• Hand engraving creates a unique product.engraver image by Chris Lofty from Fotolia.com
  
  Engraving is a way of personalizing items and making gifts unique and special. You can engrave a variety of materials, including metal, wood, leather or even plastic. While machine engraving is cheaper, hand engraving is more personal, and engravers create a one-of-the-kind product. A few tips and tricks of the trade can help even a beginner execute more precise engravings.
  
  

Draw Before You Engrave

• Always sketch a design before you begin to draw, regardless of your skill and experience. After your sketch is complete, transfer it onto the item you are engraving. Work with the sketch until it is perfect. This is especially important for rosette engravings that need to be mathematically divided into even sections. If you find that it is difficult to transfer the drawing, simply cut out your sketch and trace it onto the material.
  
  

Beveled Edges Create Sparkle

• Master engravers can create engravings that sparkle in the light. This is because they are experts at beveling their edges just right so the light is reflected back at the viewer. The key to creating sparkling bevels is to tilt the engraver toward the inside of the design. Another key is to vary the depth of the line by increasing and decreasing pressure as you move the engraver. This will help the cut appear three-dimensional. One major exception to this rule is the main line in scrollwork, which should never be beveled toward the inside.
  
  

Sidewalls in Relief Engraving

• Relief engraving is reserved for master engravers, as it is one of the hardest types of engraving to execute well. It is generally reserved for luxury items. In relief engraving, engravers cut away all of the negative space in a design. The key to relief engraving is to have clean and sharp sidewalls that form 90-degree angles with a flat bottom. The sidewall is the edge of the raised design that meets with the flat bottom of the cut-away negative space. The sidewalls will not catch the light if they are not polished well or have scratches in them. This will make it harder for the viewer to define the depth of the engraving.