Sketch2Etch engrave their way to success with Trotec Laser.

A lifetime ambition.

Sketch2Etch is a personalised gift company owned by Chris and Tanya Riley, who founded the company to achieve their ambition of starting their own business. Initially unsure of what their business should be, discussions with friends led them to the personalised gift market. Sketch2Etch specialise in using wood, slate and acrylic to create a range of gifts including table wear, keyrings and photo frames.

Starting our own business was always an ambition of ours and our Speedy has allowed us to do just that. The quality of the finished products that we can produce is excellent and the support we have received from Trotec is excellent. The machines and service really live up to their reputation.

Chris and Tanya Riley
Owners, Sketch2Etch

Searching for the ideal production method.

After deciding to focus on the personalised gift market, Chris and Tanya began looking at viable ways to create gift products. Knowing that crafting was not his forte, Chris saw laser technology as the obvious choice for easily creating unique products, a key factor in the success of any business in the busy personalisation sector.

Chris's initial research lead him to two laser suppliers who were highly recommended. Chris  was looking to establish his business alongside his existing job and therefore wanted to find a supplier who emphesised providing a support-focused service.

Of the two companies, only Trotec Laser offered full UK-based technical support. After booking a demonstration at their local showroom, Chris and Tanya were not only impressed with the quality of the laser machines, as well as their area manager who assisted them with all enquiries during their demonstration. This made Chris and Tanya fully confident that Trotec were the supplier they wanted to work alongside as they started their business.

On the road to success.

Following their demonstration with Trotec, Chris and Tanya purchased a Speedy 300 laser cutter. Despite having no prior laser experience, the pair were fully supported by their area manager who was available to help no matter how small the query.

Even after having had the laser for a relatively short period of time, Chris and Tanya have been able to reap the benefits of their Speedy laser cutting machine. The overall quality of the engrave and the speed at which jobs can be completed has helped Sketch2Etch to establish itself in a crowded marketplace.

As a start up company, Chris and Tanya have found the online support available from other Trotec laser users a huge benefit. After initially struggling to conceive product ideas, they joined several online communities for crafting companies and found members from all over the world sharing their ideas, as well as settings for their Trotec laser machines, which enabled Chris to trial settings on his own machine, experimenting with various materials.

After the initial success of Sketch2Etch, Chris and Tanya are currently looking to expand their product offerings into the business-to-business sector and incorporate new materials into their portfolio.

We use Trotec's wood sheets in our products. The material has a fresh looking finish and the size is perfect for our laser machine, similar products from other suppliers we tried did not have the same appeal. Some sheets were too big and thus required cutting down while others required oiling, adding to our production time. When our Trotec sheets arrive, they are ready to be processed immediately. We are currently looking to expand the business with a B2B product focus, which will allow me to incorporate further Trotec materials such a TroLase engraving laminate into our range.

Chris and Tanya Riley
Owners, Sketch2Etch

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