This is exactly the kind of work we love at TechCreate. It combines everything we do well: laser cutting, engraving, and UV printing, all working together to create something that’s both practical and distinctive. The Irish Windsurfing Association medals project has turned into an ongoing relationship, with repeat orders coming in for different events throughout the year.

The Irish Windsurfing Association Medals Design and Build Process

The IWA sent us their design file, which made the starting point fairly straightforward. We took their artwork and incorporated it into our cut file using Lightburn, the software we use for our laser cutting work. The medals themselves needed to be made from 4 millimetre birch plywood, sized at about 80 millimetres by 80 millimetres. That’s a good substantial size for a championship medal without being too heavy or awkward to wear.

The production process brought together several of our capabilities. We laser cut each medal to shape, then engraved the design elements before moving to our UV printer to add coloured ink. That combination of techniques is what gives these medals their finished look. You get the natural wood texture and tone, the depth from the engraving, and the colour detail from the UV printing all in one piece.

Customising Medals for Multiple Championship Events

Here’s what makes this project particularly interesting. The Irish Windsurfing Association runs a number of different races over the course of months, not just one single championship day. Each race needs its own specific medal with the unique details of that event on the back: where it took place, what the event was called, and which position the recipient finished in.

We produced about 150 medals in that initial run, but there’s an ongoing requirement for us to make more medals for each upcoming event. The base design stays the same, but we can customise the existing medal format depending on what the specific event needs. That flexibility is built into how we set up the files and our production process.

Quality Checking and Finishing Every Medal

Once we’ve cut, engraved, and printed each medal, we visually check every single one. With a batch of 150 medals, that’s a fair bit of checking, but it matters. We’re looking for any issues with the cut, making sure the engraving came out clean, and verifying the UV print looks right.

Some of the medals needed a bit of extra sanding to finish them properly. That’s just part of working with birch plywood. It’s a great material for this kind of work, but occasionally you need to smooth an edge or take off a rough spot. We also clip on the lanyard that we supply with each medal, so they arrive ready to hand out at the event.

Meeting Championship Event Deadlines

Timing is always important when you’re dealing with sports events. Championships happen on specific dates, and the medals need to be there. We’re always upfront with our customers about lead time from the start. With the Irish Windsurfing Association, we got the dates upfront for their various events and then arranged our production schedule to make sure we could meet those deadlines.

That’s true whether it’s 150 medals or a smaller batch for an individual race. We book in the production time, make sure we have the materials on hand, and get the work done with enough buffer time for any finishing touches or quality issues that might come up.

Working With Sports Organisations and Clubs

The Irish Windsurfing Association medals project is a good example of the kind of work we do for sports clubs and organisations across Ireland. Whether you’re running a county championship, a national event, or a series of races like the IWA, custom medals add something special to the occasion.

We can work from your design or help you create something if you’re starting from scratch. The combination of laser cutting, engraving, and UV printing gives you a lot of options. You can have your club logo, event details, sponsor names, even full colour graphics if that’s what suits your event.

The birch plywood we used for these medals gives you that natural look that works well for outdoor sports, but we can work with other materials too depending on what you’re after. And because we handle the full production process here in Ballinagh, County Cavan, we can talk through the options and adjust things as needed.

Why Sports Clubs Keep Coming Back

The repeat orders from the Irish Windsurfing Association tell you something important. When you’re running multiple events, you need a supplier who can deliver consistent quality and meet your deadlines every time. That’s what we’ve built our reputation on over 11 years.

We ship medals and other custom work all over Ireland through An Post and DPD, so it doesn’t matter if your event is in Cavan, Cork, or Donegal. We get your medals to you on time and in good condition.

If you’re organising a sporting event or championship and need custom medals, we can help. We’ve done the Irish Windsurfing Association medals, we’ve made wooden medals for schools and clubs, and we’ve worked with all sorts of organisations that need something more interesting than generic awards. Get in touch with us at TechCreate, and we’ll talk through what you need for your next event.

The post Irish windsurfing association medals appeared first on TechCreate.

