Recommended Material for Name Tags

[Joe Gergely]

I will be using the 40W VLS 3.50 from ULS to produce metal name tags for law enforcement, and I am having a bit of trouble determining what type of material to use for the name tags. I am very new to laser engraving so any assistance is helpful. It is my understanding that certain types of metal work better than others, and that some wouldn't work at all. Would using Cermark be a good option depending on the material? I have also looked into using Alumamark but the material seems to be too thin, but I am open to suggestions if it would be the best option.

The tags will be gold and 3/4" x 3". Any ideas or guidance would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Joe

[Mike Null]

Joe
Welcome to SMC.

The metal name tags used by police officers around here are not engraved with a laser but with a rotary type machine that routs out enough of the brass to permit a color fill, usually a black enamel.

Cermark is not likely to do the job as it doesn't adhere well to brass.

Your next option is laminated plastic, which you can get in a bright gold finish and laser engrave to black.

The other thing common to police and military name tags is that they tend to use the pinch clasp fasteners so you'll need to check that out too.

[Bill Stearns]

Joe
I produce an awful of name badges for regional companies & Foundations; mostly using LaserMax plastics with magnet backings; have never had a complaint.


Still, I’d like to add this ‘bout selling name badges; what I've come to call - “the Quandary”. It’s sensible to price ‘em based on the quantity being ordered initially, right? - priced reasonably enough to get the business, the job. But, afterwards, what happens (‘least to me) - from then on out they’ll order one, or two, at a time, while expecting the original (quantity) price! So, you want’ a make sure that they're clear on your price for individual badges - just a thought!
(Especially, if you end up, somehow, using Cermark or color fill for a metal badge: time is money!) - BILL

[Bill George]

What Bill just said and also I make pricey name tags from the Chewbarka metal tags, the thinner ones. Not sure if they make the size you need however, but they sure look nice, especially when used with my Galvo Fiber machine. https://www.chewbarka.com/[url] .

[Tony Lenkic]

I agree with Mike Null on material.

Here is where you can get them...............
https://www.johnsonplastics.com/engraving-blanks/engravable-name-badges/glossy-gold-3-4-x-3-premium-metal-name-tag-with-pinback

[John Lifer]

Bill, it is Chewbarka.COM, not net.......

And Tony or anyone else have you tried fiber on the Johnson tags? Etch White I would assume?

[Kev Williams]

We make-- actually, someone else 'makes' the badges-- we PROVIDE :) - badges for law enforcement for several in-state departments, and a few from out of state. Also make badges for a few Fire departments. We've been doing this since the 1960's. BECAUSE we provide police badges, like noticing every car on the road just like the new car you just bought, I ALWAYS look at police badges every chance I get, to see how others are 'made'. Cops in movies, cops on 'Cops', on the news, in person- Never in over 50 years have I seen a police officer wearing a plastic badge. They are invariably brass or 'silver', which is nickel brass. These individuals hold themselves and their organizations to a high standard, and rightly so, and plastic badges clash with gold shields ;)

And the sad fact about nice brass and nickel brass badges is, in most cases they can't be laser engraved. Cutter tools and paint are required...

As for clasps, the clutch (pinch) type clasp is the norm, but magnetic clasps are getting REALLY popular...

[Joe Gergely]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The main reason for wanting to use a laser instead of rotary is mostly due to the amount of name tags needed to be engraved (~3,000), and trying cut down on time as well as the painting step. I came across this video while doing some research, and was wondering if anyone could help determine what type of tag this might be https://youtu.be/lWnLZl8KOH0

That being said, the name tags do need to be metal, so if rotary is the best option I am open to that being the solution.

[Keith Downing]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The main reason for wanting to use a laser instead of rotary is mostly due to the amount of name tags needed to be engraved (~3,000), and trying cut down on time as well as the painting step. I came across this video while doing some research, and was wondering if anyone could help determine what type of tag this might be https://youtu.be/lWnLZl8KOH0

That being said, the name tags do need to be metal, so if rotary is the best option I am open to that being the solution.

