Diversify your activity and develop a successful engraving and signage business
Your business
Do you own a laser or mechanical engraving machine? Do you want to diversify your activity in sign engraving to attract more potential customers?
There are already many avenues to explore to expand your service offering at the level of signage itself. We can go even further and say that from sign engraving to personalization, there is only one step!
It's time to grow your engraving business and profit from your machine purchase.
Here are the best engraving business ideas to diversify your activity. On your marks… ready…engrave!
Signage business: a wide range of activities
Internal and external name signage
In terms of internal and nominative signage, you mainly engrave small parts with a very specific machine:
- professional plates, mailboxes, intercom, door, hotel room numbers, trophy plates (medals, cups, etc.);
- name badges to wear or put down, plates to indicate a room or an office, directions to emergency exits;
- large information panels at the entrance to the buildings, a floor plan for collective housing, information in Braille and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)...
In external signage, you will rather use your sign making machine to:
- cut out large letters and make signs;
- engrave professional plates for lawyers, doctors, institutions;
- or engrave small labels capable of withstanding difficult outdoor conditions (weather, UV, temperatures…) for parks, for example.
Event signage and POS
(Point-of-sale advertising)
Made of cardboard, wood or acrylic, advertising media and objects are intended for the event communication of companies, or for the layout of their points of sale (stores, boutiques, showrooms…).
In this market, using your sign making machine, you can offer:
- Event POS for trade shows: displays, easels, goodies…
- POS for sales areas: catalog and flyer supports, table displays…
- Panels and decorations of all kinds…
- Large supports, such as anti-Covid walls, for example.
Industrial signage
Before considering engraving business ideas around personalization, think about industrial signage. Industrial sign engraving is aimed at a large part of manufacturers requiring identification:
- electrical cabinets and cables;
- hydraulic and gas circuits;
- machines, accessories, spare parts…
It also meets specific marking needs for certain industries or parts, such as:
- thin, specific substrates such as adhesives;
- rigid parts of good thickness;
- materials resistant to particular conditions (saline environments or aggressive chemicals, for example).
Which sign making machines for these needs?
To engrave nameplates in metal, plastic and ABS (for indoors and outdoors), a mechanical sign machine type M20, M40 or IS400 can be more than enough. And to obtain contrast, it is possible to use a two-layer material such as Gravoply™.
For more productivity, you can opt for an LS-type laser sign machine. These CO2 laser engravers also allow you to engrave a wide choice of materials certified for outdoor use. With this type of sign machine, the engraving contrast is automatic: the laser marks the surface of the part.
Small and custom engraving machine for all purposes, from perfume bottle to small industrial signage.
M20
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Medium multi-purpose rotary engraving machine for signage and gifts.
M40
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Medium CNC engraving machine for flat and cylinder engraving on metal and plastic.
IS400 – IS400 Volume
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Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Medium CO2 or Fiber laser engraving and cutting machine for signage and small series.
LS100 EX
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Large laser engraver and cutter that can do everything.
LS900
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To meet these needs, you can use laser technology from the LS range (CO2 laser). With this sign machine, the cutting of acrylic (or PMMA) is very simple and engraving is possible.
To stabilize the part and improve cutting quality with this type of engraver, it is nevertheless recommended to use a honeycomb cutting table. And for a rendering with high added value, you can also mix the types of materials and assemble them by adhesive.
Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Medium CO2 or Fiber laser engraving and cutting machine for signage and small series.
LS100 EX
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Large laser engraver and cutter that can do everything.
LS900
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Laser cutting bed
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For this type of application, it is advisable to use LS laser engraving machines (CO2 or fiber).
And to meet industrial traceability needs on metal parts, DPM marking (Direct Part Marking) is possible:
- with an LS CO2 machine, adding a Metal Marker G or CERMARK® marking product;
- with an LS fiber machine, without adding product.
CO2 Laser vs. Fiber :
Beyond 50 parts per day, your productivity may be weakened if you combine the use of a CO2 laser with an additional marking product – because this requires manually depositing the color product before proceeding with the engraving.
This solution is nevertheless very interesting if you want to test a market with your sign machine before buying a new laser or if your series of daily parts remain limited.
For more substantial activity, you will need to switch to a Fiber laser station such as LW2 or WeLase™ or an LS100EX Fiber laser engraver.
On the side of mechanical sign making machines, the IS range is also suitable for DPM marking and provides deep marking when necessary.
Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Medium CO2 or Fiber laser engraving and cutting machine for signage and small series.
LS100 EX
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Large laser engraver and cutter that can do everything.
LS900
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Medium CNC engraving machine for flat and cylinder engraving on metal and plastic.
IS400 – IS400 Volume
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Large and extra large format CNC engraving machines.
