The most common question I regularly receive is ‘how to engrave on a metal item’, or something related to it, such as what speed to use, what bur size to choose, or whether it's possible to colour fill metal items.

This is a follow-up post from my blog post I shared in last month in January 2025 - How to start with calligraphy engraving - an intro guide for calligraphers

Metal is the second most common material I engrave, after glass. Especially at on-site events, if you work with beauty brands, you will encounter various types of metal.

For this reason, I have decided to create this blog post to cover everything about engraving on metal items.

Before we start, always remember that there are various courses online about engraving if you are looking to speed up the process of learning. Maybe you are considering adding it as a new service you are offering, and time is limited to learn it, then a course might be a better and fastest option for you. Learning from a course, you’ll have all the information about engraving in one place.

This month, I registered for the *affiliate program for Kestrel’s (Ink Me This) courses on www.learncalligraphy.com She has two courses on engraving, one for beginners called Calligraphy Engraving: Basics to Beyond and one for intermediates called Calligraphy Engraving: Going Pro (if you purchase this you get access to the beginner one).

This is the link if you want to consider any of those courses.

Now let’s get started with this blog post!

Main tools needed to engrave on metal items

The most essential tool for engraving metal items is OLD BURS! Be sure to save them all, as you will need them for engraving metal. I will explain more about this below.
Of course, the engraving drill is a must-have. I use the Ink Me This model with amax RPM speed of 35k, and in January 2025, I purchased a second one – an Yokefellow, I specifically wanted one that goes up to 40k RPM. I am reviewing it in my next newsletter coming on 1st march after using it onsite for all events I had in February. You can subscribe at the bottom of this post.
For drafting, you will need a Micron pen, a flexible transparent ruler, microfibre cleaning cloths for lenses, and lens cleaner spray. Alternatively, you can use Windex spray.
A brush is necessary for removing metal debris. Avoid using your finger, as it will smudge your drafted design.
Other useful items include a microbead pillow and cotton gloves.

Types of metal

The most common types of metal you are likely to encounter are: plain, uncoloured stainless steel; coloured stainless steel; coated or coloured aluminium; brass; plated silver, copper; and, occasionally you may encounter real gold or silver items. I have never engraved the last three metals, so they will not be discussed in this blog.

Engraving on plain uncoloured stainless steel

I personally find stainless steel the most challenging metal to engrave. Due to its shiny surface, it can be like looking into a mirror, so I tend to only use monoline engraving, unless the letters are large.

Additionally, if the item isn't held correctly, your hand can slip very easily. Believe me, this has happened to me! I always use a microbead pillow to stabilise the item and rest my engraving hand.

Things to consider when engraving steel:

Choose the right bur size for the item: I usually use a 1mm bur for small items, like tweezers, and a 1.5–2mm bur for larger items, such as a 9cm-diameter candle lid.
Speed: The engraving speed is a matter of personal preference, so you'll need to test various speeds for yourself. I know some artists who engrave at 20k RPM, but I personally prefer a speed of 10-15k RPM. There is no perfect speed, so find what works best for you.
Pressure: Apply even pressure, but remember you can always go back and touch up later. Use light pressure; there’s no need to dig into the material. If you’re applying too much pressure, you’ll feel it in your hand, as it will tire more quickly from gripping tightly and exerting too much force.
On the other hand, avoid light pressure, as this may cause your letters to become faint or invisible. Consistent pressure is crucial for achieving smooth engraving lines on steel. With practice, you’ll become more proficient.
Uneven lines: If your lines are shaky or show little zigzags, this usually means your drill speed was too high or that you were rushing the engraving process.
Cleaning: Steel easily collects fingerprints, so I always use a microfibre cloth with lens cleaner spray to wipe away any marks. While engraving, I also wear a cotton glove on my left hand to hold the item and avoid leaving smudges.
Colour filling: Colour filling doesn't adhere well to stainless steel (or most metals, for that matter) so it’s not needed.

2. Engraving on coloured stainless steel

This process is quite similar to engraving on plain stainless steel, so the same engraving tips apply.

What I particularly like about coloured steel is that, after engraving, the result reveals a silver engraving, which creates a beautiful contrast with the coloured area.

It almost looks as though it has been colour-filled, don’t you think?

3. Engraving on coated stainless steel

Coated stainless steel items differ from coloured steel. They have a harder coating on top and are typically items such as the water bottles shown below.

The process for engraving these is slightly different.

Things to consider when engraving coated steel:

I still use old burs, but as these are usually large items, I opt for bigger burs, such as 1.5mm, 2mm, even 2.5mm.
Due to the hard coating, which can create a lot of mess, you will need to apply slightly more pressure than when engraving plain steel. The goal is to remove the coating evenly to reveal the shiny surface beneath. The contrast is clear, so no colour fill is necessary.
To touch up lines that aren’t fully removed, I use a smaller bur, such as 1mm.
The RPM speed is also higher. Personally, I can alternate between 20,000 to 25,000 RPM.
These items are easy to handle as the surface isn’t disturbed during engraving, but I still use a pillow for support because they are round objects.

You can view a process video of how I engrave the Gymshark bottle here.

4. Engraving on coated or coloured aluminium

Aluminium is a harder material than steel, and most beauty items are made from coloured aluminium.

The engraving process is similar to that of engraving steel; I use the same speed, typically around 10-15k RPM.

However, with aluminium items, I tend to apply a bit more pressure, so it requires heavier pressure than when engraving steel. The engraving speed of your hand should also be slow and steady. If you try to speed up, the lines on the letters will become uneven, and the words will appear shaky, particularly on curved lines.

A video how I engrave a coated aluminium item (a Suri toothbrush) you can see here.

A video how I engrave on a coloured aluminium item (a lipstick) you can view here.

engraved-a-metal-Daily-doser-by-skin+me-.jpg

6. Engraving on Brass

The only time I had to engrave on brass was for an in-studio order of mini brass place card holders. This is a material I don't typically engrave on.

Brass is a hard material, similar to aluminium.

The engraving speed should be between 20-25k RPM, using heavier pressure with a slow and steady hand movement. These were small items (1.5 cm), and I used an old medium bur, around 1.5 mm in size.

You can view the video of how I engraved these brass holders here. It also shows the process how I engrave a brand’s logo on an item multiple times.

7. Engraving on plated silver

I don’t have much experience engraving plated silver; I’ve only had one studio order to engrave a cocktail shaker made from plated silver. However, I believe the main body was stainless steel, as this is the most common material used for such items.

The engraving process is exactly the same as for plain stainless steel (1), as this metal is similar to stainless steel.

An interesting observation I made while engraving this item was the slight pinkish hue revealed during the process. While I’m not an expert in metals, I believe this is typical of plated silver items, and I don’t consider it an issue.

You can see a close-up video in this post here

Let me know if you found this blog post useful. Have you engraved any of these metals?

I love putting this blog post together and I hope you find it useful and please share with others too.

Much love,

*This is my first time sharing any affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you use that affiliate link to buy a course , please note that the price you pay stays the same. I took many of Kestrel’s courses on www.learncalligraphy.com from various teachers she hires and I know the quality of her courses are very high. I wouldn’t recommend a course if I knew nothing about the value!

How to engrave on various metals