Laser 101 · Pricing
What does laser engraving cost?
Engraving is quoted per job, like cutting — but the price is driven by different things. Here is what actually moves the number on an engraving quote.
The short answer
Laser engraving is priced as a single itemized quote, with the same $65 project minimum as cutting. What sets the price is how much surface the laser has to cover, how deep or dark you want it, the material, and the quantity. A small line-art logo can be quick and cheap; a tray-sized photo engraved in full detail is a much longer job. As always, the only accurate number is a quote on your actual artwork.
Engraving is priced differently from cutting
Cutting bills the length of the cut path — the laser follows a line. Engraving bills the area the laser has to sweep — it rasters back and forth, line by line, filling a region the way an inkjet printer lays down ink. That is why a 2-inch logo cut as an outline and the same 2-inch logo engraved solid cost very differently. When you picture an engraving quote, think in square inches of coverage, not in inches of line.
Three things that set engraving cost
Area covered
The biggest driver. A small mark engraves in seconds; a full plaque face takes far longer. Open or outlined designs cost less than the same shape filled solid.
Material & depth
Wood, acrylic, leather, anodized metal, and slate all respond differently. A light surface mark is quick; a deep, high-contrast engrave means more passes and more time.
Quantity
Setup is the same for 1 piece or 50. Larger runs share that setup, so per-piece engraving cost drops as the batch grows.
Photo and full-detail engraving
Engraving a photograph or a dense gradient is the slowest, highest-cost kind of engraving — the laser sweeps every line of the image at fine resolution to reproduce the tones. A photo engraved onto a wood panel can take many times longer than a simple engraved name on the same panel. It is worth it for the result, but it helps to know going in that detail equals time, and time is what you are paying for. See our guide on engraving photos on wood for how to prep an image.
The $65 project minimum
Engraving carries the same $65 project minimum as cutting. Even a single small engraved item needs the artwork checked, the piece positioned, and the machine set up. If you only need one small mark, this is the moment to add a few more — a set of engraved coasters, a batch of name tags, or several gifts — so the setup works harder for you.
How to get an engraving quote
Send three things: the artwork (a vector file for clean line work and text, or a high-resolution image for photo engraving), the object or material you want it on with its size, and the quantity. Tell us if you want a light surface mark or a deep, dark engrave. Most quotes come back the same business day, itemized, with no setup fee. For the full picture, see our pricing page.
Get an engraving quote.
Send your artwork and the object you want engraved. A real person reviews every request — usually the same day.