Everything you need to know before you personalize your cover — file requirements, what we can engrave, timing, and our final-sale policy.

How engraving works

Each cover is laser engraved individually into the vegan leather. Unlike printing, a laser burns a single tone into the material — it doesn't reproduce color, shading, or photographic detail. Everything below comes down to one idea: your text or logo has to read clearly as a single solid color.

What you can engrave

  • A name — a coach's or athlete's name, up to 20 characters.
  • A program or team name — your school, club, or program, up to 20 characters.
  • A logo — your team or program logo, subject to the file requirements below.

Text is engraved in a single line, in capital letters, exactly as you type it.

Engraved exactly as submitted

We engrave precisely what you enter and upload. We do not correct spelling, spacing, or capitalization. Please review your entry carefully before checkout — a typo becomes a permanent part of the cover.

Logo file requirements

If you're uploading a logo, the file needs to meet these requirements so it engraves cleanly:

Preferred

  • Vector file — SVG, AI, EPS, or PDF. Vectors scale to any size without losing sharpness, which is ideal for engraving.
  • One solid color on a transparent or plain white background.
  • Bold, filled shapes with clean edges.

Accepted

  • PNG with a transparent background, at least 1000 pixels on the shortest side.

Engraves well

  • Single-color, high-contrast artwork
  • Bold letters and filled shapes
  • Simple, recognizable marks
  • Clean vector files

Doesn't engrave well

  • Gradients, shadows, or glows
  • Very fine lines or small text
  • Multi-color logos that blur into one tone
  • Photographs or screenshots of a logo

We'll check your file before we engrave

If the file you upload won't engrave cleanly, we'll email you before we start and give you a chance to send a better one. If a workable file isn't available, we'll refund the $9.99 engraving fee and ship your journal without a logo.

Logo permissions & ownership

By uploading a logo or any artwork, you confirm that you own it or have permission to use and reproduce it. You're responsible for making sure the artwork you submit doesn't infringe anyone else's trademark, copyright, or other rights.

We may decline artwork

We reserve the right to decline any engraving request, including after an order is placed, if we believe the artwork may infringe a third party's rights or that we don't have clear permission to reproduce it. If we decline, we'll email you and refund the $9.99 engraving fee, and ship your journal without the logo unless you'd prefer to cancel.

Responsibility for submitted artwork

You agree that any claim arising from artwork you submit — including trademark or copyright claims — is your responsibility, not ours. We engrave the artwork you provide, as you provide it.

What happens to your file

We use your uploaded file only to produce your order. We don't sell it or share it, and we don't reuse it for anything else without your permission.

Production & shipping

  • Engraved orders ship 10 to 14 days after purchase. Each cover is cut individually, which is why personalized orders take longer than a standard journal.
  • Orders placed early in an engraving window ship sooner than orders placed on the final day. If you need it by a specific date, order early.
  • You'll receive a shipping confirmation when your order leaves.

Engraved journals are final sale

Because each cover is personalized to your order, engraved journals cannot be returned, exchanged, or cancelled once production has started. This includes errors in text you submitted. If your order arrives damaged or defective, contact us within 14 days and we'll make it right.

When engraving is available

Customization is only open 1-3 times each year. Batching production during these windows is what lets us offer it at $9.99 rather than a custom-order price. Outside those windows, engraving is closed.

Questions

If you're not sure whether your logo will work, or you need help before you order, email us at info@theplaybookjournal.com and we'll take a look before you buy.