Label engraving services and products are very useful for industrial and non-industrial applications. If you are a company providing engraved labels, it is always beneficial to have the latest information about new label engraving machines and technologies.

There are various types of engraved labels such as engraved brass labels, engraved plastic labels, personalized mailing labels and engraved wooden labels. The choice of a label-engraving machine depends on the type of labels you want to manufacture. The key to finding a good label engraver tool is to be aware of basic engraving terminologies and processes.

You can start educating and training yourself or your employees about label engraving equipment by:

1. Finding training programs on the process of engraving labels.
2. Joining associations that provide updates on relevant equipment and technology for the engraving industry.
3. Reading magazines and articles about the engraving industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find basic and advanced training programs on engraving labels

Some institutions and associations offer label engraving education and training for engraving that contains label engraving as a part of the syllabi. If you have never used engraving machines, you can opt for a basic level training program, and if you understand the basics of engraving, you can opt for advanced training programs.

I recommend: Awards and Recognition Association, an association of specialists and companies in the engraving industry, also offers various certificate programs and workshops that help to develop your technical skills. Engraving School.com is another useful website that offers free tutorials in addition to visual illustrations.

Join engravers' associations to know more about simple and custom engraved labels

You can also join various associations of engravers to know about new technologies and upcoming events in the engraving industry.

I recommend: International Sign Association is a trade association that brings together end-users and suppliers involved in the signs and engraving industry. You can check out different resources and upcoming events by joining the International Engraved Graphics Association, an association of individuals and companies involved in the engraving industry.

Subscribe to magazines and journals for further learning about label engraving

You can subscribe to magazines that keep you up-to-date on the developments in the engraving industry.

I recommend: If you are a label engraving machine manufacturer or an engraving service provider, The Engravers Journal, a reputable publication for the engraving industry, can be very useful to keep up with the pace of the industry. National Business Media is another publication house that provides the latest information about various industries, including the engraving industry, through magazines and various other trade shows and educational seminars that it conducts.

Almost every industry can benefit from label engraving services and products. If you're in the manufacturing industry, for example, getting your parts and products engraved with your logo can help increase brand awareness and future sales. If you offer your clients commercial products, personalizing them with the customer's name or other information could allow you to sell the product at a higher premium.

The key to finding a good label engraver is to know what you want, and then spend a little time researching the different options that you have available to you. You may find companies that specialize in the following:

1. Industrial label engraving for machinery and products

2. Personalized mailing labels

3. Metal label engraver services

4. Engraved brass labels

5. Engraved plastic labels

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a company with a label engraving machine that can handle all your needs

When you need labels engraved, the last thing you want to hear is that the engraver's machine can't handle the specs of your project. You can get around this problem by choosing a company that has a machine that can handle a wide variety of materials and sizes. Give the sales rep a few different project specs just to make sure that the facilities can accommodate your needs.

I recommend: Work with a versatile engraving machine. Yeuell Nameplate and Label, as well as Signature Engraving Systems, can handle jobs both big and small, and can work on a variety of different mediums to help you get the result that you desire.

Ask each company about turnaround time for custom engraved labels

Getting the product engraved and out the door quickly should be at the top of your priority list when choosing an engraving company. Commercial products need to be done as quickly as possible to get them in the customers' hands, while industrial jobs have a little more leeway but still require careful planning.

I recommend: Get your labels done quickly. LabelEngraving.com can get most orders out the very same day, which can mean a lot when it comes to your bottom line. Cutting Edge, on the other hand, may take up to three days to get a project done; that's still pretty quick, but it may pose a problem for some industries.

Get the right engraving labels and services for your business

Many companies now specialize in one aspect of engraving, which can help you get the best possible customer service experience. For example, if you need to get 1,000 rivets engraved for your business, you don't want to have to wait in a queue behind the local elementary school's engraved trophy order. Look for a business that does only commercial or only industrial jobs.

I recommend: Choose the right company for the job. For example, Precision Engraving & Graphics and Sentry Engraving work only on industrial projects. This specialization is ideal when you want your industrial engraving job done right the first time.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You may find that some businesses can't work with you because your job is either too big or too small. Make sure to ask about project sizes each company can handle before settling on one to work with.

Engraved labels have a variety of uses, from simple name badges and office door plates to awards, prizes, gifts, and other incentive products. Business owners have many label engraving types and styles to consider when searching for any of these items.

The industry of label engraving offers business owners several options, whether providing label engraving services for customers or utilizing the services of a label engraver supplier. To decide how you choose to proceed with your label engraving needs, you should:

1. Determine which label engraving machine is best for producing smaller labeling projects in-house.

2. Utilize industrial label engraving machines for marking metal labels or making engraved brass labels.

3. Find label engraving services to provide your business with specialty labels.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a label engraving machine to do projects in-house

A light-weight label engraving machine that fits on a desktop and uses a PC is an easy solution for businesses that do small label engraving projects. These machines are usually the size of an average printer and come with software to create engraved labels for less than $3,500.

I recommend: The Roland EGX-20 Light Duty Engraver connects to the user's computer and fits on a desk. This label engraver handles smaller projects, such as engraving labels on lightweight metals like aluminum and brass, wood, acrylics and plastic for nametags, plaques and awards. Roland makes the EGX-30A Desktop Engraver that is also ideal for smaller, in-house projects. It can also engrave labels on fabric with the Roland R-WearStudio. The GravoTech M40G Computerized Engraving System is also compact and handles lightweight plastic label engraving as well as engraving on metal or glass awards, pens, jewelry, badges and other custom engraved labels.

Find a heavy-duty label engraver for large-scale engraving projects or heavy production loads

Businesses that plan to specialize in label engraving on all sorts of materials might want to consider investing in a serious, industrial-quality engraver. These machines can even be utilized for production line-style engraving if you choose one capable of handling multiple items at the same time.

I recommend: U-Marq's Universal 300 Computerized Engraving Machine is designed for businesses that handle a heavy production of engraving. This machine enables a labeling engraving services business the versatility of engraving on items from the most delicate jewelry pieces (even the inside and outside of rings) to heavy industrial label engraving on large trophies and metal pieces. The Roland EGX-600 is another industrial-quality label engraving machine that can engrave multiple items at the same time and does not require a computer. This machine can engrave on a wide variety of materials including wood, urethane foam, brass and acrylic.

Contract with a company offering labeling engraving services

A wide range of label engraving types and styles are available from specialty providers or local engraving services. Contracting with one of these companies is the ideal option for small companies that don't need to invest in the equipment to do these projects.

I recommend: LabelEngraving promises fast turnaround on a wide variety of engraving services and welcomes any size order. Their website provides a price quote page and they offer volume discounts on large orders. Yeuell Nameplate & Label offers custom labels and decals, as well as engraved nameplates, dial faces and metal barcodes. Yeuell also makes customized ADA-compliant Braille signs and nameplates. They offer a wide variety of processes such as etching, screen printing, mechanical and laser engraving, finishing and lithography.