Artificial intelligence is transforming industries globally, yet there remains a singular craft so delicate that even the slightest error can undo days of meticulous work.
In virtually every sector, AI has made its presence felt—streamlining operations in supermarkets, assisting in medical offices, and even overseeing agricultural processes. However, there exists a timeless trade where modern technology has barely made an impact: the artisanal craft of hand-engraving plates for high-end, bespoke stationery.
This intricate practice involves the delicate art of carving text and patterns into copper plates using manual tools, a skill that remains firmly in the hands of human artisans.
At the forefront of this vanishing craft is Crane Stationery, an esteemed American company with a two-century legacy. Known for their exquisite engraved stationery, Crane’s work has included prestigious projects from invitations for the Statue of Liberty to personalized correspondence for notable figures like Jimmy Fallon.
Today, the future of this craft is uncertain. Crane Stationery employs only about a dozen engravers, a number that has halved over the past twenty years, with at least one artisan set to retire this year. The company faces a significant challenge in finding new talent willing and capable of mastering this meticulous art form.
Today, with only about a dozen engravers remaining — and at least one expected to retire this year — Crane is worried the trade will die out because they cannot find people willing or able to do it. Just two decades ago it employed twice as many.
Artificial intelligence and automation aren’t to blame. The real challenge is persuading people to learn and commit to such a highly skilled, precision craft.
‘If you have a desire to print, saddle up — you have a job at Crane,’ chief executive Robert Buhler told the Wall Street Journal.
Engravery is the practice of creating designs, text, or patterns by cutting, carving, or etching into a surface like metal, wood, glass, or stone using hand tools
Crane Stationery, a 200-year-old company, is one of the most established employers of this kind of tradesperson
It is a real challenge to persuade people to learn and commit to such a highly skilled, precision craft
The shortage has already hit business. Crane ended holiday sales two weeks early this season after running out of engravers to complete orders.
According to the International Engraved Graphics Association, just over 300 trained engravers — also known as presspeople — are working in the US today.
The demanding length and rigor of the training are a major reason the craft is disappearing.
Engravers at Crane carve razor-thin lines into copper plates used to print custom cards, invitations and stationery. The margin for error is narrower than the width of a human hair.
While lasers are used to etch the initial die-plates, the most critical work is still done by hand. Engravers must refine each line manually, then adjust antique presses to account for humidity, temperature and the quirks of machines that can be more than a century old.
Each color requires its own copper plate. If even one shade is misaligned — sometimes by an amount invisible to the naked eye — the entire process must start over.
Trainees may spend an entire year mastering a single color before advancing to more complex designs, standing for up to eight hours a day at antique presses.
Only about half of apprentices make it through Crane’s training program. Many quit. Others simply fail to meet the company’s standards.
Just over 300 trained engravers — also known as presspeople — are working in the US today (pictured: Crane workers from decades ago)
Engraving apprentices start at $18.50 an hour, and even with quarterly bonuses, newly certified engravers earn up to about $60,000 a year (pictured: a worker at Crane Currency)
Everyone Crane hires to engrave starts with no experience, in theory, anyone could do the job
A rare 1892 photograph of a Crane Stationery factory, capturing the early days of a craft that has changed little in more than a century
Engraving apprentices start at $18.50 an hour, and even with quarterly bonuses, newly certified engravers earn up to about $60,000 a year — modest pay for a craft that takes years to master and cannot be automated.
Buhler says he raised pay across the company by about 14 percent and increased senior engravers’ wages by more than 20 percent after buying Crane nearly two years ago.
He also improved health benefits and began reimbursing commuting costs, with another round of raises planned this year after the company spent heavily on moving to a new building.
Everyone Crane hires to engrave starts with no experience — in theory, anyone could do the job. In practice, very few are willing to endure the years of training and relentless pursuit of perfection it demands.
To be an engraver at Crane, ‘you have to live in a state of perfection every single day,’ Buhler told the WSJ.
Crane has had a rocky few years.
Crane cut about 200 jobs during the pandemic after relocating from North Adams, Massachusetts, to the Albany, New York, area. Its future looked uncertain in early 2024 when its parent company was sold to an Italian firm.
When Buhler, a self-taught engraver from North Carolina, took an ownership stake in 2024, the company had about 72 employees.
