In our daily life, laser engraving and hand engraving are two very common engraving methods. Hand engraving is the oldest type of engraving, from the beginning of the engraving process has been thousands of years of history. Why hand engraving can be used until now, is because the hand-carved works still have its charm. Laser engraving is now considered the most advanced type of engraving. Laser engraving is more suitable for mass production. So what is the difference between the two? And how should we choose? Today's article is to help you solve these doubts.
The Art of Hand Carving
Hand engraving refers to the use of purely manual engraving tools on materials such as wood, metal or leather to create a specific pattern. Hand carving is one of the oldest forms of carving, and it has survived to the present day because it has a charm that cannot be replaced. Hand carving requires a certain level of carving knowledge, so a lot of practice is necessary before you can really get started. The fineness of the work that can be carved by hand is very high, and as long as the carver's technique is in place, any pattern is possible. Nowadays, however, the use of manual carving tools like hammers and chisels has gradually decreased in frequency. More often, tools like jewelry engraving machines are used for engraving.
Laser engraving
The so-called laser engraving refers to the use of a strong laser instead of an engraving tool on a variety of engraving materials. So what is the principle of laser engraving? Laser engraving requires the use of a specialized laser engraving machine. Depending on the pattern design, the laser engraver will adjust the intensity of the laser as well as the width of the laser. When the strong laser shines on the metal, the metal is instantly vaporized and eventually, the pattern is gradually engraved.
Choose hand engraving or laser engraving?
If you have to choose between hand engraving and laser engraving, then you should probably understand the difference between hand engraving and laser engraving.
Differences in aesthetic pursuits
The aesthetic pursuits of those who prefer hand engraving and those who prefer laser engraving are different. Since hand-engraved patterns are completed by hand engraving by the engraving craftsmen, even if the same pattern is engraved, there will be slight differences in the details. Therefore, you can say that each piece of hand-carved work is unique. Many people who like hand-carving just love this uniqueness.
Laser engraving is particularly suitable for high volume production as the pattern engraved by laser engraving can be almost one-to-one reproduction. People who like laser engraving prefer the extreme consistency of texture and detail.
Difference in time and cost
Let's start with the difference in time cost between hand engraving and laser engraving. Since the entire process of hand engraving is done manually, it is obvious that the time spent on hand engraving is definitely more. The cost you need to pay is the manual labor fee to the engraver.
One of the great features of laser engraving is that it is extremely efficient in engraving. As soon as you design your pattern on your computer and upload it to the laser engraving machine, the engraving will be done right away. If you are going to a specialized business to help you achieve laser engraving, your cost may include the cost of using the machine once. If you are having laser engraving on your own, then you will need to pay additional costs. For example, the cost of machine maintenance, energy consumption, and even labor.
The process of hand carving
- Develop your carving program: Before you start carving, you need to develop your carving program, such as what do you want to carve? What is the material to be carved? Is it wood or metal? If metal, what kind of metal? Is it gold, silver, or something else? These questions are just examples, and in reality, you may need to consider more details.
- Preparing the material for carving: prepare the material you want to carve. It's best if the material is the right size so that you don't have to make too many adjustments afterwards. Of course, if you are carving jewelry, then you don't have to think about this.
- Preparation of engraving tools: Here you can choose purely handmade engraving tools. Of course, there are many types of engraving tools, V-shaped, flat and oval engraving tools are more common engraving tools. If you have the budget, you can also go to buy a set of jewelry engraving machine, jewelry engraving machine allows you to improve the efficiency of engraving at the same time, but also feel the fun of hand engraving.
- Fixed carving material: you can prepare the carving jig to be used, or carving ball vise to fix the material you want to carve. This will not only facilitate your subsequent carving, but also to protect your own safety. Even if there are many years of experience in carving masters, it is difficult to do one side of the hand to stabilize the carving material, the other hand to start carving. Therefore, you'd better not ignore this step.
- Begin formal carving: If you're afraid you won't be able to finish your carving well, you can use a small marker to draw over the pattern you want to carve on the carving material before you carve. Then use the carving knife to slowly carve along the area marked by the marker. Remember that this process must need to go from shallow to deep and from simple to complex. So patience is essential for this step.
