Have you ever looked at a charcuterie spread and wondered ‘what font best encapsulates this particular type of cheese?’ Well our laser engraving specialists here at Vector & Raster have. Admittedly, we’re inspired by many things here in our laser engraving workshop, including the art of personalised gift-giving and just the beauty of laser engraving wood. Fittingly, today’s project actually combines both of these inspirations, which is why we want to share it in all its delectable glory.
Stick with us as we share all the top considerations to keep in mind when designing laser engraved charcuterie boards – from finding the right placement for designs to ensuring high-quality engravings that can be enjoyed for thousands of dinner parties to come.
Laser engraving charcuterie boards: a food-safe practice
The first question we often get asked is if our laser engraved serving boards and charcuterie boards are actually food-safe. The short answer is that they are. What’s the point of a charcuterie board that you can’t adorn with meats, crackers, and cheeses?
The long answer is that the process of laser engraving on wood materials produces robust end results that can withstand most of the types of contact you can expect when cutting or slicing. Using the right types of wood is also vital to ensuring that your laser engraved charcuterie boards are both functional and look presentable over the long-term.
For example, hardwood materials (i.e. acacia, walnut, maple, cherry) or bamboo are amongst the most common types of wood used for charcuterie boards. This isn’t just because of their harder wearing surfaces, but also due to their denser, lower porosity composition. Wood materials that are less porous are less likely to absorb moisture and warp or splinter as a result, making them more food-safe.
At Vector & Raster, we’re also proud partners with Australian timber suppliers who maintain sustainable production practices. This helps ensure that all of our hardwood, bamboo, and other wood materials used to produce our laser engraved charcuterie boards are free from fillers and other chemicals or faults that can affect the food safety rating of our laser engraved charcuterie boards. Partnering with local suppliers also allows us to provide high-quality wood materials at reasonable price points.
How to care for laser engraved charcuterie boards
Another common question we get asked by our happy customers who’ve received laser engraved charcuterie boards delivered from our workshop to their doors is how they can keep their boards looking new and performing at their best for years if not decades. Thanks to the high-quality finish of all our laser engraved grazing boards, caring for your newly engraved creations is actually not too dissimilar to caring for a standard chopping board.
The key is to keep your charcuterie board dry whenever it’s not in use. This aids in reducing risks of water absorption that can then impact the lasting quality of not only your laser engraved design, but also the wood board itself.
It’s also vital to maintain the health of your wood boards by regularly applying a food-grade mineral oil or even beeswax. Maintaining this process can help lock in nutrients that support the strength and durability of your laser engraved wooden charcuterie boards. Regularly applying oil can also help preserve the neatness of your laser engraved design, reducing risks of splintering or misshaping over time.
And as charcuterie boards are used to serve cheese, meats, and other ingredients that may generate some pungent scents, let us leave you with these final tips on ensuring your laser engraved charcuterie board stays free from lingering odours. Typically, a simple solution of lemon juice and baking soda is more than enough to gently clean your laser engraved charcuterie board.
Our latest laser engraved charcuterie board project
Okay, you’ve probably been wondering how the design for this latest laser engraved charcuterie board project came about, so let’s properly get into it. Basically, the mouse and cheese design you can see above is actually one of the most popular custom designs that was requested by a regular client of ours who’s a local woodworker.
The client brought us another stack of gorgeous, hand-crafted solid wood charcuterie boards for engraving. They were expressly after custom slogans and images for all of these boards, with some being intended for sale and a handful to be given as gifts.
We settled on the playful mouse and cheese design because the boards were large enough to really have fun with the spacing and sizing of all the fonts used. That high-contrast finish that’s characteristic of wood laser engraving also really makes the central mouse image pop in amidst all the engraved text. We loved laser engraving these charcuterie boards to precision, and our client was thoroughly impressed by the detail and the uniform quality of all the engraved text regardless of font boldness and depth.
Once we’d powered down our laser engraving machines, our laser engraving specialists then cleaned the finished charcuterie boards to ensure they were free from residue and ready for waxing. Then, we packaged them up carefully as we do, and sent them onto their new home – our favourite part of the process, as we’re left to imagine the laughter and smiles that these cheesy creations would naturally inspire.
Design laser engraved charcuterie boards with Vector & Raster
From securing wood materials with sustainable local suppliers to handling every project with great attention to detail, our laser engravers here at Vector & Raster take great pride in producing only the highest quality laser engraved charcuterie boards and serving boards. We’ll work with you to find the right materials, designs and placements for your unique project.
Our laser engravers are also always keen to take on new challenges and have extensive experience producing high-quality wood laser engravings across a range of different products, including larger items like wooden barrels for wineries and extra small items like personalised bookmarks.
Want a free quote on your next laser cutting or engraving project? Simply fill out our online inquiry form to receive a free no-obligation quote sent straight to your preferred inbox.
