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 LASER is Light
Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A process when applied to
anodized aluminum and other materials produces a permanent mark that won’t rub
or scratch off. Laser engraving is a superior marking process to conventional
screen
printing and pad printing which wears off over time. Laser engraved products
will keep your name, logo or message visible at all times…a clear advantage for
a promotional product. Dog tag lanyards, aluminum face badge reels
and whistle lanyards can all be imprinted using laser engraving.
So how does a laser work it’s magic? There are two types of laser engraving
systems being used in the promotional products industry to produce permanent
marks on aluminum, steel, plastic, wood and other materials: CO2 systems and
Nd:YAG systems.
To engrave, both systems
focus a beam of high intensity light through a lens. This high-powered focused
beam of light has enough energy to vaporize the material surface thus producing
a visible mark on the material. A CO2 system manages the forming of the image
much like a conventional dot matrix printer scanning left to right as it moves
down “through the image” while pulsing it’s vaporizing beam onto the material.
The Nd:YAG laser system achieves the surface image by steering the beam of light
through a lens by means of mirrors controlled by a computer.
When it comes to
producing marks on anodized aluminum both systems are not equal. The much slower
CO2 system produces marks of varying quality depending on the product color
(anodized coating) being marked. Quality is defined in terms of brightness of
the mark. The brighter the better. A high quality laser engraved mark appears
bright white no matter what the color of the material. With CO2 systems, some
marks take on the color tint of the material being marked resulting in a less
desirable looking image. Trouble colors include Red, Blue and Black. Rarely, if
ever will a CO2 laser mark these colors bright white. Take home message: When
placing an order for laser engraved aluminum products always inquire about the
equipment being used. If it’s a CO2 laser you can expect that your image on some
colors will not look very attractive (for example it will look pink on red,
light blue on blue and grey on black colored products).
A more consistent and
higher quality image on anodized aluminum is achieved with Nd:YAG laser systems.
Not only are they much faster than CO2 lasers (resulting in lower run-time costs
and savings for you), but they produce the desired bright white mark that
screams quality resulting in a finished product that will sure to make a great
first and lasting impression on the recipient.
Lanyard Imprinting Methods
Hot Stamping |
Screen Printing | Dye Sublimation
Full Color | Laser
Engraving | Embossing
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