22 August 2025

Engraved Ceremonial Spade: UV DTF on Stainless Steel

This was a rewarding job: a polished stainless steel spade, personalised for a groundbreaking ceremony at a local academy. Ceremonial spades like this mark the start of a construction project and are often kept as a memento afterwards - so the finish needed to look premium and last.

The challenge

Because the spade was highly polished and curved, traditional laser engraving wasn't the best option - a reflective, contoured surface makes consistent laser marking difficult. We needed full colour and a crisp result on an awkward shape.

Our solution

We used UV DTF (direct-to-film) printing, which lets us apply a durable, full-colour graphic that conforms to the curved metal. The result was a sharp, vibrant finish with the ceremony details and branding, ready to be presented on the day.

It's a good example of choosing the right process for the material and shape rather than forcing one method to fit. If you have a tricky object to personalise, tell us about it - we'll recommend the best approach and turnaround.