| The MPX-80 Machine and consumable products: |
• How much will it cost?
The cost of getting started with the MPX-80 machine is just £2,495 (+VAT where applicable). Our range of MPX-80 Starter Packages begin at £2,895 and include a machine, a range of stock, promotional materials and everything needed to start making money from detailed personalised engravings.
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| • How long does it take to personalise each item?
The engraving time for each gift depends on the complexity of the image. The average time taken to engrave each item is about 3-5mins for images and as little as 30secs for text.
The time taken to set-up an image for engraving can be as little as 2 minutes for each new image. If you are using the same image for multiple gifts (e.g logos) it is as simple as replacing the engraved gift for another blank gift. This means if you keep a reasonable amount of stock on hand the turnaround time can be as little as 5 minutes
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• What limitations are there?
The maximum engraving area on both MPX70 and MPX80 is 80mm x 80mm. The MPX70 machine is limited to items of less than 20mm in height, plus a flat base and engraving area is required. The MPX80 machine however includes a vice-clamp for holding jigs and gifts. The MPX-80 can also accommodate any item up to 40mm in height and has the ability to engrave slightly curved surfaces. |
• What is the level of detail in engraving images?
Images can be engraved up to 529dpi which allows for very detailed images to be recreated in at near photo quality.
As with traditional forms of printing - the higher quality the original image is, the better quality the finished product will be. Backgrounds will be visible in the engraving as they are in the image, so removing backgrounds usually looks better. |
• What is the level of detail in engraving text or logos?
Logos and text can be engraved in far higher detail (up to 1058dpi) than by using traditional forms of engraving using the MPX80’s vector line engraving function (see instruction manual).
This is an excellent function that makes the engraving much more prominent. |
• Can all of your products be engraved with the MPX80?
Our established range of fantastic gifts, keyrings, stainless steel and rhodium/gold plated pendants are ideally suited to photo engraving with the MPX80.
Our new range of stainless steel pendants and keyrings were designed and manufactured by us, specifically for the Metaza, to give a sharper engraving than traditional brass pendants. This harder material and its lack of a plating finish means the stainless steel products will also resist any tarnishing.
You can also use the Metaza MPX80 to engrave your own range of products as long as they fit into the 40mm(H) x 80mm(W) x 80mm(L) engravable area. |
• How long does the engraving last - Does it wear away?
Because an engraving, by its nature, changes the surface of the metal by means of an impression, it means that the engraved image/text/logo CANNOT be worn away. Printing images using inks means you would be adding the image to the metal surface and therefore it could be worn away.
See HERE for an 18 month old KEY11 constantly used on a set of house keys. |
• What about the quality of your pendants?
Our standard range of rhodium/gold plated brass pendants are of the highest quality nickel-free pendants available. We take time to ensure that our platings are the highest possible hardness and quality and you should not confuse our pendant range with cheaper, inferior pendant blanks which may be available elsewhere.
Cheaper pendants that you may find on the market may contain nickel and this is prohibited for use on jewellery within the EU.
In 2008 we introduced a revolutionary range of tarnish-free stainless steel pendants with a mirror polished finish. As these have no platings or different coloured base metal, you can be confident that these premium pendants will never be returned to you as a result of tarnishing. |
• What are the ongoing costs?
The only ongoing maintenance cost that you will encounter will be the cost of replacing the engraving head. Unlike most other engraving machines, the MPX80 engraving head contains nine diamond tipped engraving pins - it uses only one at a time to strike the metal surface. This means that once one pin is fully used through engraving (or if it damaged from incorrect use) then you simply switch onto the next unused pin, thereby increasing the potential life of the head.
A replacement head currently costs £299 and can last (depending on frequency of use) anything from approximately 3 months of non-stop constant use to several years of occasional use.
Because the 'head' contains nine diamond tipped styli that strikes the metal surface, and the more each stylus strikes a surface the quicker it will need replacing, we can give a very approximate ‘Cost of Engraving’ of about £0.02-£0.10 per pendant. |
• How do I know when each of the 9 pins are worn?
When a pin is worn it means it has lost its sharpness that is required for the clean, sharp, impacted impression needed for a clean, sharp, detailed picture engraving.
You usually notice that the image you have engraved is faint and lacking in the depth of detail that is usually possible when engraving a good image.
The pin can then be changed using the MPX-80 Head Manager software included with the machine (see instruction manual).
In our practical experience, we can easily achieve about £1000-3000 worth of sales per pin. |
• How do I make the most of my 9 pins?
An excellent TIP to maximise profitability is to use worn pins for any text/logo vector engravings, as this method of engraving does not rely on the sharpness of the pin – you get the same engraving result from a ‘blunt’ pin as you would with a new ‘sharp’ pin.
