Laser Engraving Colour Infill - Printing At It's Best!

Laser engraving is a specialised printing method used to apply company logos or text onto wood and acrylic products, for an exquisite and personalised branded finish.  

Laser engraving however, can be enhanced considerably by adding colour and is just one of the printing techniques Polmac (UK) Ltd uses to print onto it’s custom made, wood presentation boxes and packaging.

 Laser Engraving Over Masking Tape

The surface of the wood is first sealed with a clear lacquer finish to prevent the paint ‘bleeding’ onto the wood. 

Masking tape, with a weak adhesive application, used to mask paintwork, is an excellent masking medium. However, it's important to ensure the masking tape can be removed quickly and easily after painting, to prevent the paint lifting.

A special paper mask can also be applied to the engraving area and smoothed down with a squeegee to remove any air bubbles underneath. This is done by applying pressure at the centre of the paper mask and working out towards the edges.  

After laser engraving, the squeegee is used again to remove any air bubbles that may have been missed and to smooth down any paper edges that have curled up.

 

The depth of the engraving should not be too shallow or too deep. If too shallow, the paint may not be deep enough to hold the paint filling. If too deep, it may be difficult to work into the engraved crevices.

On average, the depth of the engraving should be about the thickness of a standard metal staple.  

Heavy body, acrylic paint in various colours is then carefully applied to the engraving, using a flat head paint brush, a large ‘Q-tip’ cotton swab, or a squeegee.

                                                  Applying Acrylic Paint With A Squeegee              

 

The paint is carefully worked into the engraving, to ensure all the crevices are filled with acrylic paint. Once this process is completed the engraving is set aside and the paint allowed to dry.

Before the paint is completely dry, the masking tape, or paper mask is carefully removed by lifting the corners and working towards the centre. If the paint is completely dry, there is a danger it will adhere too strongly to the masking tape, or paper mask and may ‘lift’ the paint from the engraving. 

                                                             Removing Masking Tape

After the masking tape, or paper mask is removed, ‘weeding’ takes place, using a sharp scalpel, or craft knife. This process removes any excess paper mask, or paint still on the wood surface. 

 Weeding Excess Masking Tape & Paint

Excess paint can also be removed by careful scrubbing with a damp cloth, if the paint is not too dry. However, if this process is unsuccessful, excess paper, or paint can be removed by careful, fine sanding. 

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How To Brand Your Wood Presentation Boxes With That 'Wow' Factor!

Metallic foil blocking, screen printing and laser engraving are all excellent ways of printing directly onto wood presentation boxes, to provide a high quality, branded finish! However, if you want your wood presentation boxes to have that 'wow' factor, consider using engraved or etched metal plates, fixed directly to your wood gift boxes, or promotional boxes.

Engraving and etching are methods of cutting lines into hard surfaces like metal, for the purpose of decoration and/ or branding. The key difference is that engraving uses a sharp tool, often diamond tipped, to 'score' the metal whilst etching is a chemical process that uses acid to 'burn' lines into the metal.

Glenfarclas Whisky Box With Branded Brass Plates

It's also possible to apply colour print directly onto metal plates. These methods have largely superceded traditional hand engraving techniques!

Nowadays, the engraving and etching process, particularly in the commercial world is largely computer controlled for precision purposes. It has increasingly been used for branding onto metal plates, as a highly effective and economic method of printing.

For instance, a solid brass, aluminium, or polished metal plate, etched with an exquisitely designed, coloured logo and text is high-quality branding indeed that customers notice when considering a purchase! Even a simple etched metal plate with few embellishments can look and feel really special!

The visual impact of polished metal plates can also be enhanced by introducing special design features such as chamfered or scalloped corners.

Furthermore, metal has other important characteristics such as being a hard, non-combustible and impact-resistant material It also has excellent resistance to heat and chemicals!

However, metal may corrode in certain conditions and the engraving darken over time, so to avoid this special coatings are often used!

Solid brass, plated brass and steel plates are protected with a clear lacquer finish and aluminium can be supplied anodised. These thin coatings can then be used for fine detail engraving and etching.

If you want your wood presentation packaging to stand out from the crowd with that 'wow' factor, that encourages customers to buy your products, then engraving or etching onto polished metal plates, as an alternative to traditional printing methods', is definitely worth considering!

