With us, each i has its dot

Have you ever bought an expensive cut-glass vase or any other crystal product with an inscription on it, but later found the latter contained a mistake? So have we…

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WELL-MADE AND A POORLY-MADE MOTIF

Sand-blasting is easy – or not. It depends on the level of quality you desire.

With sand-blasting you can enrich a vase, a glass, even an ash-tray or a dinner-plate. However, there is a good way of doing this, and there is a poorer way.

The most common mistake is made when very intricate motifs or inscriptions are made. The finished product can end up lacking the details it should have – for example, one of the curves of the letter B is not empty. This error can occur during sand-blasting, but most often the masking itself is poorly-made.

When you want a small motif on a tumbler (shot glass), which is very small, the motif itself also has to be very small. For such purposes we have a special mask ready. With these, we can make details that are only one millimetre in size. It is all hand-made, as we are convinced that this way enables the highest-quality product.

With us, each mask, as well as the finished product, goes through two quality-control checks, and detailed motifs are examined under a magnifying glass. This ensures that no name on your champagne glass will lack the dot on the i.

GLASS COMES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

A problem also occurs when the glass is curved. In such a case, lots of experience are required, and, naturally, a sharp eye, to ensure that the image or inscription are not sideways. If one does not have the talent, an otherwise simple inscription on rounded glass will appear “smiling”.

Of course, the inexpert eye cannot tell the difference. But for more demanding customers something like this is unacceptable.

With us, that will not happen. We have made countless inscriptions and images on the most problematic shapes of glass. Before the final product is made, the sketch is always made available to the customer to review.

WHY DECIDE FOR A SAND-BLASTED MOTIF ON YOUR GLASS?

Perhaps you prefer something more colourful, something which catches your eye. In this case you will want to have something silk-screened on glass, or maybe self-adhesive images or something similar. You will gift such a champagne glass to a newly-wed couple, but once they have washed it several times, the motif will fade and eventually disappear from the glasses.

Would you like to bring a souvenir home from your trip? If it is silk-screened, it will fade when washed.

But a sand-blasted motif lasts forever, unless of course your crystal dinner-plate falls to the ground and shatters. A glass vase with a personalized motif will always be a source of admiration. And a perfume bottle will look completely different with an added personal touch.

EXCELLENT BUSINESS AND PROMOTIONAL GIFTS

If you have your own company, glass makes a fine present for your most important business partners. And if the spirits bottle also has your logo on it, made with an aesthetic touch, it truly makes a great advertisement for your business.

The product will never be kitschy if you decide to add a sand-blasted logo or even a personal dedication. We can make such presents for you with the help of decorative glass-stickers.

Can you imagine getting a set of whisky glasses with logos on them from your business partner? Whenever you drink from such a glass, you will be reminded of the person who gave it to you.

HOW IS A SAND-BLASTED IMAGE CREATED?

On the glass item of your choice, we will place a special foil with your chosen motif on it. We already have some suggestions available, but if you have a special wish of your own, so much the better.

The parts of the glass not protected by the mask will become matte with the help of fine sand. This creates new images on the sand, while the protected areas remain smooth and clear.

For more demanding customers we can also create multi-depth motifs.

THE COMBINATION OF ENGRAVING AND SAND-BLASTING

Even if you have a crystal product that already has engraving on it, that presents no obstacle. We can add sand-blasted inscriptions or motifs to the smooth surfaces of an engraved plate, vase or glass.

I HAVE A LOVELY PATTERN ON MY TABLECLOTH

We can reproduce the pattern on other objects, perhaps on a red wine-glass. And when you prepare the table for your guests, that will truly put the finishing touch to your dinner.

If you have a kitchen cabinet with glass doors, we can reproduce the motif on that as well, or on any other sort of glass door and various other glassware products in your kitchen and other rooms.

LASER ENGRAVING OR SAND-BLASTING?

Some decide to get an inscription or motif made with a laser. At first glance, such a glass it not all that different from one that was sand-blasted.

But when you take a closer look, laser engraving has a much more inferior appearance. The colouration of the motif is not consistent throughout the image, as the glass only becomes matte where touched by the laser. So the image is actually made up of small dots.

When buying such gifts, you can always check for yourself if the product is engraved or sand-blasted. All you need to do is gently rub the part of the glass that contains the motif with your finger – if it is completely smooth, it was sand-blasted. But if you feel tiny shards of glass under your fingertips (or one even sticks into your skin), the motif was made with a laser.

We also tried laser engraving, but abandoned it precisely due to its low quality and poor appearance. We then specialised in sand-blasting.

WHAT ABOUT THE PRICE?

Making a sand-blasted motif is more expensive that laser engraving, but the choice is always yours. However, the purchase of an engraved crystal vase or a crystal spirits bottle is expensive on its own. So if you decide to gift such a precious present to some important to you, adding a sand-blasted motif can only add more value to the finished product.

A FINAL NOTE

Each gift, even if given to ourselves, has more value if a personal touch is added to it. We have over 25 years of experience and will gladly help you, in the shortest possible time, to a product you can be proud to give, whether to yourself or someone else.