom art to your membership and generate additional operating income with very little work, contact us and we would be happy to provide you additional details and pricing to get you started.
 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.
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.
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 three 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 – avoiding 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 which are too ornate (in our opinion look gaudy) and restrict the area we can engrave.
If we were to blindly accept this request and the buyer understood that the custom design cost would be 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/size (they think “I have seen these before”) – they look closer and marvel at the detail of the Sistine Chapel and their name engraved within. They put the piece down and look at you and say “How thoughtful, you even 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!). I guess the point we are trying to make is a custom design shouldn’t be confused with the generic mass produced shapes.
There are many reasons people come to us to design an award or tribute for them. Usually it is for a company or organization, a retailer looking for an edge with a unique product design or sometimes just for someone special.
Whatever the case we have outlined a few of the more popular ways we handle design for different reasons:
Recognition
Recognition crystals have been given to entire design teams or individually to people who demonstrate the type of drive that a company wants to echo in its workforce. Whatever recognition program your company wishes to promote; we can create a design that reinforces your organization appreciation of their effort.
recognition is what people value.
In one of our recent promotional campaigns titled, “it’s not just about the money”, we spoke rather succinctly about the underlying aspects of employee satisfaction and the feeling one gets when a job is well done. Although it is true that the satisfaction comes from within the person – having it recognized by others only serves to reinforce as well as demonstrate the appreciation for going the “extra mile”.
It would be great if we could tell you that by simply dropping one of our crystals on everyone’s desk that productivity would be up 1000-percent, costs would be slashed 75% and everyone in the office would be singing in unison – but, that isn’t how it works (we’re working on it!). Actually, it is a bit more discerning than that which, is the actual magic, behind recognition.
Recognition is one of the most basic human needs, we all share some level of desire to be recognized for our achievements, contributions and vision. From the CEO all the way to the new intern – each of them is seeking some kind of appreciation for their effort. The important term here is “effort”.
While it can be said that it may be an effort to “go to work” everyday – people get paid to do that. The effort we are speaking of is the effort put forth on a job or project that helps get it done – and it doesn’t necessarily mean the results are always successful, either. How many times has a team done it’s very best, gone that “extra mile” and still lost. Yes, it might be disappointing to lose a game, project or client but, the real loss can be enthusiasm and self-esteem. Much like Marlon Brando’s character in “On the Waterfront” lamented “I coulda’ been a contender”, leading to losing more than that client or project but, also the drive to excel.
So recognition isn’t simply about the “close”, the “profit”, the “prize” but the “effort”. The next time you find yourself in a position to identify with someone that did more than their share and supported the “team” – give them something to take home at the end of the day – even if it is simply a sincere thank-you.
We work with you to provide the most effective design and size to fit your budget and can even provide “economy-of-scale” designs that can be stocked for ready-made awards in your organization.
Corporate
Two specific areas that these can be used in are the Corporate Lobby or Conference Room branding the company logo. They can be built into an enclosure for added affect.
corporate presence
When people come to your company for the first time, their first impression is drawn in the lobby area and main entrance. While they are waiting, they are making observations and drawing conclusions about your operation – conclusions that shape the foundation of the relationship being built.
We have all been inside great lobbies and conference rooms which exude confidence, strength and style – all of which is very detailed and deliberate. Now, we don’t claim to be formally trained in interior design – only somewhat observant. In our observations, we see the culmination of discrete elements pulled together in a statement that says something about the organization.
Regardless if that statement made, uses traditional cherry and mahogany or high tech glass and steel. We see different types of corporate art function as a form of punctuation; whether it is an asterisk, exclamation or period depends on the underlying message being communicated.
Sub-Surface Laser Engraving for Corporate Prestige is a relatively new area of use, mostly because of the size of these types of engraving. As in all of our work, we can provide the basic shapes and sizes, however for this category, we can provide design of larger oversized crystal weighing over 40 pounds.
When considering the image your company wants to project without words, express it through design.
Promotional
When considering a crystal for promotion, it is important to determine how you will be distributing them. This is done for a number of reasons but, most importantly to determine budgeting. Companies that choose to distribute a large number of items will usually choose the smaller sizes, where those that distribute more selectively, use the larger sizes.
