Tattoos gone tech

Tattoo you: Bill and Jen Horvath tattoo electronic devices.

Local company inks electronic devices

by Adam Shapiro

published September 12th 2007

There’s a new kind of tattoo in town, one involving no needles, ink or — masochists beware — no pain! In fact, these tattoos aren’t even for yourself; they’re for your electronic toys.

Newborn company Tech-Tattoos, located off of Executive Parkway, specializes in tattooing the gizmos, gadgets and gear that have become a part of our daily lives — everything from cell phones and iPods to PDAs and laptops.

Utilizing a powerful laser hooked up to a computer, owner Jen Horvath can etch just about any flat surface, creating anything from simple text imprints to elaborate works of art for her customers.

In a society where people are constantly feeling homogenized it’s a great way to express your individuality without having to alter your physical appearance, Horvath said.

“More and more people just want to be themselves. Instead of associating themselves with some corporation, they want to make their own statement. Why advertise Sony or Apple when you can advertise yourself?” Horvath asked.

Laser etching can be an effective security measure. Customers can have their names and contact information permanently etched into their expensive electronics in case of loss or theft.

Much of the excitement which comes from this relatively new art form, is that the client has the opportunity to be an integral part of the creation process, Horvath said.

Customers can sit along side Horvath and help design their personalized logo or artwork on a larger-than-life computer screen. She’ll even let you push the green start button to set the laser into motion.

While Horvath has an extensive collection of of fonts, clipart and photos to choose from, clients can also bring in their own pictures to have scanned and transfered to their belongings via the laser.

The sleek, blue and black machine which houses the laser has a glass top so you can watch the etching take place. The laser itself is invisible but emits little flashes of light as it burns away the material it’s etching.

If you are worried about the laser damaging your precious possessions, don’t be; etching only affects the surface of a device and doesn’t penetrate the casing.

As laser etching is generally considered a surface imperfection, it shouldn’t violate any warranties either, Horvath said.

“Though I like to think of it as a surface enhancement.”

The cost for these enhancements vary greatly depending upon size and complexity of the designs. The basic price for a laptop image is about $100, while more intricate designs can cost closer to $200. Cell phone etchings cost about $30 and only take a couple of minutes on average to complete.

“Since this is brand new we are still experimenting with the pricing,” said Bill Horvath, Jen’s husband and co-owner of Tech-Tattoos. “Ideally, we want it to be affordable for high school and college students.”

Horvath got the idea to start Tech-Tattoos after he saw an example of a laser-tattooed laptop in “Make” magazine.

Currently there are only a handful of shops across the country that specialize in small-scale, customizable laser etching — a fact that is sure to make Tech-Tattoos an essential outlet for all us tech-savvy Toledoans.

Tech-Tattoos is located at 3454 Oak Alley Ct, Suite 100. 419-776-0011. Visit www.zapyourcrap.com or tech-tattoos.com">www.tech-tattoos.com to view samples. E-mail Jen Horvath at tech-tattoos.com">jhorvath@tech-tattoos.com.