Laser Engraved Pet Tags

Laser engraving on metal has come a long way in recent years. Using YAG engraving, and FIBER engraving, it is now possible to permanetly etch text and images onto metals.
 

BUT... laser machines that use YAG or FIBER technology are very expensive, and are used mostly by larger industrial production companies who can afford these machines.
 

Your "general engraver" is unlikely to have these technologies in place, and will probably use a CO2 laser. Metal engraving using CO2 lasers requires that the metal to be engraved is first coated with an emulsion chemical, as CO2 lasers cannot "anneal" metal (burn it). Instead, when the laser beam hits the emulsion, it is the emulsion that "burns", and this is what creates a contrast between the background metal and the engraved text or image.
 

The only exception to this is when the surface of the metal has been oxidised, and the oxidation layer is permanently bonded to the base metal. Anodised aluminum is an example, where the aluminium oxide layer is "burned away" by the laser, revealing the base metal underneath. Most other metals may oxidise (iron rust is oxidised iron), but in such cases, the oxidised layer is not firmly bonded to the base metal - and besides... who wants a rusting pet tag?
 

CO2 lasering is fine - IF what you are engraving will not be subject to bumps, bashes and scuffs - and as we all know, a pet tag gets bashed about quite a bit in its lifetime.
 

Therefore, CO2 laser engraving is NOT RECOMMENDED for pet tags as there is a high risk that the lettering will rub off over time. The more active your pet, the sooner the lettering will fade.
 

We do not laser-engrave pet tags. We DEEP ENGRAVE them mechanically, using diamond-tipped cutters that actualy cut grooves deep into the metal.
 

This ensures that the engraving is PERMANENT and will not fade - essential if you want a tag that will last the lifetime of your pet..