Services & Engraving

At Tempe Trophy, we are The Engraving Experts. We offer a variety of engraving techniques for all kinds of materials. A large part of crafting a quality product is picking the right engraving technique for the material and for the project. This becomes especially important in achieving the desired look and feel of the product. An example of this would be using Sand Carving over Laser Etching on crystal awards. Although the laser can mark the crystal, the Sand Carving looks better and feels better when you run your finger across it.

We know the best techniques to use and the best ways to apply color and style to achieve exactly what you are looking for. If you have a project that requires engraving, let us help!

Diamond Drag Engraving, also know as traditional “Scratch Engraving” is accomplished simply by dragging a diamond tipped cutter across the material’s surface. This leaves an elegantly thin gouged line into the surface of the material. Diamond Drag engraving is ideal for any item where a traditional engraved look is desired. You often see this type of engraving on watches, rings, silver plates, and jewelry because it can carve very small text in the most precise manner. This engraving technique is also very good for utilitarian industrial engraving since there are very few surfaces that a diamond can’t mark. Diamond Drag Engraving can be used on curves and lines, but unfortunately not on solid areas.

The best thing about Diamond Drag Engraving is that it sparkles! It reflects light in a way that you don’t get with other types of engraving.

Laser Engraving is the process of using an industrial laser to mark or burn away material. Our lasers are set up to engrave on acrylic awards, leather, coated metal, wood, paper, plastics, and other organically derived materials They are also set up to cut acrylic, leather, wood, paper, plastics, and many organically derived materials. When cutting custom glass or metal projects, we typically utilize water jet cutting. Laser engraving is definitely a fun way to engrave. A favorite application of laser engraving is to use the laser like a cattle brand. That’s right, like a cattle brand. By manipulating the power and intensity of the laser we can brand leather. Laser engraving also excels at marking acrylic awards. On acrylic, the laser leaves a nice uniformed frosted engraving. This process is sometimes called laser etching. One thing that the laser is not good at, is etching glass and crystal. It can do it, but the frosted pattern is irregular and barely a surface level mark. Additionally, if the laser beam hits any imperfections in the glass or crystal it will leave little pock marks. For this reason, we only Sand Carve glass and crystal awards.

Etching is an engraving process that uses abrasive material or acid to etch the surface. This method creates a surface etching with a nice uniformed frosted look similar to Sand Carving, but it is much shallower. It is generally considered a surface mark. Etching can be a great option when engraving logos on metal products such as knife blades or other odd shaped items. Etching is also a great for those hard to reach areas like the inside of a drum or another nook or cranny. Since Etching makes a frosted mark, it can be a nice option when the design calls for a more subtle touch. In this way we sometimes us a soft Etching on the back of glass or crystal award combined with a deep color filled Sand Carving on the face of the award to create a greater sense of depth.

Sand Carving is the best way to engrave crystal and glass awards. It also works very well on marble, ceramics, and stone. Sand Carving is similar to etching but goes much deeper. For that reason it is sometimes referred to as deep etching. The look and feel of Sand Carving is far superior to laser etching. With this method of engraving we shoot sand (actually an aluminum oxide) at the surface of the piece and literally carve away the material. This lets us carve complex artwork into stone and crystal for a beautiful and breathtaking look that will wow the recipients. Too often in our industry, beautiful awards are defaced by competitors using a laser to engrave glass and crystal awards. Laser engraving may be faster, cheaper, and a lot less labor intensive, but it doesn’t compare to Sand Carving. For this reason we Sand Carve all of our glass and crystal awards. It is a difference that you can see and feel.

Most logos are designed in color and for this reason we offer Full Color Awards. Color is a great way to make an award pop or accent the overall design. Designers the world over recognize that color is a powerful tool so why not incorporate color into your awards. We utilize some of the latest technologies from full CMYK digital imprinting as well as traditional color fill technique. On some high volume projects we recommend screen printing, as screen printing can reduce the cost. The drawback to screen printing is the inability to make line changes. This can be overcome by combining engraving techniques. Perhaps silk screening the logo and etching the name and message into each individual awards. Digital color offers us complete control over design with out any of the setups that go with screen printing. Digital imprinting is also less labor intensive when compared to traditional color fill. Traditional color fill is where the engraving mark is made deep enough that it can then hold pigment. Of course, traditional color fill has its place. It is substantial and offers a rich deep look and since the color doesn’t sit on the surface, it offers a higher durability. In short, color is the number one best way to make your logo or message stand out. That little splash of color draws the eye and engages the viewer. Think about how revolutionary color has been and what Full Color Awards can do to the prestige of your special event.

We are here to help ensure that your project looks good. A big part of that is having good artwork. Not every company has an art department, and few graphic designers understand the needs of engraving logos into glass, metal, and other surfaces. This is where we can help. Let our team of talented engravers and graphic designers help adapt your concept or artwork to your product. For the best results in most engraving, vector artwork produces the best results. Additionally converting your artwork to curves gives the best continuity across multiple design platforms. This becomes important when you think about the fact that the engraving machine needs to know when to cut and where to move. A simple bitmap or raster file just doesn’t contain enough information. If your art team does work in raster formats like .jpg, .gif, .png, .tif or Photoshop files, we can definitely work with them, but make sure that they are high resolution images. If they are low resolution they won’t engrave well.

Custom castings are a lasting way to honor important milestones, events, achievements, or memorialize people and places. Ancient “lost-wax” bronze castings have withstood the centuries, visually telling the tale of past cultures, their religions, and their social structures. Castings can be used for indoor or outdoor applications and range in size from large statues to small coins. Castings are personalized to fit the occasion or setting. Whether they are the traditional recessed background with raised text or colorful enamel filled plaques and medallions. Small challenge coins are a time honored tradition among military, first responders, and clubs. They have been a well respected practice of signifying affiliation with a particular branch or unit. Today many police and fire departments as well as civic organizations use them to commemorate special events and milestones. These coins have become a long-lasting, highly collectible way to show your allegiance anytime and anyplace. Custom medals reward excellence in business as well as athletic prowess. Whether to honor a loved one, commemorate a new building, beautify or to challenge, there is no end to the application for custom castings. For more information Contact us.

Tempe Trophy has the ability to do custom stickers. Small to very large, custom content, minimal setup fee. We have the equipment and trained technicians that will allow us to do Stickers with UV Rated Lamination for Outdoor Applications. We can do virtually any size and quantity and design. With this in house capability we have greater pricing flexibility and quick turnaround times.

At Tempe Trophy, we offer a wide variety of fully customizable awards and products as well as completely custom awards. If you have an idea, sketch, or concept let us help make your vision a reality. We have created custom projects for small companies, film festivals, and large corporations. Just be creative and let your event stand out. We routinely produce pieces to be used on screen for both televison and film. The next time you see a trophy in the background or a name tag on a character’s desk just remember, that real people can get cool awards too. So if you are looking to set your event apart or explore new branding options don’t be afraid to ask, we are here to help. Whether you need to commission one of our local artists to sculpt you a custom trophy or if we need to create a full lineup of custom awards for your trade group, we are ready to bring your dream to life.