The customer approached us with an image of a table and a chess board they liked. They wanted to customise a wooden tabletop with that chessboard pattern. No fancy personalisation, no custom design elements beyond the standard layout. Just a clean, classic chess board engraved onto pine, for their home bar.

Working Out the Design in Lightburn

Once we had the diameter of the table, the rest was fairly straightforward. We loaded those measurements into Lightburn and created the best fit for the chess board design.

The beauty of working with design software like Lightburn is that you can scale things precisely. We knew the exact dimensions we were working with, so it was just a matter of fitting the standard chess board layout onto a round tabletop. The customer had provided us with the reference image, which made our job easier.

Testing Settings on Pine Before the Full Engrave

The table was made from pine. We already have a library of settings for different materials built up over our 11 years in business, so we knew the ballpark settings for pine before we started. But every piece is slightly different depending on the finish, the grain, and even how dry the wood is.

That’s why we did a small test engrave on the back of the table where it wouldn’t be visible. We adjusted the power and the air assist settings slightly until we got the look we wanted. There’s no point diving straight into the full engrave and then finding out halfway through that your settings are off.

The Advantage of a Large Format Laser

The biggest thing about this project was the scale of the piece. This is where having a Thunder Laser Nova 51 really makes a difference. It’s a large format machine, and it was big enough to accommodate the tabletop in one go.

We’ve engraved other pieces of furniture in the past with the benefit of having a large laser bed. If you’re limited to a smaller machine, you’re stuck doing projects in sections and trying to line everything up perfectly, which is a nightmare. With the Nova 51, we could handle the whole table in one session.

Turnaround Time and Customer Approval

The turnaround time was about 2 working days. We didn’t encounter any issues during the engrave itself, which is always satisfying. Once it was complete, we sent a photograph to the customer before shipping.

He was really happy with how it turned out. We then shipped the table to him. He was delighted with the finished piece and left us a positive 5 star Google review.

Why Furniture Engraving Is a Growing Area for Laser Services

This table laser engraved with a chess board design is exactly the kind of project that shows the range of what laser engraving can do. People often think of lasers for small items like plaques, medals, or signage. But furniture customisation is becoming more popular, and customers are looking for ways to make their pieces unique.

For printing shops that don’t offer laser engraving in-house, this is a perfect example of the kind of work you could outsource to us. Your customers might come to you asking about custom furniture pieces, and instead of turning them away, you can offer it as part of your service. We handle the laser work, you keep the customer relationship.

The chess board design is a popular request because it’s both functional and decorative. You end up with a piece of furniture that actually serves a purpose, not just something decorative sitting on a shelf.

What We Learned from This Project

Every custom job teaches you something. With this one, it reinforced how important test engraves are, even when you think you know the settings. Pine can vary quite a bit, and taking five minutes to do a test on the back of the table saved us from potentially ruining the front.

The other thing this project reminded us of is how much equipment matters. We invested in the Thunder Laser Nova 51 specifically because we wanted to be able to handle larger commercial projects and unusual requests like this. That investment has paid off many times over. We’re able to say yes to projects that other laser businesses simply can’t accommodate.

If you’re a printing shop looking to expand your offerings without investing in your own laser equipment, we’d love to chat. We work with businesses across Ireland, handling everything from one-off custom jobs to larger commercial runs. The table laser engraved with a chess board design is just one example of the custom furniture work we can do. We ship via An Post and DPD, so location isn’t a barrier.

Get in touch with TechCreate today to discuss your next laser engraving project. We’re based in Ballinagh, County Cavan, and we’ve been doing this for 11 years. We know our settings, we have the equipment, and we deliver results that keep customers coming back.

The post Table laser engraved with chess board design appeared first on TechCreate.

When a customer walks into your outdoor sports shop, what’s the first thing they see? Your counter, your displays, and crucially, your signage. It needs to make an impact, reflect your brand, and set the tone for the entire shopping experience. Recently, we worked with a company called Outdoor Sports to create custom in store signage for their retail store, and the project turned into something even more interesting than we initially planned.

What started as a request for a single outdoor sign evolved into multiple branded products, all laser-cut and engraved right here in our Ballinagh workshop. It’s a perfect example of how the right signage solution can open doors to a complete branded product range for your business.