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The Ancient Art Of Using Antler & Horn For Knife Handles!

From prehistoric times to the present day, the tradition of using animal materials, such as bones, tusks and antlers is well established. There are even examples of people carving ivory in Babylon as early as 2300BC. If you were a boy scout you probably owned a hunting knife, with a bone, or antler handle, which you took on camping trips.

Red Deer Antler

Whether horn, bone, shell or ivory was used depended upon tradition, as well as appearance. However, it always seemed natural to take a roughly furrowed stag handle hunting knife on a hunting trip rather than a knife with a plain wooden handle.

Horns

 

Other materials such as elephant ivory and even mammoth ivory with it's rich brown, blue and red hues have been used for knife handles. However, ivory is a smooth solid material and is more often used for carving and engraving intricate shapes.

Another material used for knife handles is shell which has a wonderful iridescent finish and like ivory has been used as a more decorative rather than practical alternative. However, the natural angular shape of many antlers and horns makes them ideal for making knife handles.

The texture of antlers and horn materials also helps improve grip strength, which on a hunting trip is essential. Many horns, bones, and ivories become tacky when wet and so improve the grip when used.

The natural angular texture and variation in colour make antlers and horn handles visually appealing and provide a stunning contrast with a smooth polished steel blade.

Along with elephant and mammoth ivory, mastodon ivory, fossil walrus tusk and oosic are also sought after knife handle materials, including some types of shells, coral and pearl materials.

Many of these materials however, are rare and expensive and of course increase the value of the knife dramatically. They are highly sought after but regardless, there use is a moral and environmental question that should be addressed.

Elephant ivory is undoubtedly a limited resource and much of the stock available today has been obtained illegally. As the elephant is now an endangered species, it is extremely important to avoid using ivory for any purpose and source alternative materials, such as antler and horn from sustainable and managed stocks.

Polmac 3-Piece Dinner Set For: Abbeyhorn Ltd

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood presentation boxes and packaging, including boxes for knives and forks with antler, or horn handles. They are custom made to order which means they are manufactured to your exact requirements, at no extra cost.

Polmac customized wood boxes are supplied with clear lacquer finishes, to highlight the natural warmth and beauty of wood and with stunning natural wood and colour stain finishes. They are also supplied with beautiful flock or silk fabric internal linings on moulded inserts, if a more luxuriant finish if required.

Polmac custom made wooden boxes can be supplied with printed text and logos, using metallic foil blocking, laser engraving and silk screen printing techniques, for a more personalized finish and are designed to boost company branding and bottom-line sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Cheese Safes - Little Miss Moffat Must Have Had One!

The art of Cheese making goes back at least 4000 years, although no-one knows who the first person to make cheese was.

It is thought that an Arab merchant who was about to cross a desert put some milk in his pouch, so he could quench his thirst during the crossing.

 Polmac Cheese Safe For: Harrods Ltd

However, because of the intense heat, the milk turned to curd and whey during the crossing. In the evening he tried the resulting mixture.

The whey satisfied his thirst and the curd his hunger. The curd had an unusual but delightful taste which he liked!

Since then, cheese making has turned into a huge, global industry, which in some countries consumes a third of all milk production. 

Cheese of course is best eaten fresh and keeping it fresh has always been a challenge. 

Most people today in the know, keep their cheese in the fridge, wrapped in paper, or parchment to allow it to 'breathe' and to protect it from other strong food odours!

Cheese safes are used when the cheese is taken out of the fridge, to bring it up to room temperature, so it will taste at it’s best.

Once the cheese is inside the cheese safe, it can be stored in a cool pantry or cellar, for short periods until ready to be eaten!

Polmac (UK) Ltd cheese safes are made from food compatible, natural beechwood, with fly proof, metal mesh sides.

There are four, raised legs at the corners, to allow air circulation around the whole of the cheese safe. 

The hinged lid is located at the top and is secured with a metal ‘hook’ fastener, for ease of opening.

Inside the cheese safe there is a natural beech, cheese board with a long handle grip at the centre, to allow the cheese to be quickly and easily taken out, when required!

Polmac cheese safes are custom made to order and can be overprinted with a logo or text, using screen printing, metallic foil blocking and laser engraving techniques, if a more personalized, branded finish is required! 

http://www.polmacuk.com