The size and style of the crystal helps determine how well your company logo, motto, or product will fit within. Smaller crystals have a limited amount of area and are best used with a clear logo (like the NFL logo). Larger crystals provide more area but can be overkill for most logo designs. We can help you best determine the size and style of the crystal after reviewing artwork, and speaking to you about your promotional plans.
the value of promotion
We are not talking pens or golf balls here. They have their purpose and can be a cost effective means to promote your organization or company to the public Really what we are talking about is promoting your organization at a level that is consistent with your company and its goals. Right now, there are existing clients that value your services and new clients that will learn too.
Promotion is a self-perpetuating tool that businesses can find very helpful in growing their organization. So what is “promotion” – actually you do it every time you shake a persons hand, remember their name, or help them out of a pinch. These are all symbols and expressions of building a relationship and relationships are what brings people and opportunity to you and your business. Also these relationships run well beyond the income they produce but, rather support the image of your company to your clients by recognizing the trust they have in you.
While on the surface this may appear idealistic, you can rest assured it is the principal of every successful business today and the foundation of the most successful. The adage of “Supply and Demand” tends to depersonalize things a bit but, you know that if your “supply” is fraught with frustration, confusion or lack of appreciation – the “demand” will be taken elsewhere. These complications do not necessarily need to come from you directly; customer support, system outages, manufacturing problems or delays, and anything that leaves a client feeling left out or under appreciated. Remember these are people and they make decisions based on how they feel.
As in most things in life, the simple gesture of consideration becomes the value. So relationships in life and business are inherently the same. Each time we think of someone and send them a card, flowers or even a letter (remember those) to say that they are being thought of, doesn’t replace the thought but, reinforces it. Likewise, giving your clients something that says that they are appreciated supports those values in the same way.
Our promotional items have the ability to set your company apart from the pack, for one simple reason – they are not cheap and therefore, are not perceived as such. They are no more expensive than a ground-breaking business lunch or dinner, a pair of tickets to the symphony. In fact, they are less expensive but then again, it is not just about the money.
Promotional Crystals come in a number of basic shapes and can use most other blanks available from commercial award blank manufacturing. Our preliminary designs will show the crystal in all initial shapes together and be priced accordingly so you can narrow the field a little. Once the initial design and shape is approved, we create a final 3D rendering for review and refinement if needed.
Fund Raising
Nearly all organizations are built on their membership and the funding they receive is almost solely built upon donations, membership fees or dues, and even merchandise. We are geared to work with organizations looking to brand their organization or to simply recognize the different levels of membership.
If your organization is membership driven consider stimulating donations by creating a line of commemoratives showing your members that their involvement is appreciated and recognized in the organization. Branding and Merchandising is available to even the smallest of organizations through our special program.
10 seconds
There is a saying that “Presentation is Everything” and we tend to agree for about 10 seconds except when it comes to the unveiling. Still,10 seconds is about the initial time the recipient has before initially seeing the goods.
A lot happens in that initial 10 seconds between wondering what it really is and finding out – this is one of the areas we like to help. While all of our smaller designs will come in a suitable gift box – larger ones require some special consideration.
Recently we completed an original design for a well-known Automobile Magazines’ Annual Award – the award stood over 17″ tall in cut crystal wrapped with custom fabricated aluminum. A mere box would be a bit demeaning and structurally flimsy – a museum style shipping crate for an artifact might be nice but had nothing to do with automotive.
What we came up with was a big red metal toolbox with a foam injected black felt holder on the bottom. On the outside bottom corner, a brushed metal plaque with magazines’ logo.
It was perfect – it acted as not only as a great presentation for the Automotive Industry but a very safe shipping container (double boxed of course). Perhaps best of all, this sort of presentation had never been done before – which we were even happier to hear. Moving forward, they now have the opportunity to continue using this as part of their brand in the award ceremony – basically, owning the toolbox concept in their industry.
