Drinking in Laser Engraving Success
How to achieve optimum laser engraving results on drinkware
BY CASSIE GREEN
Owala. Stanley. Yeti. The hype around reusable drinkware exploded years ago and shows no signs of slowing. Their cultural obsession doesn’t just stop at the drinkware brand, however. Consumers are taking it one step further with personalization.
They want their name added to their favorite Stanley. They want their favorite retail brand proudly displayed (think the Wawa logo emblazoned on an Owala bottle). Drinkware is not only one of the top consumer products getting personalized, but it’s also a great addition to any good branding campaign.
For promotional products suppliers looking to nail drinkware every time, engraving is likely top of the list. It can handle a variety of substrates, such as metal, powder-coated, and even glass. But even better, engraving can achieve high detail that draws every eye to a brand name. The trick is, as the one doing the engraving, to understand exactly how to dial in your processes.
Packing the Promotional Punch
If you think drinkware doesn’t carry the promotional punch is used to, think again. It’s been at the top for years now and shows no signs of dropping off. “People use water bottles, tumblers, coffee mugs, and travel cups every day, which means they’re not just sitting in a drawer collecting dust,” says Amy Harris, marketing communications specialist, Epilog Laser. “Another reason drinkware has stayed so popular is that people genuinely want it. Consumers are carrying reusable bottles and tumblers more than ever, and many have become attached to their favorite drinkware.”
Braden Todd, owner of GS2 Awards, points out that this attachment sets reusable water bottles up for branding success. “With drinkware in daily use, the brand, message, or company will be seen hundreds of times daily,” he says. “This mobility of advertising and messaging has always kept drinkware as a go-to option.”
For brands, mobile advertising is a major bonus. For promotional products suppliers, that benefit is just the beginning. The barrier to entry is quite low, according to Avi Garikiparthi, marketing manager, Radian Laser. “From a business standpoint, the profitability on customized drinkware is also very high,” he adds.
There are always top subcategories in any promotional bucket, and that’s true of drinkware. “Powder-coated tumblers are the most popular in the market by a large margin,” Garikiparthi says when it comes to which products typically lend themselves to the laser engraving process. “Stainless steel is another medium, but a little more specialized. … Glass is a lot less common and leans toward niche use, due to durability and usability, and more centered around specific occasions.”
Keys to Laser Engraving Success
Any of these categories can be cleanly embellished using laser engraving with the right equipment, settings, and best practices in place. “The great thing about drinkware is that there’s truly something for everyone,” Harris believes. “Different materials appeal to different customers, and each offers its own look, feel, and engraving results.”
Let’s break it into the three aforementioned categories: powder coated, stainless steel, and glassware. Each requires different settings and design approaches to achieve perfect results.
Powder-Coated Drinkware
Testing is crucial when it comes to laser engraving powder-coated drinkware. | Credit: GS2 Awards
Garikiparthi notes that any successful outcome starts with the right laser type. For powder-coated drinkware, he points to CO2. “You hit the coating hard to remove it cleanly without engraving the metal underneath,” he says.
Alongside the type of laser are the power settings. “Too much power can blur fine details; too little leaves a hazy residue where the coating isn't fully removed,” Garikiparthi explains.
That doesn’t mean a fiber laser can’t get the job done in the right scenario. “Fiber works differently, removing the coating and engraving into the metal beneath,” Garikiparthi says. “With fiber, a cleaning pass can brighten the mark — great on black powder coating, but it struggles with most other colors.”
Colors are, however, what often make powder-coated drinkware so desirable. “Powder-coated drinkware has become incredibly popular because of the bold colors and eye-catching engraving results,” Harris explains. “For the best results, use high-contrast artwork with clean vector lines whenever possible. Simple, bold designs tend to produce the sharpest and most visually striking engravings.”
Todd believes that hyperfocus on proper design work is key. “Avoid thin lines,” he says. “Due to how powder coat is applied, the thickness can vary, making thin lines hard to always ensure they engrave well.”
