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Whether you've got a monogram, family crest, or company logo, there is just something downright classy about having custom glassware. Rocks glasses, glencairns, and decanters all make fantastic gifts. There are many merchants and finishes from which to choose, ranging from Etsy sellers doing everything by hand to mass market producers with fully automated operations. Where should you start?
Choosing a Finish / Print Method
While there are a number of different methods by which you can get your custom content on the glassware, very few vendors offer the full range of options. Each method has its own pros, cons, and differing levels of cost. For this reason, we recommend you start by deciding on an overall budget and selecting from the finish options below. It is worth mentioning that the per unit cost often decreases substantially as the quantity you order increases, so it may be best to wait until you can afford to order a bunch at once. Some retailers will not do batches below 12. Bottom line up front, we love Sand Carved finishes (skip to last section) from Crystal Imagery, but it may or may not be the best fit for your situation.
Screen-printing
This is the cheapest and quickest method for getting your design on a glass. With this method, food safe ink is directly printed on the glassware. Most vendors offer black and white prints cheaply and color prints for a little bit more. Some vendors will limit the number of colors you can use but you will have an abundance of options for partners to choose from. The main downside is that logos tend to fade or degrade over time, particularly if run through a dishwasher.
Pro:
- Most Widely Available
- Cheapest Option
- Supports Color
- Often offered with expedited timelines
Con:
- Least durable
- May be perceived as less "Classy"
Laser Engraved / Etched
A good middle market offering, you may see laser engraved or etched options from a variety of retailers as well. This processes uses a high intensity beam of light to fracture the surface of the glass, creating a rough frosted appearance that looks a bit more upscale than the basic printing. Lasers are highly precise and can create very intricate designs that hold up well over time and through many a trip to the dishwasher. Depending on the quality of the laser used, you may be able to make out small creases or stripes between individual passes of the laser. Vistaprint would do a single glass for $18 plus shipping.
Pro:
- Also widely available
- Moderate Cost
- More Durable
- Highly Precise
Con:
- May have creases or stripes from the laser
- Some say that these lack depth
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| You can slightly make out the stripes from the laser's passes |
Rotary Etching
Similar to a Dremel, a diamond tipped bit spins against the glass to remove material, often accompanied by a cooling water jet. It is less precise than the laser but results in more uniform cuts, preventing the striped appearance present with laser engraving. This process really works better on metal than glass, but you may find many pop-up shops in malls or local retailers who have the equipment on hand. Depending on the depth, this can appear quite high quality. Cost will be more variable.
Pro:
- A step up in quality from Screen Printing/Laser Etched
Con:
- Somewhat less precise
- Less widely available
- Cost can vary widely
Sand Carving
Sand carving is a process by which a sand-like media (typically either silicon carbide or aluminum oxide) is blasted through a nozzle under high pressure. The manufacturer will attach a template of desired design is adhered to the glass, and the force of the “sand” will carve away small portions of the glass not protected by the template. The longer the operator applies the sand to the glass, the deeper the carving. Large areas of the design can be treated, leaving the protected areas of the glass to appear raised from the surface for a strong 3d effect. Having worked with water jets for light industrial cutting back in school, I was very intrigued by this process being applied to fine glassware. As you may expect, prices for this service will be a bit higher. The producer must perform extra steps to print the template and sand blast the product, ensuring quality at each step. Expect single unit orders to be in the $30-$40 range.
Pro:
- Very High Quality
- 3D effect, limited only by the thickness of the glass
- Potentially perceived as a luxury offering
Con:
- Unit costs may be higher
- Very few vendor options in the marketplace
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| Deep Ridges texture the design |
Prep & Submit Your Design
Do you have a custom logo or monogram already? If so, great! If not, it has never been a better time to try your had at designing your own. Many vendors will also offer logo/monogram design services, and some will even provide those services for free. Monograms in particular can usually be provided by the vendor or created using one of their bulk design tools. There is also this great, no-frills Monogram tool but you may need to change the file format to meet vendors specifications.
If you have an existing logo or are designing your own, Inkscape (a free alternative to Adobe Illustrator) is a darling of the craft and design world and is a great tool for working with image files. Since some vendors require specific file types, you can use Inkscape to open and convert your existing art into the proper file format. It can open and edit most bitmap and vector based file types.
If you'd like to make your own logo, there are many great tutorials out there on YouTube, such as this one by Nick Designs: Inkscape for Beginners: Logo Design Tutorial. In the age of generative AI, you may also be able to start with a tool like Open AI's Art Workspace. Using prompts with words like "Simple" and "Logo" can produce some great results. I typically will start with an AI prompt and then work with that design in Inkscape for adjustments, text, or adding other assets.
Once you're happy with the design, submit it and cross your fingers! Many higher-end vendors will offer to send a proof image or render of your design if they did not provide it already at the time of order. Be sure to note the delivery date range as these custom print services do get behind at different times during the year.
Our Choice for Custom Whiskey Glassware
No, they aren't paying me anything. Yes, I just really like the product. Crystal Imagery is a small business out of Pennsylvania that has done work for Congress, Ivy League Schools, Fortune 500 companies, and the Military High Command. They offer a "Deep Etched" sand engraving process of commendable quality. You can order a single piece from them (a solo Glencairn is about $35) but ordering 12 cuts the price down to $25 each and it decreases further from there. I have done two orders with them and both times had my new glassware within a week (though they say it can take up to 15 business days). You really can feel the difference in quality. The lines are very sharp and fine, resulting in a "pop" effect that makes the design stand our really well. No issues in the dishwasher to boot! I tried to find some alternatives to propose, but outside of individual sellers on Etsy, it doesn't seem like very many vendors in the market offer this premium service.
If you don't go the sand carved route, I would spring for the moderately priced laser engraved option. It will hold up better over time and is a touch classier than the handouts marketing companies do.