There are numerous awards ceremonies held each year to mark special achievements by individuals or businesses. Many organisers of award ceremonies use engraved glass trophies as their preferred choice of award. Engraved glass trophies are an elegant and impressive way of awarding achievements.
Glass trophies are not confined to award ceremonies. Businesses give them to employees or teams that have done particularly well. They can also mark an employees’ retirement. Engraved glass trophies can be used to celebrate a birthday an anniversary, or simply to say thank you to someone that has helped you.
How a glass trophy is engraved
There are many methods that glass engravers use to decorate glass trophies. Sandblasting is the traditional way of engraving, but modern methods such as laser cutting and acid etching are used.
To sandblast a design on glass it is first printed on high quality film and this is then turned into a stencil that is fixed to the glass. A sandblaster is used to cut the glass so that the design is permanently etched on the surface. The term sandblasting is a bit of a misleading term as the substance that is blasted is white aluminium oxide grit, not sand. The grit scratches the surface of the glass to imprint the design.
Laser engraved glass is a quick and effortless way of engraving glass. The glass trophy is held on a laser printing machine, which is usually controlled by a computer. The engraver creates the design and text elements in the computer software that guides the laser beam. Laser engraving can engrave almost photo like images.
Acid etching uses a stencil of the design, which is attached to the glass. Etching cream is applied to the stencil, which contains acid, and this burns the glass to create the design. Alternatively, resist material is applied to the glass surrounding the design then the glass trophy is dipped in acid to burn the glass area within the design.
Personalised designs
No matter what method the glass engraver uses to create designs, a trophy can be personalised to make it unique. This starts with the type of glass and the shape. The best quality glass trophies are made from crystal glass, but the less expensive glass is available. Trophies can be shaped in the form of ovals, columns, stars, curved and more. Coloured glass can be incorporated into the design. Some prefer a trophy to be an engraved wine glass. A top quality crystal wine glass can cost over £100, so it is doubtful whether the recipients will regularly use it for drinking.
A glass engraving company will have a wide range of trophy designs, but if you want to be special, you can have a custom shaped glass trophy made.
A glass trophy can contain any written message and a company logo or other image added.
Engraved glass trophies are a stylish way of recognising high achievers, expressing gratitude or marking a special occasion.
