Filed under: Cool tools, Tips and tricks, Odds and ends, iPhone
Laser etching the iPhone
It takes a braver man than I to put a brand new iPhone directly in the beam of a powerful laser (Do you expect me to talk? No, Mr. iPhone, I expect you to die-cut), but that's exactly what the Make blog did. They etched some old school flying toasters right there on the back, and they ended up coming out pretty well.
There are apparently a couple different engraving houses that can get this done, but according to Engadget, their buddy Phil Torrone (who did this cut) is more than happy to do it for you. So if you're in New York and want to put your iPhone under the lasery knife, give him a call.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
john_a said 2:55PM on 7-19-2007
Phil Torrone etched my MacBook Pro and it came out great. I wouldn't hesitate to take any gadgets to him....
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jabella/sets/72157600033633262/
Reply
Josh H. said 3:09PM on 7-19-2007
Where can you find contact info for him?
mntdev.com
Reply
john_a said 3:26PM on 7-19-2007
Phil's contact info is in the set description I posted, and is in the caption for most of the pictures in that set.
Reply
Gary Lee said 4:29PM on 7-19-2007
how much does it cost? maybe i should invest in a laser etching machine and stand outside the apple store . . . i could make my money back and then some, huh?
Reply
Universe Man said 5:17PM on 7-19-2007
"I expect you to die-cut"--ROFL!
Reply
JeffDM said 6:03PM on 7-19-2007
Laser etching machines really aren't portable, and they really aren't cheap. A decent Versalaser is $10k and up. I have a Versalaser and I'm not that impressed with it, the etching quality is a bit coarse. That person has an Epilog, and I think that's a few thousand more.
The machine should have an air exhaust system so that people don't breathe concentrated fumes because it burns most non-metals that it hits, that's how it does the cutting and engraving.
Reply
corevalu said 1:30AM on 7-20-2007
The Apple logo and the writing on the back of the iPhone are engraved with a laser, by the way ...
Reply
Morgan said 6:50PM on 8-12-2007
I know a place in that will do this for $55 or less. http://www.etchaniphone.com They do a great job.
Reply