While the above example demonstrates the ideal scenario of good packaging, all of our designs do not benefit from something that well conceived. Basically our designs benefit from something simple but elegant. Sometimes it is a basic black heavy board box, or a velvet gift bag allowing the design to emerge from its wrap.
We also create custom wood boxes for some of our designs which double as a keepsake. These boxes are constructed of solid hardwood of your choosing with a fitted lid – all of our custom boxes are solid hardwood with mitered corners with four-corner matched grain. Additional treatments such as dovetails, bi-wood keys, and inlays are also available.
All of the packaging we offer can be engraved, embossed, imprinted to add a level of personalization or message.
the design
After the initial presentation, the recipient will look over the design and the detail. The texture of the natural wood or stone add to it tactile esthetics. The engraving may play with the eye and reveal other messages.
While we try to offer ideas during the initial phase of the design – it helps to know that additional treatments can be added in addition to the multitude of combinations we offer.
- 18K gold gilding
- precious metal and stone inlays
- illumination
- custom base designs
Regardless of the vast array we can provide you – we can make things simpler by making suggestions that are appropriate to your event, tone and budget.
engraving options
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 is 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.
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.
There are many mediums we can work with to deliver the right design. To simply this a bit, we want to explain their usage. More times than not our use of other mediums is to add a tone and a stature to our engraved works – allowing the beauty of the glass or crystal to be punctuated in its overall presentation.
glass
What is commonly referred to as Crystal – is in fact Optical Grade Glass. Lead crystal is slowly disappearing (due to its lead content) and Optical Glass has similar properties without the health issues. Like crystal, Optical Glass is water clear without the tints of more common glass. Most importantly it is distortion free – it has no flow lines, seeds or other imperfection within the medium.
Perhaps it is the purity of optical glass that is the most alluring aspect of this medium to us. The ability to engrave it with a number of techniques allows for myriad possibilities to communicate your message. We like to use this material as headpieces to transport the engraved design to the viewer.
Blocks provide us the room to focus more on the design within leveraging our expertise in Sub Surface Engraving. Though basically rectangles, the design allows for dimensional representation, spatial juxtaposition and simply high detail dimensional laser art.
see some of the sizes
wood
The woods we use come in a variety of species, they are solid wood – never a veneer. Each piece we use is personally hand selected for their character in grain and stability as a material. We handle and oversee the cutting, dimensioning, and final shaping of each design we create. Even our finishes are hand rubbed in oil to bring out the natural beauty in these woods.
Our use of natural woods is also very deliberate to imply tones and color into the character of each design. In addition to their natural beauty, they are also excellent mediums for additional engraving onto – allowing the recipients’ name to be engraved without using a garish plaque.
see some of the woods
stone
Stone is a lovely material to build upon with the right design. Mostly we work with dark marble and granite to support the contrast needed when engraving them. Our “Absolute Black” stone is the most popular for two reasons 1) “black goes with anything” and 2) the visual contrast between the crystal engraving makes the design pop. Though our Black is the most popular other marble and granite colors are available as well.
The stance and sheer weight of the Slab stones creates a presence in themselves which we find geometrically elegant. Our designs in these mediums are best used in what we like to call “Monolithic” in sizes up to 24″ tall (fairly heavy).
When a design doesn’t call for a Monolithic size, we find that the marble and granite flats provide an beautiful area to engrave upon for a number of designs that benefit from the high contrast of the black background. Regardless of the size, the engraving of this stone is stunning and extremely detailed.
see some of the marble and granite
metal
We find metal to be an excellent medium to transfer some of our more contemporary designs into. Machined aluminum provides some of our widest amount of finishing techniques to be applied to their surface ranging from a brushed finish to a mirror polish – all to enforce texture as a design element.
Structurally speaking, metals provide a tremendous opportunity to support or embellish our designs in optical glass or solid stone with a minimal amount of material. This additional strength provides more open area beneath or around the piece while maintaining its stability.
others
There are other materials we find useful as a medium but like every design we create it would depend on how it was being used. So should you have a need for a design incorporating a 24K Gold Riding Crop with Diamond Studs elevated on a brushed Titanium Stand with internal illumination – we should be able to help you (create it).
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