A ChessboArt board can carry a name, a date, a logo or a short motto. Almost all of it is laser engraving; for colored or inlaid lettering there are two slower, handmade routes.
Published · Updated · ~8 min read
The short answer
There are three ways to put your own words or mark on a ChessboArt board. Laser engraving is what we use in almost every case: precise, quick to arrange and the most affordable. Intarsia and resin-filled lettering are bespoke: slower, priced individually, considerably more expensive, and entirely possible when a project calls for them. Most of our boards are made in the standard way with at most a small engraving, such as a short dedication or a club or company logo.
| Laser engraving | Intarsia | Resin-filled lettering | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example |  |
 |
 |
| Look | Dark mark on bare wood, crisp edges; no color | Lettering in a contrasting wood, set into the board | Lettering filled with epoxy resin in any color, sanded smooth |
| Best for | Names, dates, dedications, logos, fine detail | A title or monogram that looks part of the wood | Bold colored lettering, or lettering on dark wood |
| How it is made | Laser on the raw board, lacquered afterwards | Pieces of wood cut and fitted in; labor-intensive | Lettering milled mechanically (not by laser), filled, sanded, finished |
| Cost and time | Lowest; adds about a week | Quoted individually | Quoted individually |
Laser engraving
A laser burns the design into the wood. It is the method behind nearly everything we personalize, and it handles fine detail well, as the small logo in the corner of this walnut frame shows.
We engrave the raw board and lacquer it afterwards, so engraving is possible only on a board made to order, adds about one week, and is ordered together with the board. Boards already in stock cannot be engraved. The mark is always dark wood against bare wood, so logos become pure black and white, and it reads best on light woods such as ash or birch; on dark walnut it is softer.
What can be engraved, and where
On the engraving option for ChessboArt800 and ChessboINK there are three placements, which can be combined: a short text on the front of the frame (about 30 characters), a logo on the front (up to 50 × 50 mm), and a private dedication on the back (up to 80 characters). Typical choices are a wedding or anniversary date, a name and year for a gift, a club or company logo, or a tournament name for a prize board.
For companies the logo can go in the corners of the frame, as on the office board above; more ideas are in our guide to bespoke corporate chess gifts. If you want a personalization you can change, the double-sided magnetic frame carries one engraving per face and pulls off without tools; see frames for clubs, federations and sponsors. The same laser works on wooden chess clock cases and on trophies, such as the one from the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 below (more in our article on wooden chess trophies).
Lettering across the playing surface
Lettering can also run across the board itself, one letter per square with an empty square between words. It is possible, and a placeholder shows the logic: Your own / message takes two rows, the first with all eight squares and the second one square short.
| Rank | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Y | o | u | r | o | w | n | |
| 4 | m | e | s | s | a | g | e |
Illustration only; the real engraving contrast depends on the woods chosen.
- A row holds eight characters. We break lines at word boundaries and send you a drawing to approve before engraving.
- Centering depends on the row count. The middle of the board falls between ranks 4 and 5, so two rows center exactly and three rows sit half a square off.
- Use the middle ranks. Ranks 3 to 6 are empty in the starting position, so the text stays readable with all pieces in place.
- Mind the contrast. A laser mark is crisper on light squares than on dark ones. For equal weight on every letter, resin or intarsia is the better choice.
- Consider the notation. When the lettering is large, leaving part or all of the a–h and 1–8 notation off can make the text clearer. Boards are made to order, so this can be agreed up front.
Beyond the laser: intarsia and resin
Intarsia builds lettering from pieces of different woods fitted together and set into the surface, so the board stays smooth and the color comes from the wood. It is difficult, labor-intensive work, and the effect is striking: the title Game of Kings on the board in the table above, made for a client in Mexico, is inlaid in wood, not engraved.
Resin-filled lettering is milled into the board mechanically, not with the laser. The recess is filled with epoxy resin in any color, then sanded and finished. It adds color and depth and works on dark wood, where a laser mark would be subtle. Both techniques are very individual, priced separately and considerably more expensive than laser engraving. The board in the table above has squares filled with resin in many colors. Our classic boards already combine intarsia, resin and traditional squares.
How to order
- Laser engraving on a board. Add the board and the engraving to your cart, once per placement, and type the text in the field above the button. For a logo, email us the file (JPG or PDF) with your order number after checkout.
- Engraved frame or clock. Send the text or logo in the order notes or by replying to the confirmation; we check it first, and for clocks we show a proof. Details are on the frame and clock pages.
- Text across the board, intarsia or resin. Write to us with the board, the wording or artwork, the woods and your deadline, and we reply with whether it works, a layout and a price. You can also start with the wall chess configurator, explained in our configurator guide.
Engraved boards are made just for you and cannot be returned, so we check spelling and layout with you before we start.
FAQ
Can I have a board that is already in stock engraved?
No. We engrave the raw board and lacquer it afterwards, so engraving is only possible on a board made to order.
How much text or logo fits?
On the front of a ChessboArt800 or ChessboINK frame, a short text of up to about 30 characters or a logo up to 50 × 50 mm (JPG or PDF). On the back, a dedication of up to 80 characters. The more characters, the smaller the letters.
Can you engrave text across the playing surface, one letter per square?
Yes, as a custom request. A row has eight squares, so we lay the text out in rows of up to eight characters with an empty square between words, send you a drawing and confirm it before engraving. If the lettering is large, we can also leave part or all of the a–h and 1–8 notation off the board.
Which logo files do you need?
For a logo on a board (up to 50 × 50 mm), a JPG or PDF. For engraved frames, vector files are best, but we also accept high-quality JPG or PNG. Laser engraving is black and white only, so high-contrast artwork gives the best result.
Can the engraving be in color?
Not with the laser: it burns the wood, so the mark is dark on bare wood, with no color or shades of gray. For colored lettering the route is resin: the lettering is milled into the wood and filled with epoxy resin in the color you choose.
How much do intarsia and resin lettering cost, and how long do they take?
Both are individual jobs, quoted separately and considerably more expensive than laser engraving. Standard laser engraving adds about one week to the making of the board.
Can I change or remove the engraving later?
Engraving is permanent. For a personalization you can change, use our magnetic double-sided frame: it clicks onto the board, pulls off without tools, and the board underneath stays untouched.
Can I return an engraved board?
No. Engraved boards are made just for you and cannot be returned, so we check text, spelling and layout with you before we start.
Can you engrave a chess clock?
Yes, wooden clock cases, with a proof before engraving. We do not engrave dials, crystals, plastic or metal cases.