Using this method could easily double the life of your engraving head. |
| Engraving TIPS: |
• What experience will I need to operate the MPX-70 or MPX-80?
No previous engraving knowledge is required as the software is based on simple desktop printing procedures. It is therefore a very simple procedure that involves importing an image, positioning, adjusting the brightness then clicking print.
All the information you will need to get started will be provided and telephone support is always available from us and the manufacturer. |
• My photograph is of poor quality, how can I make the engraving clearer?
The sharpness of an engraving will depend largely upon the quality of the original image. However by using a simple photo editing software package you can significantly improve the quality. A good contrast between the focal point of the image and the background is essential, so try removing the background and filling it as solid black (white colours are engraved, black colours are not engraved). Further photoshop editing can allow you to add a brighter ‘halo effect’ to distinguish between the black hair and black background before importing into the Metaza software for engraving.
While we cannot provide support or training for any photo editing packages, Roland DG do offer training courses for tuition on advanced photo editing. |
• What brightness, contrast and gamma settings should I use?
This depends entirely upon the quality and brightness of the original image. There are a few things to look for when viewing in the print preview screen. Firstly ensure that you have the preview colours set to black and white, keep the brightness and contrast set to ‘0’, then gradually increase the gamma setting until ‘solid bright white spots’ begin to form in the focal point of the image. You will see a ringed effect emanating from the bright spot going gradually darker through the shades of grey, and the more of these rings that form, and the brighter they are, will result in a more detailed engraving.
Like contour lines on a map. The more detailed, bright, varied dots that appear…the more detailed, clean and crisp the engraved image. |
• My engraved image is too dark, what can I do?
Provided you are using a holding jig to secure the item in place and it hasn’t moved, it is possible to engrave over the top of the existing engraving using a higher brightness/gamma setting. A kind of ‘second chance’. |
• I occasionally get a ghosting effect when engraved, what is this and how can it be avoided?
Occasionally such an effect can occur and is usually caused by the build up on the green nose cone of minute residue from the engraving/plating. It is advised that you engrave without the nose cone when engraving items that have a flat engraving surface (i.e. pendants) but it is vital that you follow the necessary instructions for this (see page 35 of the user manual) to ensure that no damage to the engraving pins occurs. |
| Launching a Metaza Business: |
• How successful has the METAZA been for others?
Many sellers throughout the UK have enjoyed high levels of success using the Metaza impact printer and the market is now well established in the USA and the Far East.
It can be used as a turnkey business or as an add-on to an existing key cutter, engraver, photo, gift or jewellery retailer.
We provide everything for you to start a successful personalised gift retail business. Customising RETAIL and BUSINESS GIFTS is a huge, growing market within the World marketplace and this is your opportunity to tap into this market with very little outlay. |
• How do I purchase a ready made Metaza business package?
All Metaza Starter Packages can be purchased directly from Metaza.com and you should receive your ‘business in a box’ within a few days. Once you receive your Metaza Package from us you will have everything you need to start trading in personalised gifts, and in no time at all you will be up and running with a profitable business package. |
• How much can I make money from using your METAZA Gift Packages?
The profit margins for this type of business are potentially huge as a premium pendant with chain and gift box costs just £2.95 each and retails with engraving for £15-£20.
Keyrings and other popular gifts can have an even higher mark-up. |
| These fundamentals make this kind of business, offering this kind of quality product, extremely profitable. The Unique Selling Point this method of gift selling offers is the Personalised element. People WILL pay more for an attractive gift item that offers a personal message or a loved one's photograph. |
| Metaza.com Purchasing Information: |
• Does your site have a minimum order?
Yes, to be eligible to purchase our products at trade prices we have a required minimum order of £50. |
• What are your postage costs?
UK based customers: We provide free delivery on all orders over £200, whilst orders under £200 are subject to a £7.50 postage charge.
EU based customers: A £30 shipping charge is applied to orders of less than £200, a £50 charge for orders of £201-£500, and free delivery is given to all orders in excess of £500.
Worldwide customers: A £60 shipping charge added to orders of less than £300, an £80 charge for orders of £301-£700, and free delivery for all order in excess of £700.
*Some restrictions may apply to overseas free delivery when purchasing a machine – contact us with your details for clarification. If you are located in a country that is not listed here, then please email a list of required items and we will calculate a shipping charge based on the weight of the order.
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• Do you perform on site demonstrations?
Due to the ease of use and relative low cost of the machine, we cannot offer to perform on-site demonstrations. However, if you would like to see a demonstration before purchasing then this can be done at either our warehouse in Wigan (near Manchester) or at our retail shop in Manchester city centre. Please email to book a demonstration as we cannot guarantee that someone will be present at all times of the day. We also have a number of demonstration videos on our website which show how easy the machine is to use. |
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