Creating Hand Engraved Heirlooms: Inscriptions, Part 2 Knowing hand-engraving techniques demonstrates another aspect of quality in your shop By Mark Mann
(This article was originally published in Professional Jeweler. September 2005)
Photo 1	Last month we covered Steece Hermanson’s techniques for hand engraving monograms. In this article, we cover methods and techniques used for hand engraving inscriptions. Inscriptions include full names, dates, acknowledgements, tributes and slogans. In this example (Photo 1), Hermanson engraved a name and a date on the side of a Grainger McKoy sterling silver baby cup. Because a full name was used, it was engraved opposite of the cup handle to allow room for a pleasing symmetrical layout.
	Designing and Laying Out the Project 1. Hermanson begins by designing and laying out the inscription by hand on tracing paper using a fine mechanical pencil. The tracing paper was laid over a guideline page which insures a consistent lettering slant on a set of parallel lines spaced appropriately for the height of the letter style.
	2. Once the inscription is designed and laid out on the tracing paper he marks a strip (approximately the width of the letter height) of bond paper the length of the top line of the inscription. He cuts the pattern on the marked ends. This will be used as a guide for marking the exact length and center of the inscription on the cup. Continue to Next Page of Article