If ever there is a discussion about legacy in signage, etching and engraving must be regarded as techniques that helped shape the industry that we know and love today. Techniques that stretch back thousands of years, both are still very much commonplace in the modern market and remain as popular as ever among sign-makers and customers alike. What perhaps makes etching and engraving so intriguing is the constant development of new and exciting technologies in this area. Manufacturers and suppliers continue to bring to market all kinds of new machines that allow users to achieve even higher quality and accuracy in their work. Whether you are providing specialist, niche work for high-end brands and retailers, or a large quantity of pieces for a chain of restaurants or shops, work is available to those sign-makers that have the equipment to produce these applications. With this very much in mind, SignLink speaks with some of the specialist companies in this sector to find out more about their latest launches and the core benefits these offer to sign-makers. Constant demand First up, Trotec Laser has a range of hightech solutions available to the market. Siân Ferry, marketing director for Trotec Laser UK and Ireland, says there is still a need for clear and hard-wearing engraving for interior signs and labelling in almost every business or public space. “Etching and engraving is ever-present in wide-reaching industries, with sign-making being one of the longest running applications for the process,” Ferry says, adding: “There is still a need for clear and hard-wearing engraving for the purpose of interior signs and labelling in almost every business or public space. “As is the way with every economy, some industries will boom while others ebb but there is always a need for engraving somewhere. In our experience, for many applications the monochromatic result of engraving is perceived as being special and a more desirable effect than print. For example, it works very well for signage and labelling exhibits, historic sites, and on scientific or industrial items. “Generally, etching and engraving work is more common on smaller products such as interior signage, door signs, and house names and numbers, than on larger sign applications. Some businesses find that they are hindered by slow entry-level engraving machinery as it can make it difficult to provide this service to customers at LEAVING YOUR MARK One of the most historic and loved types of sign-making, how are manufacturers stretching the boundaries of the tried and trusted technologies of the etching and engraving market? BACK TO BASICS / ETCHING AND ENGRAVING 51 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 246 - April / May 2023
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