Personalisation turns a generic object into a specific one, and the method used determines whether the text is still legible in five years or gone in six months.
The Methods
Laser engraving removes or discolours the surface with a focused beam. On stainless it produces a dark permanent mark; on plated metal it can cut through the plating to the base.
Mechanical or rotary engraving cuts a groove with a tool. It is deeper and unmistakably permanent, and it produces a slightly rougher edge.
Stamping presses the design into the metal with a die. Deep, permanent and traditional, and it displaces metal rather than removing it.
Printing and pad printing apply ink or coating to the surface. It allows colour and it wears off, particularly on anything carried in a pocket.
Which Lasts
- Struck or stamped detail: permanent, since it is the shape of the metal
- Deep engraving: permanent in practice
- Laser marking on stainless: very durable
- Laser through plating: exposes base metal, which may then tarnish
- Printed detail: wears at contact points within months on a carried item
Where a maker specifies that relief detail is struck rather than printed, of the kind described at wentiya.com, that is a meaningful distinction for anything intended to last, because struck detail cannot wear off.
Writing the Text
Shorter is better, for legibility and because engraving areas are small. A date, initials, a name, a short line.
Read it aloud before committing. Anything that sounds slightly awkward spoken will look worse permanently engraved, and there is no editing afterwards.
Check It Twice
The most common personalisation failure is a spelling error submitted by the buyer, and it is not usually covered by returns because the item was made to specification.
Check names, dates and any word you are not certain of. Then have somebody else check it, since you will read what you meant rather than what you typed.
Font and Case
Small engraved text in a script font becomes illegible quickly. Simple sans-serif or block lettering stays readable at small sizes and after wear.
Capitals are more legible small; mixed case looks less formal. Both are fine, and legibility should decide it on anything under about a centimetre.
Placement
Anything engraved on a face that rubs against something will wear faster. On a keychain, the reverse side sees less abrasion than the front.
On jewellery, the inside of a band or the back of a pendant protects the text while keeping it private, which many people prefer anyway.
Returns
Personalised goods are frequently excluded from standard return rights, in many jurisdictions legitimately, because they cannot be resold.
This is worth reading before ordering rather than after, particularly for a gift being sent directly to someone else.