Laser Engraving at Prince Customs
At Prince Customs we welcome all laser engraving jobs from personal gifts to industrial production runs. The same type of hybrid laser as found on the Apple production lines is used, which allows us to offer a range of laser marking styles directly on metal and plastics.Different types of marking processes you can choose from include: annealing, burning, deep engraving, etching, ablation and polishing. These markings are permanent and do not require a thermal spray to mark on metal.
General Pricing for Laser Engraving
The pricing examples here reflect individual custom work. Larger production runs of identical engravings or markings can be discounted and a quote needs to be generated for the specific job. If your idea isn't covered below, please contact Prince Customs for a quote.Setup - Starts at $10 for a flat item.
Stainless Drinkware - Starts at $20 for a small graphic or logo. Includes setup fee.
Initials & Names - Starts at $10. Multiple items (5+) with only the name or initials changing will receive a discount.
NFA Trust or MFG Mark - $65 including setup. Add $10 for difficult locations like inside the mag well or the trigger area.
Grip Stippling - Starts at $125 to laser stiple a geometric pattern on the flat side panels.
Magazines - Starts at $15 for a small vector graphic.
Pricing does not include 8.25% tax for Texas residents. Listed pricing only includes setup using vector based graphic files in a single color. Please read below for more details.
Graphic File Formats and Preparation for Laser Engraving
Vector format image or graphic files are preferred and will not add any artwork fees to the job. High contrast single color graphics without gradients work best.Vector files typically have a file extension of .ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg or .dxf. (Note: not all .pdf graphics are saved in vector format).
If you only have access to your graphic or image in a raster format (ie. .jpg, .gif, .png, .tif, .psd, or .bmp), make sure it is of very high resolution. Zoom in to the size that you want the graphic to be marked. If there is any pixelation or jagged edges, the file will require manual conversion or reduce the marking quality. An artwork conversion or design fee will be applied to your total for any files that are not easily converted and require manual editing. Prince Customs will email or message you to give an estimate for this design work. Below is an extreme example of a high res vs pixelated raster graphic.
High resolution raster graphic
Pixelated raster graphic
Multi color graphics in a vector format take longer to set up. Prince Customs will notify you of the extra setup cost beforehand. All full color images all require editing and incur a design fee.
Prince Customs is happy to answer any questions about your graphic files. Send the best file you have and your project specs to create@princecustoms.com. A quote with expected cost breakdown will be sent back promptly.
Color Laser Engraving
Obtaining colored reflections is only possible on some metals, mainly stainless steel and titanium through the annealing process. If you request color laser engraving, you must understand that the color shifts under different lighting angles and intensity. Outside of those conditions the engraving will look black or dark gray.Because the chemical composition of metals can vary from batch to batch, Prince Customs will request to run a test grid in an obscure location or extra scrap to verify the color and let you choose your preference. This is very difficult to reproduce in pictures so please understand that you should come in and view the test markings in person beforehand to ensure the final results of your requested laser engraving.
Types of Laser Marking
This process irradiates the surface with the laser, heating the material and evaporating it. Perfect for precisely removing a paint or coating layer from a material and leaving the base metal or plastic showing through. There are engineered plastics that show a different color than the surface layer when marked in this fashion.
Annealing with a laser is a form of heat-tempering. The laser leaves an oxide layer underneath the material surface, resulting on a color change that often feels smooth to the touch. This process can create dark or colored marks on steel or titanium when viewed under the right lighting conditions.
A burn mark from a laser heats the surface layer to the point that it burns and leaves a dark brown - almost black oxide layer. This type of mark is very durable and creates a fine texture protruding from the surface of the metal. This is not recommended on plastics.
In this process, depth is created by multiple passes of the laser vaporizing the surface layer of material. This can create unique shadowed effects or create a higher level of durability. While impressive, this type of engraving takes significantly longer to perform in metals and pricing will reflect that.
Only possible on some surface types, polishing with a laser changes the physical properties of the surface layer, making it reflect more light. This often makes metals look more reflective than the non treated areas. Plastics will look shinier.
A less extreme form of deep engraving, etching vaporizes only a small amount of material from surface layer, creating a minute change in depth.
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