Any Way to Laser Engrave in Color with a CO-2 laser?

[Scott Memmer]

Howdy howdy.

In marketing my company and our products, I have a need to apply our logo to our products. We're in business five years now and doing extremely well; however, I understand that applying out logo is a necessary and natural evolution of our company. I hope to solve this issue in the next 12 months.

Everyone in our industry (the high-end guitar pick business) does plain laser-etching, which I consider lame, inventive, and oh-so boring. Our products are a cut above almost everything out there, and we've always gone our own way (and, again, with great results in sales). I REFUSE to be a me-too player and do the same lame-brain, yawn-inducing laser etching on our products; it MUST be full color. I won't change my mind, and I know we'll find our answer.

I've attached below our basic mockup design, plus the logo.

Is there such a thing as laser etching in color with a basic C0-2 laser? I saw a company that offered a powered who says it will liquify and fuse when etching, but they seemed pretty fly-by-night and had a pretty poor website.

I have a couple other ideas, but would like to leave that open so as not to lead the jury.

Thanks in advance for the your ideas.

Best,
Scott
438594

[Mike Null]

The laser is not the tool. Look at pad printing, hot stamping or UV printing.

[Bill George]

Howdy howdy.

In marketing my company and our products, I have a need to apply our logo to our products. We're in business five years now and doing extremely well; however, I understand that applying out logo is a necessary and natural evolution of our company. I hope to solve this issue in the next 12 months.

Everyone in our industry (the high-end guitar pick business) does plain laser-etching, which I consider lame, inventive, and oh-so boring. Our products are a cut above almost everything out there, and we've always gone our own way (and, again, with great results in sales). I REFUSE to be a me-too player and do the same lame-brain, yawn-inducing laser etching on our products; it MUST be full color. I won't change my mind, and I know we'll find our answer.

I've attached below our basic mockup design, plus the logo.

Is there such a thing as laser etching in color with a basic C0-2 laser? I saw a company that offered a powered who says it will liquify and fuse when etching, but they seemed pretty fly-by-night and had a pretty poor website.

I have a couple other ideas, but would like to leave that open so as not to lead the jury.

Thanks in advance for the your ideas.

Best,
Scott


Do you own a co2 laser or know how they work? If so you already have most of your answer. There is something called Cermark that lets you engrave in shades of gray or black. Some people have experimented with powdered powder coating paint, not sure how that turned out.

[Scott Memmer]

Mike, thanks for your thoughts. One of my chief concerns has to be the DURABILTY of the marking. The location on the face of the pick will be precisely where the player places his thumb and is therfore subject to wear.

We will be experimenting with many different approaches, but from what I know (and perhaps I'm wrong), my understanding would be that pad printing would wear off pretty quickly.

HOT STAMPING: When you say, hot stamping, are you referring mainly to the various foils used and applied with heat. If so, I believe two issues would be at stack here (and again, I could be wrong). 1) I do not believe a foil stamp would stand up to wear and tear (and sweat and oils). But 2), and even more important to us, the hot stamping foils I've seen are very sparkly and shining. I consider them cheap-looking and flash and mirrors, not the image we're going for. I see us in the marketspace of Apple, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes -- less is more. And I think the foil looks cheesy and lame.

UV PRINTING: I've heard of this but confess I would need to explore. At first glance it sounds like it would solve the durability issue for us. A couple other concerns, though. I'm tired of using jobbers, and after five years we are oving to doing all our work in-house. The good ones have 6-8 lead times, are move expensive, and in the last year ruined $5000 in product for us. I'm looking for a marking process I can take in-house. And if a UV machine is expensive, I wouldn't take that approach.

Yeah, I'm stubborn and opinionated, but that drive has led us to break into a very mature market in the highest niche in our industry. We'll figure this out, and it will be cooler than anything out there.

Thanks, Mike!

sm

[Bill George]

https://www.zzounds.com/item--CLADURPLX?siid=116212&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoLLJrO2M6wIVxkXVCh3XIAqYEAQYAyAB EgKdOPD_BwE

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

A LOT depends on your substrates- plastic or timber.
If timber, it'll vaporise with lasering, or else char and burn, depending on the speed and power.
If plastic, you need to see if it's a deadly poisonous one like PVC, or a lesser ill plastic like acrylic, or a gooey one that will just melt and burn.
I can't see UV printing giving you what you want.
Stamping and hot foil pressing is in my opinion the way to go.
Good luck with your research!

[Glen Monaghan]

I see us in the marketspace of Apple, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes

[...] if a UV machine is expensive, I wouldn't take that approach.



Hmmm... You want to be the coolest, best-est thing out there, on a par with the Apples, Ferraris, Porsches, and Mercedes of the world, but you insist on a Kia or Smart budget approach? It is sometimes possible to have champagne tastes on a beer budget but, there are reasons why those expensive cars are priced as they are, and why their customers are willing to pay those prices. What would you consider to be expensive for your need and why insist on a "cheap" solution in the highest niche of your industry?

[Kev Williams]

I'm as cheap as they come, always have been. Much of my equipment- in fact, the vast majority of it, I've bought used. Believe or not, NONE of my used machines has ever needed anything more than routine maintenance. I mention this only to say, do consider buying a 'good' used machine, especially if you know its history.

I don't know much about color printing other than UV printing seems to best other types, such as pad and screen printing, especially for longevity of the marking. Sublimation has been around a long time, but always seemed a bit 'labor intensive' and/or 'finicky' to suit me. Pad and screen printing is great for items that aren't handled much since the print can be rubbed off after time. Not good for a guitar pick. But I'm not in the printing biz so all this is really moot for me.

As to machines, you'll notice I have lots. Every purchase over the years that involved 'keeping up with technology' was always a bit scary. Most times those scary purchases led to 'wish I'd got this sooner!' and follow-up purchases soon after. I've never regretted buying anything for this business.

Here's a thought (pure speculation, tongue in cheek, etc etc ;) ) - if someone is driving a $30,000 car around and making payments on it, but thinks spending $30,000 on a necessary business machine in order to expand is too risky, and is considering a $3000 machine to reduce the risk, try this: Sell the expensive car and find a good used $3000 car, and spend the $30,000 on the machine you need. :D -- net $$ output will be the same, and you'll have lot better chance of making more money:)

[Bill George]

My thought since your making custom guitar pucks is you forget the laser color thing on your plastic or metal product and go with one of the suggestions above and protect your logo with a clear plastic something over it. The link I posted shows your completion just lasering a design on the color.