Cermark Tape vs Cermark Spray

[Mitchell Tutty]

I have a 600 watt Epilog Fusion and have some queries about engraving on stainless steel tags.
From everybody I've spoken to I'm fairly confident I have to use a product called Cermark I'm sure you're all to familiar with.
I've been put onto a supplier that sells Cermark in both a spray and a tape. (As well as an aerosol which is far too pricy)
Simply. what do you prefer? What works best? Most economical or achieves the best results? Thanks.

[Kevin Berkshire]

I have a 60 watt laser. I use cermerk spray and I have good results. Just cost way to much... Tried the tape and had a hard time trying to get the setting correct. Ran out of tape before I had good results.
Good luck

[greg lindsey]

Mitchell, Go with the spray. Why bother with tape or trying to mix the paste. A single can will produce as much as $5000.00 or more in finished product. At 75.00 a can, that's a pretty good profit margin. 12 years of use, never had any major problems with the spray.

[Scott Shepherd]

I have a 600 watt Epilog Fusion

600 Watts? Or 60 Watts? The two are slightly different :)

[Mitchell Tutty]

600 Watts? Or 60 Watts? The two are slightly different :)
You'd be right in questioning the wattage, unsurprisingly 60 Watts is correct. :)

Thank you all, spoke to a few people over the phone and all agreed on the spray and will be going with that!

[Ross Moshinsky]

I've never used the tape and was less than impressed with the Thermark spray we bought years ago. Cermark in the bottle works for me. We brush it on because we don't do a lot of stainless but if we did, I would probably invest in an airbrush setup. I believe the paste is the most economical option, if you're really concerned about watching your costs but as Greg said above, it's not make it or break it kind of money unless you're doing high volume on tight profit margins.

[Mitchell Tutty]

I've never used the tape and was less than impressed with the Thermark spray we bought years ago. Cermark in the bottle works for me. We brush it on because we don't do a lot of stainless but if we did, I would probably invest in an airbrush setup. I believe the paste is the most economical option, if you're really concerned about watching your costs but as Greg said above, it's not make it or break it kind of money unless you're doing high volume on tight profit margins.

By the spray I was referring to the paste to mix up in an airbrush setup we already have existing, the aerosol spray didn't interest me at all.
The spray is definitely what I'm going to try out and just invested in a 250ml bottle to sample. Thanks!

[Mike Null]

Mitchell

I do quite a lot of Cermark work and I use the bulk version. It is very inexpensive when one considers the income a bottle can produce.

For most jobs I use an air brush but I have one job where a 1" sponge brush is the most efficient and economical means of application.

I mix mine to the consistency of 2% milk.

[Mitchell Tutty]

I mix mine to the consistency of 2% milk.
I jumped to conclusions on that one and read that as mixing your cermark with 2% milk, woops.

But thank you! Probably wont buy in bulk until I try it first hand and am certain it will get the results I'm after, not that I've heard any discontent from anybody.

[john passek]

I started out with the paste when I got my laser, I thought it was pricy at $250 for a 250 grams.it was worth it in the end.
I ran low about 3 months ago and decided to switch to the spray can, first thing I noticed was the ease of application, (shake & spray) second, I saw a huge difference in the color mark. the spray leaves a much darker, richer black than the paste. I have not tried the tape yet but am thinking of it for smaller jobs like single names on travel mugs and knives.

[Jeff Belany]

I always thought the tape would be great for small jobs even though it was more expensive. Couldn't quite see paying $100+ for a roll. Thermark sent me a sample of tape and I tried it. Didn't work well for me using Thermark's settings, not even close. They tell me with enough power it works but I had it down to 5 speed (45W Helix) and barely marked a knife blade. I've been using paste but I think I'm going to try a spray can.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin