Engraving
Engraving today is used mostly for high-end invitations, typically for wedding invitations.
The engraving process for business has been used mostly by the legal and banking industries or projects that require a high-end look, due to the expense and distinctiveness.
Many university diplomas are also engraved.
The process requires creating a steel "die" which is chemically etched.
The printing process is done by hand. The paper is sandwiched between the die and a large hydraulic "head" that "stamps" or applies pressure onto the die with the image. The etched image (called a well) holds ink and the stamp process transfers the ink from the well onto the paper.
Due to the nature of the pressure required to create the image, engraving is limited in the image area it can print. It can be expensive to produce a multi-color design.
Engraving is the predecessor of "thermography" or raised printing. |
