Which logo method suits your product?
Logo choice is usually made from a photograph. It should be made from the size the mark will actually be — and from what happens to it after a thousand wears.
Published 2026-10-30 · Reviewed by Felix, founder of KUBO Jewelry
Laser engraving removes or anneals material to create a permanent mark with no added substances, and is the default for fine detail on small pieces. Chemical etching produces a similar recessed look at lower tooling cost but involves chemicals and is less crisp below 0.2 mm line width. Embossing and debossing press the metal itself, giving a raised or sunken mark that reads at a distance but needs a die and thicker material.
Most brands arrive with a logo file and a preference. The productive conversation is about three numbers: how large the mark will be, how fine the lines are, and how the piece will be finished around it.
Laser engraving
A focused beam removes a shallow layer, or anneals the surface without removing material, depending on power and material.
- Resolution: excellent. Fine text and thin line marks hold at 0.15 mm line width.
- On PVD: the mark is usually cut through the colour layer, revealing steel beneath. That contrast is the point — a black-coated tag with a bright steel logo reads well.
- Cost structure: no die. Programming per file. Cheapest route for short runs and multiple marks.
- Durability: permanent. It is a change to the metal, not a coating on top.
Chemical etching
The surface is masked and etched by acid or salt solution. The look is close to laser, with a slightly softer edge.
- Resolution: good, but below roughly 0.2 mm the mask breaks down and lines blur.
- Cost structure: needs a mask per design. Efficient for flat parts in volume, less so for one-offs.
- Constraints: chemical process, so environmental handling matters. Worth asking how a supplier manages it.
Embossing and debossing
A die presses the metal into relief. The mark is physical — raised (emboss) or sunken (deboss).
- Resolution: coarse by comparison. Embossing wants bold shapes, not hairline type.
- Requires: a die and enough material thickness to deform without cracking.
- Reads best: on wide, flat surfaces — tag pendants, cuff bracelets, belt-style hardware.
- Durability: excellent, because the geometry is the metal.
How they compare in practice
| Line width | Tooling | Best surface | Reads at 1 m | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laser | 0.15 mm | None | Any, flat or curved | No |
| Etch | 0.2 mm | Mask | Flat | No |
| Emboss | 0.5 mm+ | Die | Flat, thick | Yes |
Two practical notes. Curved surfaces — the outside of a ring band — are laser territory; a die cannot wrap around a curve cleanly. And on a mirror-polished piece, a laser mark in a bright finish can nearly disappear under certain light, which is why mark contrast is specified as part of the finish, not after it.
What to send
A vector file, the intended mark height in millimetres, the placement, and the finish of the surface it lands on. If your logo has lines thinner than 0.2 mm, they will close up at small sizes regardless of process — we flag that at drawing stage rather than after the first run.
Next step
Have a project this applies to?
Keep reading
More buyer guides
Men's stainless steel jewelry: what actually sells
A quarter of our production goes to men's lines. What those buyers order, what they avoid, and why the category behaves differently from women's.
How to clean and care for stainless steel jewelry
What actually removes tarnish and residue, what damages a PVD finish, and what to tell your customers.
Chain types for jewelry: cable, curb, rope, box and snake
Five constructions that cover most stainless steel ranges, how they behave, and which one to spec for which price point.