Starting an Engraving Business is Easier Than You Think!
Inland Products supplies engravable blanks to thousands of engraving businesses worldwide. We have the unique ability to manufacture these blanks in our facility using modern high-speed presses and highly skilled personnel. This gives us a big advantage in manufacturing: It allows us to compete even with overseas suppliers, while producing superior quality products.
We began manufacturing blank pet tags back in 1988. Since then, we’ve added many more items to our product line that an individual or company can purchase from us, and then engrave for in-house use or resell to their customers.
Over the years, we’ve made millions of engraving blanks for our customers, but we do engraving as well! Being engravers gives us an advantage when it comes to making the best blanks because we know what it takes to get good engraving results from each material we use to make them.
What Engravable Items Do We Offer?
The following is a partial list of the blank tags and nameplates we offer:
This list is constantly growing as we’re always open to producing new products our customers request.
What Materials Do We Use?
Our blanks are available in many materials. We engrave these materials daily so we can guarantee the quality of the engraving with each of them.
Materials we use for our products are:
- Anodized Aluminum (12 colors)
- Engravers Brass
- Standard Brass
- Stainless Steel
- Engraving Plastic (13 colors)
We can also make our products in other materials if the demand is high enough.
What Other Things Can be Laser Engraved?
In support of your new business venture, here is a partial list of other items that can be engraved with a laser engraving machine. We don’t offer these items, but with a quick internet search, you will find many suppliers that sell them.
- Wood Plaques
- Desk and Door Plates
- Trophies and Awards
- Engravable Gifts
- Leather Key Tags, Wallets, and Belts
- Writing Pens
- Granite and Marble Memorial Plates
- Drinkware
These are just a few of the many things that are laser engravable. That’s the great thing about a laser engraving business; there are so many avenues that can be taken to pursue a profit!
What Type of Engraving Machine Do We Recommend?
In recent years the engraving industry has switched from the rotary engraving machines of old to much more efficient laser engraving machines or as they are also called laser etching machines.
Inland Products recommends to anyone starting a new engraving business that you purchase a laser engraving machine. Laser engravers are all computer-controlled and take advantage of software programs that allow for much higher efficiencies than did the old manual rotary engraving machines.
Even the newer computer controlled rotary engraving machines cannot compare to a laser engraver, because they still have to engrave one character at a time, making them very slow by comparison.
Laser engraving machines have a few key advantages over rotary engravers. Lasers engravers are what we would call non-contact engravers. The parts being engraved do not have to be held in a vise or fastened to the engraving table, like they do when using a rotary engraving machine.
This allows laser engraving machines to be loaded with an entire tray of parts, that are all engraved as a unit, rather than engraving only one at a time. That’s a huge difference in efficiency!
Laser engraving machines are also much easier to learn how to operate and are far more capable of engraving intricate logos and barcodes that your customers may need.
We’ve been using Epilog laser engraving machines for many years and have been very happy with them. They’ve been reliable and provide excellent engraving results. We use their C02 laser machines for cutting and engraving plastics and engraving anodized aluminum, and we use their fiber lasers to engrave brass and stainless steel.
We recommend purchasing an American made laser engraving system with a good reputation. There are many out there for your consideration. We don’t recommend an inexpensive imported machine because we’ve heard of too many instances where people were disappointed with the performance and reliability of these machines.
Here Is How We Recommend Getting Started in Your New Engraving Business
The best and safest way to get started is on a part-time basis working out of your home or garage, which allows you to maintain the source of income from your current job.
You’ll need to fund the new startup business with a steady income. Then, over time, you’ll get to the point where you’re working way too much, and you’ll start thinking about quitting your job to concentrate all your efforts on your business.
Starting as a part-time business is a very common process that millions of entrepreneurs have gone through on their way to building a successful business. Microsoft and Apple both started in a garage as part-time businesses.
Engraving Is Only One Form Of Personalization for the New Entrepreneur!
There are other methods of personalization that go hand-in-hand with engraving, here’s a shortlist:
- Embroidery
- Sublimation
- Screen Printing
- Pad Printing
- UV Printing
- Heat Transfer
- Vinyl Cutting
Check out Johnson Plastics for a full line of supplies and equipment for all of these processes.
So there you have it! All that’s needed now is a commitment never to give up even when things get tough and a strong desire to succeed and be your own boss!
We’re Here To Help!
Inland Products has an experienced, knowledgeable, and helpful sales staff waiting to answer any questions you may have. We are here to help you make the best choices for your metal tags!
Please call us at 1-800-481-5500 or email sales@inlandproducts.com