Laser engraving on stainless drinkware — what it looks like and what it cannot do

On a coated steel body, the laser removes the coating to reveal the metal underneath. The logo is a single tone rather than a Pantone ink colour. Send your model and artwork so we can show the contrast and placement on a sample.

What the process looks like

Laser engraved logo showing single-tone result on stainless steel
Laser gives one tone, not a colour. A logo with a light and a dark version of the same hue arrives as a single shade — worth seeing on a sample before you approve it, because on screen the two versions look different and on the bottle they do not.
Close-up of laser engraving on matte black powder coating
On matte black powder coat the beam exposes the steel, so the mark reads bright against dark. This is the highest-contrast combination we run, and it is why so many gift programmes end up specifying black bodies.
Laser engraved brand mark on a stainless tumbler, close view

Where it is the right choice

  • Premium gift and corporate programmes
  • Programme-specific use and care guidance confirmed with the sample
  • Matte black or coloured powder coat, where contrast is strongest
  • Small type and fine line work — the beam holds detail

Where it is the wrong choice

Tell us how you want the finished design to look. We can help compare suitable methods for the selected body and artwork, then show the proposal on a free digital mock-up before the sample is arranged.

  • Multi-colour brand marks — laser cannot do colour
  • Logos that rely on a light and dark tone of the same colour
  • Full-wrap artwork — use heat transfer
  • Bodies with a coating the client wants left untouched

Cost and minimum order

About $0.10–0.50 per piece depending on how much area the beam has to cover. No screens and no plates, so short runs are not penalised the way they are with printing. MOQ is 500 pieces per design in stock colours, 1,000 if the body is in your own Pantone. The exact figure depends on your artwork and run size, and we come back with it once we review your brief.

What to send us

Vector, one tone. If your mark has shading, send us the flat single-colour version — we can convert it, but you should be the one to approve how it simplifies. We return the mockup free before anything is quoted as final.

Agree the logo and finish before production

One logo across several body colours. Send the selected models, colour split and artwork together. We can review how the engraved mark looks on the chosen finish and compare a sample before production. Your contact keeps the approved logo position and colour references with the order.

Review the textured body and logo together. Send the model or reference and your preferred logo position. We can compare the appearance on a sample before agreeing the method. If another logo process suits the artwork better, your contact can explain that option and its cost with you.

Models to discuss: TI-1250 , Titanium-1004 , Titanium-1008. Send the selected model and artwork so we can confirm the available decoration options.

What we need to quote it

Please send the model, order quantity, artwork and delivery destination. We can review the logo size, surface finish and position together, then show the applicable per-piece charge and any preparation cost. Let us know your target date and packing requirements too, so your contact can plan the sample and shipment details with you.

If you are still choosing between methods, send the artwork and say what it is for. We will tell you which process we would run and why, including when the answer is a cheaper one than the page you are reading.

MOPA colour laser — the exception to “laser has no colour”

Our MOPA colour option is for titanium cups. It creates a fixed colour effect on the titanium surface rather than a flowing iridescent electroplated finish. Send the chosen model and reference so we can confirm the effect on a sample.

Inside our marking workshop

A look at a printing station in our marking workshop. For laser engraving, compare the product photos above and send your model and artwork so we can plan the sample.

Frequently asked

Whatever the steel under the coating gives you — typically bright on a dark powder coat, and a faint warm grey on bare stainless. It is one tone, so a mark built from two shades of the same colour arrives as one shade.

Send the model, finish and artwork so we can review them together. A textured surface can change how the mark looks, so we check the logo on the actual sample before agreeing the method and position. If another logo method suits the chosen body better, your contact can show that option with the quote.

Our MOPA colour option is for titanium cups and creates a fixed surface-colour effect. It is a separate discussion from a standard single-tone laser logo; send the model and reference so we can confirm the sample plan.

The lowest total depends on the model, artwork, print area and quantity, including any setup fee. Simple one-colour artwork at a suitable volume is worth comparing with silk screen; detailed artwork may call for another method. Send your logo and quantity so we can compare the methods that suit the product and quote setup and per-piece costs separately. See the logo cost guide.

MOQ depends on the selected model, colour and decoration. For models covered by the confirmed mixed-colour rule, stock colours can be combined to reach 500 pieces total; a custom Pantone colour starts at 1,000 pieces per colour. Share the model and colour split and we’ll confirm the applicable minimum before quotation.
Sample timing depends on the selected model, artwork and decoration scope. Send the model, logo file, destination and target date; we will confirm artwork review, sample preparation and courier timing. Physical sample and courier costs are calculated together before payment.

Send the model and decoration you plan to use. We can check the available care guidance for that combination and discuss any specific cleaning requirement before confirming the sample and order.

All four sales representatives — Beyond Lee, Miya Wu, Candy Tang and Shally Zhang — welcome global buyers in English and take part in our internal service competition to provide the most attentive follow-up. Choose Miya, Candy or Shally and Sales Manager Beyond Lee supervises the full order process from sample to shipment; choose Beyond Lee and a dedicated assistant works alongside him to co-follow your order. Each contact serves global buyers in English first and is also particularly familiar with specific order types and regional markets: Beyond Lee for custom development, logo options and new tooling; Miya Wu for supermarket, retail, online/FBA and brand orders (esp. Europe, Russia & CIS); Candy Tang for promotional gift campaigns and multi-item sets (esp. the US & Canada, Spain & Latin America, Oceania and select African markets); and Shally Zhang for volume orders, container scheduling and incoming accessory checks (esp. Brazil & Portugal, Southeast Asia and the Middle East).

Related

Global English Service Competition & Full-Process Supervision: All four representatives welcome enquiries in English from global buyers and compete on service quality. Choose Beyond Lee (co-followed with a dedicated assistant), Miya Wu (retail, brand & FBA; esp. Europe, Russia & CIS), Candy Tang (promotional gifts; esp. the US & Canada, Spain & Latin America, Oceania & select African markets), or Shally Zhang (volume orders; esp. Brazil & Portugal, Southeast Asia & the Middle East) — with Sales Manager Beyond Lee supervising the full order process from sample to shipment.

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