Our Wikipedia

The variety of technologies and materials used in the production of our unique statuettes is virtually unlimited. However, even basic and most commonly used technologies can sometimes cause headaches. To help our clients understand the differences between them, not only visually but also in terms of production, which affects deadlines, prices, and execution possibilities, we present a short compendium of knowledge about the most important technologies in our business.

There are many technical intricacies here, for both advanced users and novices alike.

Why is it better to use surface engraving over internal engraving? What advantage does UV printing have over regular painting? Is it better to choose a glass statuette, or perhaps a metal one?
After reading our Wikipedia, the answers to these and many other questions will become clear.

Let's start with the structural design of statuettes.

Material

Glass

The most important material used in our company. The name GLASSO originated from it, which has become ingrained in the memory of our customers. Glass, thanks to its flexibility in design, is an irreplaceable material for creating statuettes. Its transparency allows the use of any technology. It is like a blank canvas on which we can create virtually any design.

Metal

In creating our statuettes, we use a wide range of products and metal elements. Just like with glass, we can make entire statuettes as well as additions to statuettes made of other materials. In our productions, we use several metal alloys, which differ in their technical properties and the possibilities they offer in various processing, but most importantly in color.

Wood

Wood is a "living" material, meaning that its structure can change over time, which makes the use of wooden elements in trophy production not as easy as it might seem, despite the theoretical simplicity of creating wooden components. However, thanks to our extensive experience in producing trophies that combine various materials, we can successfully use wooden elements in our daily production.

Resin

Epoxy resins are used as adhesives for structural laminates, for encapsulating electrical components, as metal adhesives, and as a raw material for building rigid molds.

3D print

3D printing technology allows for the creation of any complex elements and figurines. Thanks to this, we can transfer a virtual three-dimensional design directly into the real world.

Acrylic

Acrylic, often called acrylic glass, is the equivalent of glass in the category of synthetic materials. From a distance, it looks similar, but since it is a synthetic material, it is more pliable. We can easily cut it with a laser, bend it, and embed elements inside. These features make it indispensable in projects that cannot be executed with glass.

Concrete

A niche material, used in our company only occasionally. It is difficult to process for decorative purposes. The obtained shapes are generally limited to simple forms, mainly serving as bases.

Stone

In many of our projects, we also use stone elements. Stones in nature come in various colors and patterns. They combine very well with glass or metal. But they also work well as standalone statuettes.

Engraving technologies

3D laser engraving

This is 3D laser engraving of a three-dimensional (3D) element inside glass. Unlike 2D engraving, we are not limited to just one plane here. The engraving can be done on almost the entire available volume of the solid trophy.

2D laser engraving

This is 3D laser engraving of a flat (2D) element inside glass. It is usually used for texts, logos, photos, and other flat graphics. It can be used on plaques - flat awards (such as the flat plaque GLA0001), as well as on three-dimensional trophies (such as the cube GLA0004).

Sandblasting

This is a surface marking method, similar to laser surface engraving - it involves removing material from the surface of the trophy and creating a matte finish. The material in the sandblasted area has a recess, the size of which depends on the duration and intensity of the sandblasting in that particular spot.

CO2 Laser Engraving (Surface)

Laser surface engraving is a method of marking flat surfaces using a CO2 laser. In this case, the engraving tool is a laser beam directed perpendicular to the surface being marked.

Internal 2.5D engraving

This is a specific variation of 3D engraving. However, it is used to create half-3D models from a person's photo or a photo of any other object.

Painting

Practically every glass element we create can be painted in a chosen color. It can be a full painting, giving the entire glass a specific color, or it can be just an ornament that visually enhances the transparent glass.

UV printing

This is a type of printing using a special ink in the CMYK + White palette, cured with white light. UV printing can be applied to almost any flat surface of trophies.

Plaques

Aluminum plaques in various colors are usually mounted on the base of the trophy. They are an excellent option for trophies where engraving cannot be done on the main element.

Fusing

The technology of glass melting is used to achieve decorative effects. The two primary effects are the rounding and smoothing of edges and obtaining an interesting glass surface texture. Glass for melting can be prepared using any cutting method that allows us to achieve the desired shape.

Metallization

This is a technology in which metallization is carried out through chemical reactions in a cold process. The metalized surface is chromed and reflective. Then the surface is painted with colorizing lacquers. It is possible to achieve a rich palette of colors, with the most commonly used metallic surfaces being gold and silver.