Wood Types We Use and Why

One of the first questions we get from custom order customers is: "What kind of wood is it?" The honest answer is that it depends — on the design, the use case, and what kind of look we're going for.

Pine Wood is our go-to for detailed work. It's rich, close-grained, and produces a high-contrast burn that makes fine lines and small text pop cleanly. It's forgiving with the laser and consistent across boards.

Poplar is for pieces that need presence. The light, soft grain means the engraving reads differently — images engrave very well on it because of its ability to show many different shades, from dark burns to light texture.

When you place a custom order, just let us know if you have a preference — or describe what you're going for and we'll make the call. We keep multiple species in stock and can usually match the right wood to the right project.