Laser engraving in Mableton, GA: what to send and how it works

If you need laser engraving in Mableton, GA, FSH Labs engraves wood, acrylic, leatherette, slate and engraving plastic, and permanently marks stainless steel, aluminum, brass and powder-coated drinkware. You can send something you already own or order one of our personalized products, and a person quotes custom work within 24 hours. Pickup is free by arrangement at a meeting spot in metro Atlanta, or we ship anywhere in the US.

Key takeaways

• One shop covers engraving on wood, acrylic and plastics, plus permanent marking on metal. Start at laser engraving.
• You can send your own flat item, or pick a blank from our 78 personalized products.
• Custom jobs are quoted by a person within 24 hours. Catalog items show their price per piece.
• Pickup is free by arrangement at a meeting spot, or we ship anywhere in the US.
• You see a proof before anything is engraved.
• Items need to sit flat under the beam, and PVC or vinyl never goes on the laser.

What can a local engraving shop make for you?

Most requests fall into a few groups, and each one points to a different kind of order.

Homes and gifts. A name and date on a cutting board for a wedding or a closing, initials on a flask, a family name on a sign. Our hardwood cutting board is solid maple or walnut, 11 x 17 x 1 in with a juice groove, at $79 for one.

Churches. Names on a class's or a team's Bibles, each one different, plus room signs and plaques for volunteers. For names on Bibles you own, see Bible engraving.

Schools and teams. Award plaques, name badges, door signs and ornaments for a whole roster. A wood award plaque is an 8 x 10 in cherry-finish or walnut plaque with a 7 x 5 in engraved plate, at $45 for one and $40 each at 10 or more.

Offices and small businesses. Name and room signs, logo coasters, metal business cards and branded tumblers. An office door sign is 2 x 8 in engraving plastic with tape on the back, at $14 for one and $7.50 each at 100 or more.

Plants and shops. Serial numbers, asset tags, QR and DataMatrix codes on metal parts, and replacement nameplates matched from a photo of the old plate. That work runs on the fiber laser; see fiber laser marking.

Should you send your own item or order one of ours?

Send your own when the object already matters: a tool kit, a knife, a Bible, a gift you already bought. Order one of ours when you need a matched set, a specific size or you simply do not have the item yet.

Your own item. The engrave your items page covers tools, Bibles, knives, flasks, tumblers and leather goods. Send a photo or a link, how many, and what it should say. We check that it can be engraved before you hand anything over. Most of these orders are ready in 3 to 5 business days after we have the items.

A few things rule an item out. We will not put PVC or vinyl on a laser, because it gives off toxic gas. The item has to sit flat and steady under the beam. If you are unsure whether a leather wallet is real leather or vinyl, ask before you buy.

One of ours. The personalized products catalog has tumblers and drinkware, cutting boards, metal business cards, leatherette patches and Bible covers, coasters, awards and plaques, signs, name badges, tags and ornaments. Prices drop at 10, 25, 50 and 100 or more, and there is no order minimum. Some blanks are ordered after you pay, so check the lead time on the product page if you have a date to hit.

What materials engrave well?

On our CO2 laser, these give clean, readable results:

• Baltic birch, hardwood and bamboo. Engraving darkens the wood. Light woods like maple and birch give the most contrast; walnut gives a subtler, richer look.
• MDF and hardboard. Even and dark with no grain to fight, good for templates, labels and painted pieces.
• Acrylic. Engraving turns clear acrylic frosty white, which reads well when lit or set against a dark wall.
• Two-ply engraving plastic. The laser removes the top layer to show the color underneath. This is the standard material for door signs and name badges.
• Leatherette, slate and cork. Leatherette gives a crisp tone-on-tone mark, slate turns light grey, and cork takes a soft brown burn.
• Delrin. Tough and slippery, used for part numbers on wear parts and fixtures.

On metal, the fiber laser marks stainless steel, bare and anodized aluminum, brass and powder-coated drinkware. On a powder-coated tumbler it removes the coating down to the steel, so the mark will not wash or wear off. It marks metal; it does not cut it.

The general rule: high contrast and bold lettering read best from across a room. Very thin script at small sizes can fill in, so give fine text some size.

How do quotes and proofs work?

Catalog items have their price on the product page. Everything else goes to a person.

For custom work, send:

• A photo of the item, or your art as SVG, DXF or PDF for text and line work, or PNG or JPG for photos.
• The size you want it engraved, up to 23.2 x 11.6 in on the CO2 laser.
• The quantity and the material, and whether we also cut the part.

A person replies within 24 hours with a price and a ready date. Engraving is priced by a person rather than an instant quote because the price depends on the area and detail of the art. Before anything is engraved, you get a proof to approve. If you also need parts cut from acrylic or wood, the laser cutting page prices that instantly from a DXF or SVG, and our post on what drives the price explains why some jobs cost more than others.

How does pickup by arrangement work?

FSH Labs works out of Mableton, and customers never come to the shop. Instead, we arrange a meeting spot in metro Atlanta to hand over items and collect finished work, and pickup is free. If that is not convenient, we ship anywhere in the US.

The same arrangement works for customers nearby, including in Smyrna. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm Eastern, closed Sunday.

Ordering from FSH Labs

Start with laser engraving to send your art or describe the job. If the item is already yours, use engrave your items. If you want us to supply it, browse personalized products. Questions go to 678-210-6694 or chaz@fshlabs.com, and a person replies.