Transfer Handwriting to Jewellery - Engraved Forever

Can you recognise your loved-ones by their voices or faces?  What about their handwriting - would you know that anywhere? Each person's handwriting is unique and we can usually tell who has written something just from a glance.  Little scraps of paper with hand-written notes become treasured keepsakes, especially if was one of the last things to be written by that hand. 

Handwriting styles are distinctive with unique characteristics and just looking at someone's handwriting gives us a 'feeling' about the personality of the writer, even if we haven't met them.

Words 'written by hand' are personal. Thoughts and feelings from the heart are committed in writing by the hand.  While we often wish we could keep these handwritten messages of love forever, sadly at some stage, ink fades and paper turns to dust.

 

Laser Engraved Handwriting

For hundreds of years words and sentiments have been engraved but until now the engraving has usually been in the 'hand' of the engraver, not in the hand of the loved one. The modern magic of lasers means a snippet of handwriting can be exactly reproduced. Laser engraved handwriting is 'carved' into a precious bangle or ring to create jewellery with great meaning. The words and the handwriting of a loved one is preserved in metal forever, exactly as it was originally written. If you can email a photo of handwriting on a plain background it can be laser engraved, with a few considerations.  We've gathered some of the questions we've been asked over the years to help you decide if this might be something you would like to do.

 

How Big Does the Original Handwriting Need to Be?

It is important to consider the size of the handwriting in relation to the size of the ring or bangle you would like to wear.  Lasers will engrave the exact image provided, but it can be reduced in size.  Remember that while handwriting may be easy to read across 4cm on the bottom of a card, shrinking that handwriting to fit on a 4mm ring may make it too small to read.  If possible, start with handwriting close to the size you would like it to be on the jewellery, or ensure it fits into a space about 2cm high.  The length of the handwriting will depend on whether you are choosing a laser engraved ring (shorter) or a laser engraved bangle (much longer).

 

 

Does the Original Handwriting Need to be in Black Ink?

Darker writing and lighter backgrounds will produce better results.  Lasers pick up just about everything on the page so smudges or lines on the original will be repeated to some degree by the laser.  

  

 

Capital Letters and Loopy Tails

If the handwriting has very tall capital letters and long loopy tails the writing will need to be made even smaller to fit the space.  BLOCK LETTERS PRINTED ALL IN THE SAME SIZE will be the easiest to read, but then you may lose the beautiful characteristics and quirks you loved in the handwriting in the first place.  Even if the engraved writing is tiny you will still know it is there, although perhaps you may need to put your glasses on to read it!

Can Lasers Engrave In Other Languages?

Mais Oui!  Lasers are simply (or not so simply) reproducing the exact image provided.  They can even reproduce drawings or doodles... just on a much smaller scale.

 

What is the Difference between Hand-engraving and Engraved Handwriting?

Hand Engraving is carving into metal by a real person with either a hand-held graver or chisel for truly beautiful, artistic engraving for monograms or crests, or with an electric burr for names and inscriptions.  Words are usually engraved in traditional script or block fonts in structured lettering. 

Engraving Handwriting is exactly reproducing the handwriting of someone else with all of the quirks and characteristics, and this needs to be done with a laser.  Lasers can also be used to engrave traditional fonts, but that is another story!

 

Will Laser Engraving Rub Off?

Laser engraving will not rub off as the lettering doesn't sit on top of the metal but is carved into the metal.  However laser engraving is still not as deep as Hand-Engraving and with a lot of wear and tear over many, many years you may notice the metal around the engraving rubbing away which can make the writing look more feint.  As with all jewellery, the amount of wear and tear will depend on the amount you wear it, and what you do when you wear it!

Where Do I Start?

If you have a treasured piece of handwriting you would like turned into a keepsake, a message from a grandmother, a father's note of love, a signature from an ancestor or anything else you'd like turned into jewellery to cherish always, please just email or contact us, we're always happy to help.