Realistic Engraving & Print Effects (Pro Plan Feature)

Processing types transform your flat PNG designs into realistic, production-accurate mockups that match your actual engraving or printing methods. This is a Pro Plan exclusive feature.

7.1 What Are Processing Types?

The Challenge: A flat PNG design doesn’t show how it will look when laser engraved on wood, UV printed on glass, or sublimation printed on ceramic. Customers need to see realistic mockups that match your production quality.

The Solution: Processing types apply sophisticated effects that simulate real production methods, including:

• Material texture and depth

• Engraving burn marks and highlights

• Print opacity and substrate interaction

• Realistic shadows and lighting

Available Processing Types:

1. No Processing (Standard & Pro Plans)

2. Engraving Effects (Pro Plan only)

   • Wood Engraving (6 settings)

   • Slate Engraving (1 setting)

   • Glass Engraving (3 settings)

3. Print Effects (Pro Plan only

   • Sublimation Print (2 settings)

   • UV Print on White Substrate (1 setting)

   • UV Print on Wood Substrate (1 setting)

7.2 No Processing (Available on All Plans)

What It Does

Places your design flat onto the template with no effects applied.

Visual Result:

• Clean, flat design placement

• No texture, depth, or material interaction

• Perfect alignment and distortion matching template perspective

• Professional mockup, but not production-realistic

When to Use

• Standard Plan users (only option available)

• Quick mockups for design approval before production

• Digital products (no physical production)

• Templates where effects aren’t needed (e.g., flat print products)

Example Use Cases

• Design proofing and client approval

• Testing design placement and sizing

• Digital mockups for social media graphics

• Products without texture effects (stickers, flat prints)

💡 Pro Tip: Even without processing effects, No Processing mode still provides automatic design placement, distortion, and perspective matching—saving hours of manual Photoshop work.

7.3 How Processing Types Work

Advanced Effect Technology

Each processing type uses proprietary layering technology to create realistic depth and texture that matches real production methods.

What Makes It Realistic:

• Multiple layers work together to simulate material interaction

• Each setting adjusts depth, texture, opacity, and tone differently

• Effects are calibrated to match real laser engraving and printing results

• Substrate characteristics (wood grain, stone texture, glass frost) are preserved

Why Multiple Settings:

• Every laser has different power settings

• Every printer has different opacity and color profiles

• Every material batch varies slightly (wood tone, slate texture, etc.)

• Your production equipment is unique to you

• You must test settings to find your perfect match.

💡 Pro Tip: Think of settings as intensity levels—each one produces a different depth, burn, or opacity to match various equipment and materials.

7.4 Engraving Effects (Pro Plan Only)

Wood Engraving

What It Simulates: Laser engraving on wood substrates (maple, oak, walnut, bamboo, etc.)

Available Settings:

• Setting 1 – Deep burn, clean edges

• Setting 2 – Deep burn, better for darker substrates

• Setting 3 – Light engrave, clean edges

• Setting 4 – Deep burn, for very light wood, over burn on edges

• Setting 5 – Deep burn, slight over burn on edges

• Setting 6 – Lighter engrave with a slight overburn on edges

Visual Characteristics:

• Burn marks and charring

• Wood grain visible through design

• Depth shadows

• Natural wood tone blending

• Realistic engraving texture

When to Use:

• Wooden coasters, plaques, signs, boxes

• Bamboo cutting boards, utensils

• Wood ornaments and keychains

• Any laser-engraved wood product

💡 Pro Tip: Start with Setting 1 or 3 for most applications, then adjust based on your wood tone and desired burn intensity.

Slate Engraving

What It Simulates: Laser engraving on slate substrates

Available Settings:

• Setting 1 – Light etch, clear contrast

Visual Characteristics:

• Texture and natural variation

• Light gray engraving against dark slate

• Natural stone imperfections

• Matte finish appearance

When to Use:

• Slate coasters and placemats

• Slate signs and house numbers

• Engraved slate cheese boards

• Memorial plaques and awards

Glass Engraving

What It Simulates: Laser engraving or sandblasting on glass substrates

Available Settings:

• Setting 1 – Light frost, delicate appearance

• Setting 2 – Medium frost, balanced visibility

• Setting 3 – Heavy frost, bold contrast

Visual Characteristics:

• Frosted glass effect

• Light diffusion and translucency

• Realistic glass texture

• Subtle reflections and highlights

• Etched appearance

When to Use:

• Wine glasses, beer mugs, champagne flutes

• Glass ornaments and baubles

• Engraved mirrors and frames

• Glass awards and trophies

7.5 Print Effects (Pro Plan Only)

Sublimation Print

What It Simulates: Dye sublimation printing on white or light-colored substrates

Available Settings:

• Setting 1 – Standard opacity, natural color

• Setting 2 – Higher opacity, vibrant color

Visual Characteristics:

• Smooth, embedded print appearance

• Vibrant colors

• No texture or raised surface

• Slight substrate tone showing through (realistic)

• Professional print finish

When to Use:

• Ceramic mugs and tiles

• Sublimation coasters (MDF, hardboard)

• Phone cases and mouse pads

• Fabric prints (t-shirts, bags)

• Any sublimation-printed product

UV Print on White Substrate

What It Simulates: UV printing on white or light-colored materials

Visual Characteristics:

• Slight texture/raised appearance

• Vibrant, saturated colors

• Clean white background interaction

• Professional UV print finish

• Slight gloss or matte effect

When to Use:

• White acrylic signs and awards

• White-coated metal products

• White ceramic tiles

• Light-colored wood with white primer

• White lacquered wood

• Any UV-printed white substrate

UV Print on Wood Substrate

What It Simulates: UV printing directly on natural wood substrates

Visual Characteristics:

• Wood grain visible through print

• Natural wood tone blending with design colors

• Realistic wood texture interaction

• Slight transparency effect

• Professional UV-on-wood appearance

When to Use:

• Natural wood signs and plaques

• Bamboo products with UV print

• Any direct-to-wood UV printing

7.6 How to Choose the Right Processing Type

Quick Decision Guide

Step 1: Identify Your Production Method

Ask yourself: “How will I physically produce this product?”

