Glass Engraving

Laser engraving involves using a laser beam to etch your design onto the surface of your substrate. While laser engraving works great for surfaces like wood and acrylic, we generally recommend sandcarving for glass and crystal. 

Sandcarving propels very fine bits of aluminum oxide or silicon carbide at a high air pressure to etch the surface of your substrate. Sandcarving is recommended for glass and crystal due to the quality, clarity and depth that can be achieved.

Cheaper cost due to little or no consumables used by the engraver and less manual labor and skill required.

Results not as sharp - Can’t get depth - Uneven etching - Leaves shards of glass on surface. 

Specifically for bars and restaurants, this is especially not something you want your guests to see and feel when repeatedly touching your branded glassware. 

Best, sharpest cut - Deeper etching capabilities - Smooth, even results - Create unique effects such as frosted glass, stage carving and color filling - Create one-of-a-kind artwork, as each piece is done by hand - Results create value in each handcrafted piece.

Sandcarving is widely considered within the industry to be the premier way to engrave glass or crystal drinkware, awards or gifts. Luxury crystal houses such as Waterford, Baccarat, and Tiffany do not utilize lasers for their in-house engraving.  

Sandcarving is done by hand in a sandblasting cabinet - Involves more skill - Higher initial cost 

UV Lasers are rising in popularity and, when operated by a skilled engraver, can produce results on glass that may be indistinguishable from sandcarving to the layperson. We have UV lasers in-house and while we are happy with the results we can achieve, we do not use it to engrave glass. To our trained eye, the difference in edge smoothness and even engraving depth across the design is enough that we have chosen to put the Highland Rim Engraving name only on glass and crystal we have sandcarved.