Success set in stone

Engraving is often regarded as not only one of the oldest pattern techniques in the history of the sign industry, but also the world. Whether we are talking about engravings made by our ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago, or up-to-date engravings on sign-age, it seems that this technique of illustrating patterns will never die.

Engraving on signage is one of the most popular services in the sign industry, with customers challenging sign-makers to produce plenty of weird and wonderful products. As it always seems to do, the industry has responded in great fashion and met these demands with creative innovations of their own.

Backed up with the technology of various manufacturers, it seems the sector is only going to develop further as we progress. With this in mind, what sort of new technology is available to sign-makers operating in this market and how can they use it to help them get ahead in the sector?

Quality kit

Industry heavyweight Roland DG is one of the major manufacturers of engraving kit, with many companies in the sign world having opted for such technology. Peter Kettle, business development manager at Roland DG UK, stresses the importance of investing in the right equipment if sign-makers are to be successful in the engraving market.


Kettle explains: “It may sound simple, but investing in good quality, easy to use, and well supported machinery is what any business needs to do. We have all heard the adage of buy cheap, pay twice, but this is definitely true with engraving machines.

“By their very nature, they need to be robust as they are cutting into a variety of materials, generating dust and swarf that goes everywhere if not properly extracted or contained. As with anything, if the machines are not working they are not making you money, and the Roland engraving machines are renowned for their reliability.”

Leading on from this, Kettle suggests a number of options on offer from Roland DG to support companies in this sector: “We offer a range of computer-controlled desktop engraving machines, all easy to operate and use. The software is very straightforward for designing and producing engravings, and if you use Corel or Adobe you can import EPS and PDF files into the software, so there is no need to learn anything new.

“The machines range from just over £2,000 up to just under £10,000, and are suitable for cutting any materials used in signage, including acrylic, engraving laminate, brass, aluminium, wood, and even other applications such as jewellery engraving and CNC milling.”

Kettle also goes on to say that the engraving market has developed and now covers a whole range of applications that Roland DG machinery can help produce.

Kettle says: “What was once considered the ‘engraving market’ is actually an umbrella term which covers a wide range of applications where engraving has been the traditional route to market. Today this market includes promotional goods, rigid signs, industrial labels, exhibitor badges, and so on.



“All of these applications have benefited from the introduction of alternative processes, such as wide-format printing, UV printing, and sublimation. Now, we are finding these technologies are being used in a complementary fashion to engraving, opening up new revenue streams in this market.

“For example, badges printed on our UV-cured VersaUV LEF-20 can be profile cut and bevelled using our EGX-600 engraver. In addition, many LEF-20 owners have also subsequently purchased the MPX-90 so that they can offer engraved metal promotional goods, such as business card holders, pens, and USB memory sticks.”

Maximising profits

Elsewhere, sign-making and digital print manufacturing heavyweight Grafityp also has a number of options available in the engraving sector. The firm recently opted to expand its offering in this market with the addition of the LaserPro MG380 to its already expansive range.

The device is equipped with a metal laser tube and a glass laser tube, thus allowing users to produce both en-graving and cutting work. Features on the machine include an automatic dual lasers switch function, which enables the user to switch between the RF driven metal tube and DC excited carbon dioxide glass tube in just one second to deliver engraving effects and produce a clear cutting edge.

Grafityp has two models of the machine available in the form of the MG380 Hybrid 12100 and the MG380 Hybrid 25100. The first of these models has a 12-watt metal laser tube and a 100-watt glass laser tube, while the second boasts a 25-watt Metal laser tube and a 100-watt glass laser tube. Both models also have a work area of 960 x 610mm.

Speaking about the models, Grafityp marketing manager Debbie Astle says the technology offers a host of benefits to those in this sector and will allow such companies to take on a host of innovative engraving work.



“The MG380 offers an excellent solution for maximising profits,” Astle comments, adding: “The LaserPro MG380 Hybrid is a stylish design that has front and rear pass through doors enabling long work pieces to be dealt with easily and its solid structure ensures superior output quality and motion stability for superb performance.



“Engrave and cut all kinds of materials and objects using this excellent machine, whether producing promotional items, control panels, corporate products, prototypes—the LaserPro MG380 Hybrid is an excellent choice.”

Engraving in practice

Although it seems clear that there is a host of equipment on offer in this sector, what about the companies currently offering engraving services—how are they getting on with the work that is currently available? One firm that has been active in this sector for some time is Southampton-based P.J. Drew (Engravers) Signs and Graphics, which has been in business since 1965 and has enjoyed varied success over the years.

Speaking in a recent interview, founder Peter James Drew explains that, with the help of his daughter Donna, he has been able to evolve the company from a small business that operated out of a rat-infested shed to a successful firm that boasts a range of customers and has undertaken a while host of innovative work.

O Factoid: A recent report by the BBC suggests zig-zag patterns on a fossilised shell found in Indonesia may be the earliest engraving by a human ancestor. The engraving is at least 430,000 years old, compared to the previous oldest man-made markings that were given an age of around 130,000 years old.  O

Drew explains: “After a few months [of starting the business] I decided that I needed my own premises and found a shed in what is now called Willments Shipyard in Woolston for the great sum of £65 per quarter. It was a rat-infested property by the Itchen River with an outside urinal in a corrugated lean to that was shared by many.

“The business grew and, after a few years, when I had employed more engravers, I purchased a section of land and built the unit that we still occupy today. I went on to purchase the old building next door and started a screen printing company—Henly Screen Printers—named after my wife’s maiden name.




















“In the early days, both of my daughters used to come and work for me during their school, holidays and eventually worked for me full time until they both left to start families. Donna has since returned and taken over the whole operation.”

Considering the varied success P.J. Drew has enjoyed over the years, Drew highlights that although sign engraving forms a major part of the business, operating in this sector does open up opportunities to take on some more unusual work—and those also in the sector should consider this when pushing for growth.



Drew explains: “We have worked on some interesting jobs over the years. Some of our most memorable jobs include the cockpit console for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, engraving the signatures of the IRA peacemakers in the actual table they were signed on, and engraving the spade that was used by Her Majesty Princess Margaret for planting a tree at HMS Collingwood.

“Many customers have stayed with us over the years such as Vospers, which is now BAE, and Plessey—now Eaton Aerospace—are just some of our many satisfied customers.”



Despite being regarded as one of the industry’s older techniques, it seems the speed at which technology is being developed for use in the engraving sector shows now signs of slowing down. This factor, coupled with the ongoing success of various companies across the market, goes to show that engraving is still as popular as ever and a traditional technique that is likely to remain a staple part of the sign industry for many years to come.

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