• Laser engraving? → Continue to Step 2

• Printing? → Continue to Step 3

Step 2: Choose Engraving Type

What material are you engraving?

• Wood (maple, oak, bamboo, etc.) → Wood Engraving

• Slate (stone coasters, plaques) → Slate Engraving

• Glass (wine glasses, mirrors) → Glass Engraving

Then choose setting based on your laser power, material tone, and desired burn/etch intensity.

Step 3: Choose Print Type

What printing method and substrate?

• Sublimation on ceramic, MDF, fabric → Sublimation Print

• UV printing on white materials → UV on White

• UV printing on natural wood → UV on Wood

Then choose setting based on your print opacity and substrate tone.

7.7 Testing Processing Settings

Why Testing Is Critical

Multiple settings are offered because every business has different:

• Laser power and speed settings

• Printer opacity and color profiles

• Material suppliers and substrate variations

• Desired aesthetic (some prefer deeper burns, others prefer subtle)

The only way to know which setting matches your production is to test.

Create a Processing Test Library

Best Practice: Test all settings for each processing type you use, then save results as a reference library.

Step-by-Step:

1. Choose one design and one template

Use a design with varied elements (text, solid areas, fine details)

Select a template for a product you actually produce

2. Process with all settings for that type

3. Compare mockups to your actual production samples

4. Document your results

5. Create a reference library -

💡 Pro Tip: Repeat this testing process whenever you change equipment, materials, or production settings.

7.8 Troubleshooting Processing Issues

Problem: Processing options are grayed out

Cause: You’re on the Standard Plan (processing types are Pro Plan only)

Solutions:

• Upgrade to Pro Plan (see Section 3.7)

• Use No Processing mode (available on Standard Plan)

Problem: Mockup doesn’t match my actual production

Cause: Wrong processing type or setting chosen

Solutions:

• Retest all settings for that processing type

• Compare mockups side-by-side with real products

• Choose the setting that most closely matches

• Consider equipment or material changes

Problem: Effect looks too strong or too weak

Cause: Setting doesn’t match your production intensity

Solutions:

• Try a different setting (e.g., switch from Setting 5 to Setting 3)

• Test all available settings for that type

• Adjust your production settings to match mockup (if desired)

Problem: Wood grain doesn’t show through engraving

Cause: Using wrong processing type or No Processing mode

Solutions:

• Ensure you’re using Wood Engraving (not No Processing)

• Try a lighter setting (e.g., Wood Engraving Setting 3 or 6)

• Verify you’re on Pro Plan (wood grain effects require Pro)

Problem: Print looks flat, not realistic

Cause: Using No Processing instead of print effects

Solutions:

Switch to appropriate print effect:

• Sublimation for sublimation printing

• UV on White for UV printing on white materials

• UV on Wood for UV printing on wood - Ensure you’re on Pro Plan

Problem: Glass engraving looks too opaque

Cause: Setting too heavy for your actual engraving depth

Solutions:

• Try Glass Engraving Setting 1 (lightest frost)

• Compare to actual engraved glass samples

• Adjust laser power/speed if mockup is more accurate than production

7.10 Processing Type Best Practices

Do’s ✅

✅ Test all settings before committing to large batches

✅ Compare mockups to real products to find your best match

✅ Document your settings for future reference

✅ Organize batches by processing type (cannot mix in one batch)

✅ Update settings when equipment or materials change

✅ Use realistic settings that match your actual production

✅ Create a reference library of test mockups

Don’ts ❌

❌ Don’t guess which setting to use—always test

❌ Don’t mix processing types in a single batch

❌ Don’t use settings that don’t match your production

❌ Don’t forget to retest after equipment changes

❌ Don’t overpromise with settings that look better than your actual products

❌ Don’t skip testing to save time—it costs more time later

7.11 Standard vs. Pro Plan: Processing Comparison

What Standard Plan Users Get

Available:

✅ No Processing mode

✅ Flat design placement

✅ Automatic distortion and perspective matching

✅ Professional mockups for design approval

Not Available:

❌ Engraving effects (wood, slate, glass)

❌ Print effects (sublimation, UV)

❌ Realistic material texture and depth

❌ Production-accurate mockups

Best For:

• Design proofing and client approval

• Digital products (no physical production)

• Budget-conscious users who don’t need realistic effects

What Pro Plan Users Get

Everything in Standard, plus:

✅ All engraving effects (wood, slate, glass)

✅ All print effects (sublimation, UV on white, UV on wood)

✅ Advanced effect technology for realistic results

✅ Multiple settings per processing type

✅ Production-accurate mockups

✅ Professional presentation for customers

Best For:

• Engravers and makers selling physical products

• Businesses that need realistic customer mockups

• Professional sellers who want production-accurate previews

• Anyone who wants to reduce “doesn’t match the picture” complaints

7.13 Next Steps

Now that you understand processing types, you’re ready to:

✅ Choose the correct processing type for your production method

✅ Test settings to match your actual equipment and materials

✅ Generate realistic, production-accurate mockups

✅ Build customer confidence with professional previews

Continue to:

• Continue to:

• Section 8: Output Files – Understand file naming, organization, and quality

• Section 9: Batch Processing Strategies – Optimize your workflow for efficiency

• Section 10: Troubleshooting Guide – Fix common processing issues

Happy mockup creating! The Bulk Made Team