The video appears to be brass name tags being engraved by a Fiber laser. I'm not sure that dark of mark is the typical result though. I'm sure others here with more experience with the Fiber lasers can weigh in on that.

[Bill George]

Bill, it is Chewbarka.COM, not net.......

And Tony or anyone else have you tried fiber on the Johnson tags? Etch White I would assume?

That is weird. I have been using that Link for a while so I know it worked, but its now corrected.

[Tony Lenkic]

John,

Brass badge blanks from Johnsons are meant to be rotary engraved and oxidized or color filled.

[Kev Williams]

edit edit edit edit -- I love (hate) making a liar out of myself ;)

I was all ready to give some so-so reviews about that brass name plate engraved in that video, mostly I was going to point out the engraving more brown than black, especially when viewed at the engraving angle... But hey- my BIL just finished a job on the fiber a bit ago, and I have lots of messed up brass badges to screw around with, lets see what happens... And when I got started on the testing, I was getting a whole bunch of nothing going on. Then I then I slowed it down, then upped the freq, then lowered the freq, then tightened the hatch, then doubled the hatch-

I took quite a few changes, then suddenly I got black! With a couple of tweaks, I got BLACK! So I ran a one n'done to see what I'd get--

I have to admit, I'm actually quite surprised! I must point out that this is the first time I've tried engraving "engravers" brass, which is very easy to tool engrave, lots of lead in it. All other brass I've ever engraved has been hard brass, like bullet casings and such. But again, I've never sat down for any length of time with hard brass either. I have figured out how to get hard brass to go dark brown, or go 'bright'- but never black-

But THIS-- is BLACK! Ok, ever so slight hint of brown, maybe ;) - but I took these pics at various angles and light just to see if it would 'holograph', go brown or 'fade'... it doesn't! Just stays black!
Now there is one fix needed, you'll notice some angled hash marks- this is because I used the 'fast hatch', and those lines can appear at the seams where it stops and comes back and engraves the opposite direction. All that's need is to change out the fast hatch for the 'clean' hatch :)

Aside from that, this turned out much better than I ever expected! :D
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[Mike Null]

If I were bidding a 3000 piece name tag order I would be certain that my product met the spec. I worked with 4 different fiber mfrs and couldn't get a satisfactory black result on brass. Therefore I don't own a fiber machine.

If you're new to engraving this job may not be the one you should begin with. This is a tedious job with substantial set up and fill time not to mention material cost. You also need to find means of automating the input of names.

Keep in mind that PERFECT is the acceptable standard. Centered, neatly filled, polished, no scratches, individually packaged.

[Keith Downing]

Keep in mind that PERFECT is the acceptable standard. Centered, neatly filled, polished, no scratches, individually packaged.

This might be my new favorite quote. It sums up the issues we have with our laser business to a tee.

[Keith Outten]

This YouTube video might be of interest to some:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B2iBub9UQo

[Kev Williams]

With all due respect, that's an advertisement video, and they did cheat a little :)

If I'm just going to blacken the engraving rather than paint, it, you only need to barely touch the brass with a tool, which means full-speed ahead with a tool machine, to be fair to rotary machines that plate was tool engraved much slower than necessary. Tool was a bit dull, which is why the lacquer flaked- there's an ez fix for that ;)

For fun, I just now set up "THE DIFFERENCE" in 4 line roman, all caps, measures 3.22" long x .28" tall, which is taller and longer than the script on that 3" brass plate, with many more up/down moves than island-engraving the script would have-- but I figure it should fairly emulate the time to engrave the script. I ran it thru the motions @ full speed on my IS400. Ironically, when the engraving was done and I hit my stopwatch, it said 42 seconds.. ;)

Finally, just to nitpick, the Trotec didn't "engrave" that plate at all- it simply burnt off the lacquer finish, allowing the oxide solution to work on the now-bare brass.

And personally, I've never liked, nor sold, oxided-blackened brass, except for diamond etched plates, as I don't feel it's consistent enough. And when all said and done, my better half can paint fill engraving as fast or faster than I can get oxide fill to look good...