Engraving – Types And Varieties

Engraving is a piece of carved structure, which is made with incisions designed into a hard and flat surface by carving grooves on it. The results of engraving are decorative objects that provide unique décor to the surrounding arena. You can carve engravings on materials like silver, gold, copper, relief print block, wood or copper. With proper backgrounds, different types of engravings truly add a touch of wonder and variety to room décor.

Process of engraving

The process of engraving is purely scientific. The engravers use a hardened steel tool called burin to cut design into the surface, mostly that of copper. The burin cuts a unique quality of line that is characterized by its steady appearance and clean edges. The gravers often use angle tint tool that is more commonly used in printmaking. When the gravers have to carve on larger areas, they use Florentine liner tool that carves multiple engravings. While flat gravers are particularly used for doing fill work on letters, the round gravers are used specially on silver, nickel and steel to create bright cuts. However, other tools like roulets, burnishers and mezzotint rockers are used particularly to bring in a texturing effect.

Engravings are used on different forms like paintings, postage stamps, walls and other items.
Following are the different types of engravings:

Modern engravings

These types of hand engravings are basically available in the firearms and other metal weaponry, musical instruments and jewelry pieces. In most of industrial uses like production of Intaglio plates for commercial purposes, hand engravings are often replaced with CNC engravings done by milling machines.

Laser engraving

It is a practice of using lasers to engrave, mark or etch on an object. Although laser engravings are more applicable on “laserable” materials like polymer and novel metal alloys, they are mostly applicable on materials like plastics, coated metals, stones and glasses, woods and natural materials.

Music engraving

This is the art of drawing music notations at high quality. In the early 20th century, music staff paper was printed onto vellum or onionskin, which makes it possible to easily rectify any type of mistakes done while engraving. With the advent of personal computers, hand engravings have basically become a past. Now individual parts of an orchestral score can be easily extracted and printed using numerous computer programs.

To decorate your home and office, you can use hand engravings and give an aesthetic touch to the décor.