Leather is one of the most valuable materials when it comes to decorating, since its high quality and other properties such as its color, texture and even its smell, can stand out as one of the most used raw materials in the manufacture of bags, wallets, and accessories in general. In addition to this, it is an organic material and its production and treatment are carried out under strict measures of care for the environment, hence it is one of the most ecological materials.
In this way, when talking about leather engraving, it can be said that this is one of the most used techniques to decorate this type of material, since a lot of it involves perforation of the skin when printing images that will give it that elegant and personalized that most people look for when acquiring a piece of leather, therefore, leather engraving will be a technique that adds value and personality to the leather accessory.
That is why in this post we will explain what leather engraving is all about, where we will refer to both traditional techniques and those that are revolutionizing leather engraving decoration today. So, you will have an idea of how valuable these pieces can be with this type of decoration, so we are sure that after reading this you will not want to stay out of trend and you will be able to decide to reform yourself or with the help of a master craftsman in this area.
Older Types of Leather Engraving
These types of engraving have mostly been used throughout human history, since they were the first techniques to take over the decoration of leather pieces. Thus, although they are currently displaced by new technologies, it can be said that the craftsmanship they obtained generates greater value for the piece, since they are unique and exclusive designs.
1. Engraving with Tracer:
This type of leather engraving technique is based on making lines on top of the skin, so first of all you must mark the drawing on an onion paper or parchment paper, which must be a simple and clear image without many details, after previously moistening the skin, we proceed to mark the drawing with a blunt-tipped liner settling on the selvedges of the figure.
In the same way, to ensure the success of this technique, it is important to repeat the drawing until the image is completely printed on the skin, since this will guarantee the level of finish of the piece by providing details such as the level of depth and the corresponding relief. to the lines of the drawing.
2. Engraving with Matador:
In the case of this leather engraving technique, it is known to be one of the easiest to apply, since it is characterized by drawing the drawing directly on the skin. In this way, you must apply it with previously moistened skin to ensure that there is a good penetration of the tool, which can be the well-known matador or a booteador.
Therefore, this tool will place it perpendicular to the skin and after that it will hit it with a hammer to exert pressure on the leather and draw the image. In the same way, you must remember to apply the layout as many times as necessary, in order to ensure a correct printing of the drawing. Likewise, you will also have to finish the necessary treatment to the leather so that it has a good finish.
3. The embossing:
This technique is characterized by being one of the oldest, in turn it is one of the most complicated since in it various tools and techniques are used such as guadamecí and cordovan that guarantee greater beauty in their finishes. Among the most used tools we have the tracer and the burins which allow to raise parts of the leather to mark that relief of the image without showing the interior skin of the leather.
Types of current leather engraving
Currently the world of leather goods and leather work has been invaded by the advancement of technology. From there, new ways of working with this raw material arise that facilitate its production and, in turn, the detail of clean and perfect pieces. That is why everything changes and leather engraving techniques do too. In this way, we will present you the most used techniques today in the world of leather decoration.
1. The stamping:
This engraving technique consists of designing the drawing to be printed on a plate, however, before applying it to the skin, the color, brightness and sharpness of the image must be defined, since this plate will be used directly on the skin giving as a result the impression of the drawing.
2. The snake effect:
This technique is very famous since it is used to give a snakeskin effect without using the skin of this animal, which is why it is often used in the manufacture of bags, jackets and shoes. In this way, this technique consists of passing the tanned skin crosswise over a blade, after which the same procedure must be repeated in order to join the inside skin with the outside.
Thus, this technique seeks to resemble the skin of the piece with the scales of the snake, however, for this it must go through different treatments that will help it create that great similarity, so it is not simply based on engraving with the blade, but also must have other procedures.
3. Laser engraving
Today the laser is used in multiple companies for different purposes, which is why when talking about leather engraving this technique cannot be left out. Therefore, currently leather engraving has left chisels and punches aside to make way for this new technique that allows work to be carried out with greater detail and precision.
In this way, laser engraving consists of printing images on the skin, which will be made by a laser machine. Thus, it is important to take into account that this type of technique allows printing more specialized images, which have greater detail, in the same way it will be important to take into account some factors such as the type of leather and the high speed and power with which it is printed. handles the machine, which allows creating contrast in the color of the leather giving it a more natural look.
Likewise, one of the qualities of this type of technique that should be mentioned is that laser engraving on leather ensures a lifetime image print, since it must be remembered that the laser does not paint the leather with ink If not, on the contrary, it burns its surface and this cannot be erased over time.
In short, whether with any of these techniques that you decide to encourage yourself to decorate and engrave your skins, do not forget that the raw material you use will be an essential factor to ensure a good job. For this reason, at Curtidos Menacho we invite you not to stop reviewing our catalog of leathers of the highest quality with a wide range of colors and textures to satisfy all your tastes.