What are award and trophy markings?

The term “marking” refers to the method used to add personalization details to a trophy or award. The method of marking, and how skillfully it is done, really enhances the effectiveness and impact of a recognition award, so it’s helpful to understand the different marking methods that are available to personalize your order.

Eclipse Awards specializes in 3 types of markings on trophies and award plaques:

Sandblast Engraving

Solar laser engraving

Cosmo Print - UV printing

This chart provides an overview of each marking style, recommended uses, and how it looks:

We put great focus and care into the markings because the markings really elevate the overall look and quality of the awards. And in many ways, it’s the quality of the awards which quietly conveys your message of gratitude and appreciation in a way that words can’t.

So have a look at these marking options to get an idea of what makes most sense for your trophies and awards.

Sandblast Engraving - on crystal and glass only

What is Sandblast Engraving?

Sandblasting engraving is a marking process that uses a pressurized stream of air and sand to carve directly into solid crystal. The result is a crisp, elegant, and finely textured engraving that looks as if it was placed magically. Most people are fascinated by the look and feel of sandblasting, especially when they see their name engraved in the crystal.

The sandblasting process relies on first creating a finely detailed mask that exposes the artwork areas to be sandblasted, while also protecting the surrounding crystal. Masks are then applied by hand to each award, so they must be centered and leveled by sight. Once the crystal awards are masked and prepared, they are sandblasted by skilled artisans who engrave each piece by hand, ensuring that all text and artwork is carved elegantly and permanently into the crystal.

Best uses and occasions for sandblast engraving

Sandblast engraving is perfectly suited for marking crystal trophies and award plaques. The sparkle, elegance, and immutable look of engraved crystal conveys a sense of permanence and importance, which is why many people consider engraved crystal trophies as the pinnacle of recognition awards.

Sandblast engraving creates depth and relief in the crystal as it can range from a light surface frosting to a deep carving. The texture makes each crystal award more interesting to look at and touch. The tactile feeling of engraved crystal is an amazing way of conveying

If you’re looking to host a glamorous or high profile event, engraved crystal awards can help elevate your occasion. The brilliance and sparkle of crystal awards definitely generates excitement!

Sandblasting is a manual process that relies heavily on the skill of the artisan. Anyone can learn the basics of sandblasting in a few days, but mastering it is a skill that takes years, and the quality of the crystal engraving is a reflection of that skill and experience.

Sandblast engraving on crystal is black and white artwork only; no colors are possible, though we can offer spot color fills of gold, silver or black.

COLORFILL OPTIONS BELOW:

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Sandblast engraving is not recommended for wood trophies because the markings can look very different from piece to piece, due to the organic qualities of the wood. Similarly, we don’t recommend sandblasting on metal either because it’s difficult to achieve any depth in the marking, so it often looks unclear.

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Things to look for.

Eclipse Awards is one of the premier suppliers of sandblasted crystal awards, though there are others that also offer sandblasting service. When looking at the quality of sandblasting on crystal, here are some things to look out for:

Depth - you want the engraving to have some depth and relief to it, so that it looks permanent and set into the crystal a little bit.

Overspray - looks like tiny white dots or frosting outside of the intended artwork areas. This happens when the piece has been sandblasted for too long or too intensely and the sandblast mask has started to fail.

Underspray - happens when the artwork isn’t sandblasted enough, which results in a marking that is very light, or almost invisible. Note that this is different from Frosting, which is an intentionally light and consistent marking on the surface of the crystal.

Leveled and centered artwork - sandblast masks are applied by hand and then leveled and centered by eye. If the mask is crooked or off-center, then the engraving will be too, so the application of the sandblast mask is an important skill. Always check to see if the engraving on a crystal trophy is positioned well to your eye.

What makes us good?
We’ve been sandblasting crystal awards since we opened our doors in 1998, so we have nearly 25 years of experience creating beautiful engravings on crystal. We produce all of our sandblast masks and do all of our sandblast engraving in-house, which gives us full control over quality and lead time.

Our designers and artisans know how to make engraved crystal awards and trophies look great, and we take pride in everything we make. If something isn’t up to our standards, we will redo and remake it until it is, before we send it to you. And if somehow you’re not pleased with the quality of the engraving, let us know and we’ll make it right.