Testing is crucial to achieve consistent outcomes, especially because the coating thickness can vary. “It's important to run a test on a similar item whenever you're working with a new brand or style of tumbler,” Harris says. “Powder coat thickness can vary, so dialing in your settings before production helps ensure you're removing the coating cleanly without affecting the metal underneath.”
One final step to ensure success with this drinkware is cleanup. “If you have stubborn residue, Zep 505 and LA Awesome are great for cleanup,” Todd suggests. “Do not use Acetone unless the cup is doomed otherwise. Acetone will actually strip the powder coating off and change the sheen of the coating.”
Stainless Steel Drinkware
“Overall, engraving stainless steel isn't particularly difficult, it just requires a bit more preparation and testing than some other drinkware materials,” Harris believes. “Once your process is established, it's easy to achieve durable, professional-looking results time and time again.”
Like working with powder-coated drinkware, you must know which laser type to use. “A standard CO2 laser will not mark raw metal, so you will need to use a marking spray to achieve a black mark,” Todd says. “The marking sprays can be challenging at times, and everyone should practice this method to dial in the settings and process before jumping into a customer’s order first.”
It is also possible to use a fiber laser. “If using a fiber laser, you will most likely want to anneal the metal,” Todd explains. “This is a slower and hotter process that makes a black mark by raising the carbon to the surface.”
With fiber, focus is critical, says Garikiparthi. “Use a tight line-fill so the beam slightly overlaps pass to pass for a more complete, consistent mark. For a nice deep engrave, run high power and slow speed — that's usually the preferred look,” he adds. “Other settings give a different result, but a strong high-power mark is what most people are after.”
Harris believes that success with stainless steel also depends on the right design. “When designing for stainless steel drinkware, simplicity and contrast often deliver the best results,” she says. “Clean logos, bold text, and well-defined graphics tend to engrave more clearly and remain legible on the curved surface of a tumbler or bottle. If a design includes very fine details or small text, it's important to make sure those elements are large enough to remain crisp and readable after engraving.”
The physical finish should also be considered. “The finish on the stainless dramatically changes how it marks,” Garikiparthi explains. “A brushed finish and a polished or mirrored finish interact with the laser completely differently, so settings that work beautifully on one can fall flat on the other.”
Glass Drinkware
Engraving glass drinkware is an entirely different ball game, but it still requires extra attention to detail. “Glass is one of the more misunderstood materials in laser engraving,” Garikiparthi believes. “The key thing to understand is that CO2 is a thermal — hot — process, and heat is what you're managing. When too much heat concentrates in one spot, the glass flakes or chips.”
The best way to avoid these little microfractures is dialing in your settings. “Use less power and a lower DPI to help prevent the micro fracturing that glass is known for,” Todd suggests.
“A dithering pattern like Stucki helps, since it spreads the engraving into a dispersed dot pattern rather than a solid burn,” Garikiparthi adds. “Don't engrave at 100% black — drop it to around 70%, which reduces the pixels fired and the heat going into the glass. With proper dithering and density, glass engraves cleanly on CO2 without the workarounds.”
Harris also notes there are some smaller tricks to try. “Another common trick is applying a thin layer of dish soap to the area being engraved,” she says. “The soap can help dissipate heat and reduce stress on the glass during the engraving process, often resulting in a cleaner, more consistent finish. While not always necessary, it's an inexpensive technique that's worth testing, especially when working with more delicate glassware.”
Testing is where the similarity between powder-coated, stainless steel, and glass drinkware engraving overlaps. “As with any material, testing is essential,” Harris says. “With the right settings, thoughtful artwork preparation, and a little testing, laser engraving glass drinkware can produce stunning, high-end results that customers love.”
Cheers to Customized Drinkware
Regardless of which type of drinkware your customer wants branded, laser engraving success boils down to a few basic key practices:
- Proper laser type
- Settings
- Proper design work
- Testing
“There are a lot of options for drinkware types — we feel the end use and decoration method drive the specific product types the most,” Todd says. “Know your laser and the process you will have to use!”
