When DJ and Judi Brown started their business in 2006, they were a small operation that used a foil press to personalize small items like napkins, ribbons and cards. Bit by bit, their business—which was called Getting Personal Imprinting at the time—grew as they added services, such as applying photos to porcelain, mugs and other items.

There is no historical record, but it’s not hard to imagine: An early ancestor chips away at a piece of flint—and bashes a finger in the process. As long as humans have had tools, we have had to figure out the best ways to use them safely.

Having both a laser engraver and a UV printer allows for some creative experimentation and expanded product offerings. One of the most intriguing techniques has been combining laser engraving and UV printing by using the rotary attachments to combine both machines on a single stainless steel bottle. I have a vast catalog of digital artwork, all created in Photoshop, all with multiple layers. By separating the layers, it’s fairly simple to design a job that incorporates the UV printer and laser engraver together. As long as there are clearly defined layers where one layer can be printed in full color and another laser-engraved in black and white, you are ready to go.

Southern Trophy House, Inc. is not a new name to Nashville. The shop has been around since 1960 and was even owned for a time in the 1980s by Bill Pace, a retired NFL and college football coach. Eventually, it ended up in the Brown family’s hands in 1990, where it’s remained ever since.

(Originally printed in the January/February 2023 issue of Insights.)

Personalization shops have been adding in-house rubber stamp making for many years. Shop owners have realized that producing stamps is an easy way to add a new profit center and expand the store’s existing customer base without a large equipment expense. This article will look at why a shop should start selling custom-made stamps and the most common methods for production.

The first thing to know about Moonlight Laserworks, LLC, is that it’s off the beaten path.

Plastics might have a reputation for being tame or average looking, but that’s not the case anymore. Retailers are creating advanced plastic designs that can rival other finishes.

While laser engraving photographs remains one of the hottest and most unique engraving trends, it also seems to be one of the most misunderstood.

By all accounts, Mike Westbrook’s Mile High Laser Engraving shop is new, having just opened in 2014. But there’s nothing new about the day-to-day work for Mike: For years prior to the business’ opening, his various jobs had him trekking the industry’s familiar terrain of engraving products, hunting down sales and overseeing online product distribution.

As the year progresses, awards and personalization members face no shortage of challenges: supply chain delays, inflation, labor strains and more. In this climate, making the most of the equipment you already have isn’t just helpful—it’s vital. If costs rise elsewhere, after all, greater in-house efficiency can help pick up the slack.