If you want impressive crystal awards and trophies with beautiful sandblast engraving, choose Eclipse Awards.

Solar Laser Engraving (wood only)

What is Solar Laser Engraving?

Regular laser engraving uses a highly focused beam of light (a laser) to burn or vaporize material. The result is a dark, precise, highly detailed and permanent surface marking. For solar laser engraving we’ve taken it a step further by powering our laser engraver with rooftop solar panels, which means anything you order with solar laser engraving is marked with clean power, directly from the sun! Solar laser engraving is a great eco-friendly marking option, it adds a layer of meaning to the awards as people love knowing their awards are infused with clean solar energy!

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Best uses for solar laser engraving

Solar laser engraving looks best and most impressive on wooden awards and trophies. The dark burnt marking contrasts nicely with the colour and grain of most woods, plus it provides the subtle smell of a warm campfire. Wooden awards with solar laser engraving have an authentic look and feel that many people prefer.

As well, solar laser engraving is a permanent marking that provides some depth and relief to the artwork, which makes each wooden award plaque more interesting to touch and look at.

Looking for earth friendly options? Wooden trophies and awards with solar laser engraving is a strong combination and a great place to start.

Solar laser marking is black and white artwork only; no colors are possible.

Solar laser engraving is not recommended for crystal or glass because it doesn’t create a clear marking. Crystal diffuses the laser, so it’s not really able to burn or vaporize any material, which means the effect is weak and blurry.

Solar Laser Engraving Considerations

The preferred method of marking wooden trophies and awards
Looks (and smells) fantastic
It’s a permanent marking
Black and white artwork only, no colors are possible
Not recommended for glass or crystal
Markings come directly from clean sun energy!

What makes us good?

Eclipse Awards is the only trophy and awards company providing solar laser engraving. We were the first to offer it in 2019 when we installed our rooftop solar panel system and connected it to power our laser engraving machine. Over the course of a year, our solar panels generate enough clean energy to power our laser engraver and a few other machines, which helps reduce the environmental footprint of everything we produce.

As well, our experienced team of designers and operators understands laser engraving, wood grain, and how to make wooden trophies look awesome. If you want next level, sustainable trophies with solar laser engraving, you’ll only find them at Eclipse Awards!

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Cosmo Print - Color UV Printing on crystal and wood

What is Cosmo Print?

Cosmo Print is a marking process that prints full color artwork directly onto the surface(s) of an award. The printed artwork is instantly cured by UV light to secure it in place, creating a high definition, vibrant and colorful surface marking.

Cosmo Print is durable, though it is considered a semi-permanent marking, which means it will last for years with normal handling, but it can be affected if scratched with a hard object.

Best uses for Cosmo print

Cosmo Color UV Printing is best when you want to include color graphics or photos on your awards. While engraving is a colorless process, Cosmoprint allows for a full spectrum of vibrant colors that can really make your awards stand out!

Consider awards and trophies with Cosmoprint when you have strong branding or logo guidelines that require color. Note: while we do our best to match your colors, we do not guarantee any color matches.

Cosmoprint shows up really well in photographs, moreso on wooden awards and trophies, but also on crystal. If you’re planning to do a lot of social media at your awards event, you’ll want to choose awards that photograph easily and well.

If you need a larger quantity of awards, or awards delivered quickly, Cosmoprinted pieces can sometimes be produced faster than sandblast or laser engraved pieces.

What makes us good?

We do all Cosmo Color UV Printing in house so that we can control the quality and lead times. We have a top of the line Mimaki UJF6042MKII Flatbed UV printer that prints directly onto crystal, wood and metal. Our printer settings are geared towards quality rather than speed, and we add an extra layer of white to help the colors stand out even more.

Plus, our Mimaki ink is GREENGUARD Certified, which ensures it has met some of the world’s most rigorous and comprehensive standards for low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into indoor air, and is acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities.

If you’re looking for colorful wooden or crystal awards, we can help!

Examples of Award and Trophy Markings

So now that you have an understanding of the different marking options available, here are a few images to help you picture what they can look like on different awards: