Laser Engraving Machine in action
Everybody enjoys engraved products. Most of the printing we see on promotional products is done through laser beams. This is what is commonly referred to as laser engraving. Lasers aren’t applied in the printing industry only. Almost every aspect of our daily lives utilises lasers in one way or another. From the manufacturing sector to the retail and even the medical industries, lasers are all over planet earth.
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On numerous occasions, we have looked at the wonders of Traffolyte engraving. We have looked at it in written form, but previous accounts haven’t been quite as easy to read over a quick coffee. Or on a ten minute train journey.
Everything done your way: we at Able Engraving and Design can turn our hand to bespoke projects with ease. Image by Pressmaster (via Shutterstock).
For over three decades, Able Engraving and Design have offered bespoke engraving services for customers in the South East of England, and further afield. Our company was formed in July 1986 by Mr. A. Douglas. Back then, Wham!’s swansong The Edge of Heaven topped the UK singles chart. This was the year of Diego Maradona’s Hand of God against England, in the World Cup Finals. On the telly, we watched Duty Free, Howard’s Way, and Surprise Surprise!.
One of three surviving maps by Gerald Valck, from the Boston Public Library collection.
You may remember the final episode of the three-part Only Fools and Horses 1996 Christmas Special entitled Time on our Hands. After several episodes of Del and Rodney saying “this time next year, we’ll be millionaires”, the brothers find they’ve been holding onto a fortune for fifteen years. That of a rare J. Harrison pocket watch. A real life equivalent of this was found early this week: one of three engraved maps by Gerald Valck.
Just to recap, Traffolyte engraving is so-called after the birthplace of the method: Trafford Park Industrial Estate. The plastic was originally derived from phenolic plastic sheets. There are standard colours with, for example, a Traffolyte sign being made of a top and bottom red layer. Like a liquorice allsort or a strawberry split ice lolly, it has a ‘bit in the middle’. For arguments sake, this may be white. Text is die cut onto the top and bottom layers of the ‘sandwich’.
A Traffolyte valve disk with a valve name.
One of the greatest things about Traffolyte is its use in labelling. Lettering is well defined and legible with text on a high contrast background. They are often used on electrical installations as the plastic does not conduct with electricity. This was why Metropolitan Vickers invented it for their Trafford Park works in 1927 (hence the first six letters of ‘Trafford’ forming its name).
Imagine this beautiful smile being besmirched by a portrait of your favourite political figurehead? Image by Studio La Magica (via Shutterstock).
This, without a doubt has got to be the strangest engraving related story we have come across. It is one where engraving’s role in cosmetic dentistry meets a bizarre customer request. A while back in the Daily Express, we learned of a patient who went to a dentist in Sochi, Russia for porcelain crowns and veneers. This is the most run-of-the-mill part of an unusual story.
On a clear day, a normal lollipop stick would suffice. In dark or dull conditions, the use of laser etching could be good for illuminated lollipop sticks. Image by Lewis Clarke, 2010 (Creative Commons License 2.0 – Attribution-ShareAlike).
The lollipop lady or lollipop man is a stable of British life. They enable children to cross the road safely, to and from school. Over the last forty years, their uniform has changed, which makes them more visible to motorists. Over the same period, the lollipop signs they wield haven’t changed at all. That was till Andrew Turner found a solution to this problem. Laser etching has also made this possible.
The last six months have been an interesting one for collectors of banknotes and coinage. In the last two months, we have been getting to grips with the new plastic fivers. Next year will see the arrival of a new, smaller £10 note. About to make its way in March 2017 will be the new pound coin. Since the arrival of the original ones in 1983, they have been the most forged coins in Britain. Telltale signs of which include the weight of the coin, materials, and its text around the sides.
As we said in the first part, a well thought out typeface speaks volumes about your company’s image. Context as well as clarity is another aspect, and this is profound with engraving and etching. Here’s another selection of ‘must-use’ typefaces. This time, we are focusing on serif typography.