The Brief: Creating Durable In Store Signage for Outdoor Sports Retailer

Outdoor Sports came to us with a straightforward request: they needed a sign made. Initially, they were planning to use it outdoors, so we had to think carefully about material selection. For outdoor applications, durability is absolutely critical. You’re dealing with Irish weather—rain, wind, temperature changes—so the material needs to stand up to all of that without warping, fading, or deteriorating.

That’s why we recommended 6mm marine plywood. Marine ply is specifically designed to withstand moisture and outdoor conditions. It’s what boat builders use, so you know it’s built to last. We laser-cut the sign from this marine plywood and engraved their logo directly into it, creating a clean, professional look that would represent their brand whether it was mounted inside or outside their premises.

Here’s where it gets interesting: as the project developed, Outdoor Sports realised the sign would actually be used indoors, mounted on the counter in their shop. Technically, this meant we could have used our regular interior laser ply instead of the marine plywood. But actually, this turned into an advantage for them—now they have complete flexibility. If they ever decide to move the sign outdoors or use it at an outdoor event, they can do so without any concerns about weather damage.

Working with Your Logo to Create Custom In Store Signage for Businesses

The design process for this project was refreshingly simple. Outdoor Sports sent us their logo, and that became the foundation for everything. We took that logo and scaled it up to create large-format in store signage that would make an impact in their shop.

Sometimes customers worry that creating custom signage is going to be complicated, that they’ll need to get involved in lengthy design discussions or multiple revisions. But often, the simplest approach works best. In this case, the client had a strong logo that represented their brand perfectly. Our job was to translate that logo into a physical product that would work in their retail environment.

We literally just took their logo, prepared it for laser engraving, and cut it from the marine plywood. The laser engraving gives you incredibly crisp detail—every line in the logo comes through clearly. This sign was going to be mounted on the counter in the side of the shop, so it needed to look professional up close. Laser engraving delivers that level of quality.

Material Choices: Marine Plywood vs Interior Laser Ply

Let me talk a bit about the material options, because this is something that comes up with nearly every signage project. When you’re creating in store signage for any retail environment, choosing the right material makes all the difference.

Marine plywood is the premium option for anything that might face outdoor conditions. It’s constructed with waterproof adhesive and higher quality veneers, making it significantly more durable than standard plywood. Yes, it costs a bit more, but if there’s any chance your sign will be exposed to weather, it’s worth every penny. For Outdoor Sports, even though the sign ended up indoors, having that marine ply means they’ve got options.

Interior laser ply, on the other hand, is perfect for signs that will definitely stay indoors. It’s still high quality, it engraves beautifully, and it’s more cost-effective if you know the sign won’t face outdoor conditions. For retail environments, it’s typically more than sufficient. The surface is smooth, the grain is consistent, and it takes engraving exceptionally well.

The key is being honest about where your sign will live. If you’re not sure, or if you think you might want flexibility later, marine ply gives you that insurance. If you’re certain it’s staying indoors, interior ply is an excellent choice that’ll save you a bit on the budget.

From Signage to Complete Branded Product Range

Here’s where this project got really interesting. After we completed the sign for Outdoor Sport, they came back to us with another request: could we design and price up making coasters using the same logo?

This is what I love about working with laser cutting and engraving—once you’ve got a customer’s logo and you’ve done one product successfully, you can translate that into almost anything. We’d already proven we could represent their brand well with the sign, so extending that to coasters was a natural next step.

This happens more often than you might think. A customer comes in for one specific item—in store signage, corporate awards, memorial plaques—and then they realise we can create a whole range of complementary products. Those coasters could be used as promotional items, sold as merchandise, given as corporate gifts, or used in their own café area if they have one.

The beauty of laser work is the consistency. Whether we’re making a large-format sign or small coasters, the quality of the engraving remains exactly the same. The logo looks identical across all products, which is crucial for brand consistency.

Why Laser Engraving Works Perfectly for Retail Signage

After eleven years in this business, I can tell you that laser engraving is simply the best method for creating professional retail signage. The precision is unmatched—you get clean, sharp lines that look just as good up close as they do from across the room.

