Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1479467
4 4 G R A P H I C S P R O • O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M A W A R D S & C U S T O M I Z A T I O N H aving my main focus usually on glass products, I need to remind myself that there are other substrates that also offer a great variety of products and can add some profitable items to your reper- toire. Besides glass, we also work on stone, metal, and wood products. For us, that means employing the abrasive blasting method on these substrates. As it turns out, I was recently asked to write about wood products and with that I want to add that other methods of embellishing and personalizing these items are very via- ble, like laser engraving and sublimation. I want to concentrate on products that are possibly a little different from the variety of items we usually work on with glass. So, I won't be talking about picture frames, plaques, name badges, coast- ers and desk accessories but rather offer other possibilities that may round out your offerings and that are not viable in glass, for instance. As I am not an expert on different wood types, I will have to leave that research to you. I do know that wood comes in soft and hard woods, and that these properties will influence how the wood behaves in any personalization method; this may be less of an issue in laser engraving as it is in abrasive blasting. Real wood is beautiful, comes in many colors and is relatively easy to work with and creates a connection to nature. Being trained as a graphics professional in fine art, I was exposed to wood as a medium early on. I enjoyed working on woodcuts, printing them, and colorizing them. During that time, I also realized that the carved or engraved wood itself made a beautiful piece and did not need to be printed. is opened the door for me to explore decorated wood as signs, door ETCHMASTERS Profitable, Personalized Wood Products ENDLESS VARIETY CAN REALLY SPARK YOUR CREATIVITY B Y R U T H D O B B I N S "Corn Maiden" wooden sign with color application, deeply abrasive blasted. (Image courtesy PGC) Round rose wood box with mirror lid, no color fill, and the lid replicates the design on the box. (Image courtesy PGC) A laser-engraved wooden urn with a color application. (Image courtesy PGC)