ISx000
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From signage to personalization: here are some engraving business ideas
Are you looking for engraving business ideas to diversify? In addition to signage, engraving also allows you to develop your business by offering the personalization of products or offering additional services.
Business gifts for companies
Companies are in high demand for personalized objects in connection with their brand and visual identity, distributed during professional anniversaries, at the launch of a new offer or as Christmas gifts.…
To get your hands dirty, we advise our signage business customers to start with products that are easy to engrave:
- pens with a metal body;
- anodized aluminum or painted stainless steel mugs or thermos;
- card holders and key rings;
- USB sticks
Trophies making
As a signage business, you probably already use engraving and cutting technologies. By combining cutting with engraving, you can also start making greater custom trophies. Able to engrave and cut different materials, our engravers open up endless possibilities for the creation of unique trophies in wood, acrylic, metal, plastic, or an assembly of several materials for a top-of-the-range result.
You can then turn to Gravotech's ranges of engraving materials such as:
Professional models and model making
You might already use your sign making machines to produce 3D signs. Why not try model making? The production of professional models and models can satisfy:
- architects needing to prototype a small project;
- hobby clubs wishing to build models or reproduce models of cars and airplanes, and design offices wishing to prototype a product before launching it.
- Schools looking for easy-to-use machines for both initiation and professional training.
- or fablabs looking for the most versatile machines possible while remaining accessible to everyone.
Personalization of objects for individuals
And why develop your engraving business by attacking the BtoC market with the sale of personalized products for individuals? Perceived as an important added value, personalized engravings such as names, quotes, messages or graphics makes it possible to sell products for 4 to 10 times their purchase cost.
To get started, you will need an e-commerce website or a platform bringing together other players on which you will present your products and offer their personalization:
- picture frames,
- greeting cards,
- glasses and mugs,
- wooden models,
- engraved rings and jewelry,
- medals for animals…
Which machines for these needs?
With a mechanical engraving machine of the M20, M40 or IS400 type, it is easy to personalize, with a text or a logo, simple goodies individually: such as pens, key rings, bookmarks, keys USB...
Thanks to a laser engraving machine from the LS 100, 100 EX or LS900 range. You can add glasses and bottles, diaries, notebooks and a wide variety of goodies to personalize individually or in series to your offer. You can expand your range of objects to personalize with products made of organic or mineral materials (such as glass, leather, wood, cork, paper and plastic).
Small and custom engraving machine for all purposes, from perfume bottle to small industrial signage.
M20
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Medium multi-purpose rotary engraving machine for signage and gifts.
M40
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Medium CNC engraving machine for flat and cylinder engraving on metal and plastic.
IS400 – IS400 Volume
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Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Medium CO2 or Fiber laser engraving and cutting machine for signage and small series.
LS100 EX
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Large laser engraver and cutter that can do everything.
LS900
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This specialization can be considered with mechanical engraving machines such as laser.
- Mechanical machines of the M40 and IS400 type cut with high precision and allow the use of noble materials such as brass. However, cutting and painting require more pronounced expertise than with a laser.
- The laser machines of the LS range (CO2 laser) with the "print and cut" option ensure perfect cutting of the most diverse materials (plastics, wood, glass, paper, etc.).
Medium multi-purpose rotary engraving machine for signage and gifts.
M40
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Medium CNC engraving machine for flat and cylinder engraving on metal and plastic.
IS400 – IS400 Volume
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Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Medium CO2 or Fiber laser engraving and cutting machine for signage and small series.
LS100 EX
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Large laser engraver and cutter that can do everything.
LS900
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The ideal machine to meet these needs is the LS range laser (CO2 laser). Compatible with major graphic design software (CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign…), this range of engravers will allow you to bring your customers' craziest projects to life.
Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Medium CO2 or Fiber laser engraving and cutting machine for signage and small series.
LS100 EX
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Large laser engraver and cutter that can do everything.
LS900
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For unitary, almost instantaneous engraving, opt for a WeLase laser engraving machine. Accessories are available for the engraving of certain specific objects: for example, a rotary device for engraving mugs and other beakers.
With its cutting functions, the LS 100 CO2 laser engraver can also be used to launch small series creations such as wooden key rings, name tags for events (weddings, baptisms…).
The M20 mechanical engraving machine also allows you to engrave multiple objects using its vice and the many clamping accessories available. Mechanical engraving is recognized for bringing a certain added value to the personalization of objects for individuals.
Small laser engraver for all kind of engravings.
WELASE
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Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Small and custom engraving machine for all purposes, from perfume bottle to small industrial signage.
M20
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From a signage business to a diversified engraving business, there is only one step!
And by using the same machine for multiple activities, you can easily diversify your customer base, ensure the stability of your income and increase your turnover.
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