For in store signage for retailers, that matters enormously. Your customers will be standing right at the counter looking at this sign. If the engraving is rough or the details are unclear, it doesn’t reflect well on your brand. Laser engraving gives you that crisp, professional finish every single time.

There’s also incredible versatility in what we can create. Different depths of engraving, different materials, different sizes—we can adapt to whatever the project requires. For Outdoor Sports, we went with a straightforward engraved sign, but we could just as easily have done cut-through lettering, layered elements, or combined engraving with our UV printing services for colour elements.

The Process: Simple and Straightforward

One thing I want to emphasise is how straightforward the process was. Outdoor Sport contacted us, told us what they needed, sent us their logo, and we took it from there. We didn’t get involved in complicated back-and-forth or lengthy consultations. Sometimes simple is best.

For businesses looking to create their own retail signage, here’s typically how it works: you reach out with your requirements, we discuss material options and sizing, you provide your logo or design, and we prepare it for laser cutting and engraving. We can send you a preview if you’d like to see exactly how it’ll look, then we produce the sign and ship it anywhere in Ireland via An Post or DPD.

Whether you’re in Dublin, Cork, Galway, or anywhere in between, we can handle your signage project from right here in Ballinagh. We’ve been doing this for eleven years now, working with everyone from individual customers to large commercial clients, and the process has become incredibly streamlined.

Ready to Create Your Custom Retail Signage?

If you’re running an outdoor sports shop, a printing business that wants to offer signage to your clients, or any retail operation that needs professional in store signage, we can help. The Outdoor Sport project shows how we can take your logo and turn it into high-quality signage—and potentially a whole range of branded products beyond that.

We’re based in Ballinagh, County Cavan, and we ship throughout Ireland. Whether you need one custom sign or a complete range of branded items, our laser cutting and engraving services can deliver exactly what you’re looking for. Get in touch with TechCreate today, send us your logo, and let’s discuss how we can create signage that represents your brand perfectly.

The post In store signage for Outdoor Sports appeared first on TechCreate.

The post Architectural Model Making appeared first on TechCreate.

At TechCreate we can custom make any point of sale display that you require. To date we have made point of sale displays for jewellers, book sellers, craft producers and general retailers.

Here is an example of a recent POS display we made for our customer Johnny Magory books

These wooden countertop stands can hold up to 20 paperback books or 10 hardbacks. Each stand has “Johnny Magory’s story” engraved into it so everyone who’s new to Johnny Magory can learn about him.

These stylish stands ensure that the Johnny Magory books catch the attention of children and adults alike. They really help to make them stand out from competing products in gift and book shops. Having a custom made point of sale display is the difference between getting found or being hidden.

As with all of the projects we undertake we start by learning about your requirements, what is it you wish to really showcase about your products?

From that we can then design a prototype for you to review and test with. Once the prototype meets your requirements we then move into production and can make as many displays as you need. Whether you have a mainstream product or a niche product we’d be happy to learn about your point of sale requirements and work with you to design something that suits.

To kick off your point of sale project then please contact us today, we have a wealth of experience and would be more than happy to chat about how we can help you. We can work up some suggestions for you based on your brief.  Alternatively if you are the creative type and want to sketch up something then that works too!

The post Custom Made Point of Sale Displays appeared first on TechCreate.

Tom had a vision to make 3D countour maps of coastline areas in Ireland. He engaged our laser cutting and engraving services and use it to cut out the map pieces and engrave them so they could be assembled to give the 3D effect. The maps are topographically accurate and based on admiralty charts of the relevant area.

We are delighted to be able to help Tom bring his idea to life and I’m sure you will agree the finished product looks excellent.

Now that Tom has the process of laser cutting & engraving and then assembling his maps he is starting to take on commissions for other people.

So if you are looking for a unique gift that can be custom made for any coastal location please feel free to contact us and we can put you in touch with Tom.

If you have a project or idea that you would like to prototype and then produce then feel free to get in touch and we’d love to help you make it happen. We can either make things for you from your desings or work with you to develop your ideas using our vast knowledge of laser product design.

The post Customer Spotlight – Tom Ferguson, 3D Contour Maps appeared first on TechCreate.