Personalised Gifts: Engraving and Wording

Glassware, ceramic, wood, metal, leather, slate: almost anything can be personalised, but each material is marked in a different way. The guides in this department explain the techniques behind engraved and printed gifts and help you decide what to write before you order.

Read how engraving works, from CO2 and fibre lasers to hand engraving, and our advice on what to write on a personalised gift, with a proofreading checklist and your rights as a UK buyer.

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A slate serving board with charcuterie, salad and toastCandles
A sheet of hand-drawn Christmas gift tagsCards
A pair of baby shoesCertificate Holders
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An antique wooden keepsake box inlaid with mother-of-pearlKeyrings
An open book and a red apple on a deskTeachers
2 guides in GiftsSorted by: newest first
A sheet of hand-drawn Christmas gift tags

What to Write on a Personalised Gift, and What to Know Before You Buy

What to write on personalised gifts, character limits, proofreading, lucky numbers and symbols, plus UK buyers' rights: returns, faults and delivery times for personalised items.

Gifts · 9 June 2026

An engraver at work at his bench in an early twentieth-century photograph

How Engraving Works: Laser, Rotary, Diamond Drag and Hand Engraving

How personalised engraving works: laser, rotary, diamond-drag, sandblasting and hand engraving, which materials suit each, fonts and limits, plus custom poker chips.

Gifts · 24 February 2026

Showing 1 to 2 of 2 (1 Pages)

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Thumbnail photos via Wikimedia Commons: Charcuterie board - Massachusetts (Daderot, CC0); Christmas Tags Template (Renjishino, CC BY 3.0); Classic baby shoes (JD Hancock, cropped by Daniel Case, CC BY 2.0); Golf ball on tee (Stefanschenkon, CC0); Box, early 20th century, carved wood with mother-of-pearl inlay - Museum of Vietnamese History - Ho Chi Minh City - DSC05970 (Daderot, CC0); Cozy study space with an open book, fresh apple, and laptop on a desk in bright natural light (Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0); Bureau Eng. & Ptg., an engraver at work LCCN2016821886 (National Photo Company Collection, Public domain); Money box shaped like ERNIE the Computer (Science Museum, London) (Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0); Christmas Tree and Presents (Alhill42, CC BY-SA 4.0); Sweet jars in shop window - geograph.org.uk - 519847 (Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0).