You may have seen the photos on Instagram or the list posts on a blog, because the Everyday Carry (EDC) trend is becoming more and more popular and visible, and so is the use of laser marking to make EDC items personal and unique.
In this post, we will take a look, not only at the EDC trend, but also at the numerous other ways laser marking is utilized in viral videos and trends.
What Exactly Is Everyday Carry?
The first thing you need to know is that Everyday Carry (EDC) refers to a list of items that are carried on a regular basis and are considered essential to the carriers’ everyday needs in society, or for cases of emergencies.
EDC has grown in popularity throughout the last few years, and while some call it a trend or a fad, others refer to it as a lifestyle. Either way, it is a practice that has long been in effect, even before the EDC terminology was used.
If you think about it this way, EDC really just refers to what you require based on daily needs, and varies from person to person depending on numerous factors such as profession, environment, location, and personal preference.
For a businessperson, for example, it could include a briefcase or a business card holder, while a nature lover would most likely carry a pocket knife or matches.
While the contents of your pockets can vary, there are a few questions you can ask yourself no matter your lifestyle to determine if something should be included in your EDC.
These include:
- What is absolutely necessary?
- What can be left out?
- What’s next in my life?
- What do I prefer?
Laser Marking’s Role in EDC
That last question from our bulleted list is especially important and can refer not only to what you prefer to carry, but also your individual style, which is where laser marking comes into play.
Many sites, including EverdayCarry.com, try to sell EDC essentials such as pocket knives, pens, keychains and more; however, many who purchase such items tend to personalize them, as seen in a host of Instagram posts. Laser engraving or marking can enhance these items and make them truly your own.
From a money clip engraved with a name to a knife with an intricately designed hilt, there are endless ways that laser marking can be used in EDC.
What Does This Mean?
With the influx of intricately designed items along with the growing popularity of EDC, everyday products need to not only function well but they need to look good while doing it.
For manufacturers, especially those targeting the EDC trend/market, this means that incorporating an industrial laser marking machine into your processes could be a great investment for your business.
If you’re interested in learning how a laser marking system can help your business take part in and profit from the Everyday Carry trend, contact TYKMA Electrox today.
How Laser Marking Is Utilized in Other Trends
EDC isn’t the only trend that laser marking has had a part in. Laser marking and engraving can be found just about everywhere.
Because laser marking machines can be used on a wide variety of materials, the possibilities are truly endless. Here are a few other trends where laser marking or engraving has been utilized.
Videos
Watching and creating laser marking videos has been a trend for the last few years. For many, these types of videos create a calming sensation, or for some, an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), which is an experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine.
ASMR has grown in popularity the last few years and thanks to the smoothness of the laser marking process, laser marking and engraving videos have also increased in popularity.
Fidget Spinners
ZeroFeud, a company that actually specializes in custom, high-end EDC products, also makes laser engraved fidget spinners.
For those who may not know, fidget spinners were toys that became popular in 2017. Originally, the spinners were marketed as tools to help people who have trouble focusing or help those who fidget to relieve nervous or anxious energy.
Despite a lack a scientific evidence to back up the marketing, the fidget spinner became a fast fad in 2017, and with the help of ZeroFeud and others, laser marking played its own role in the trend, personalizing people’s unique spinners.
Fashion/Clothing
Fashion trends are some of the most well-known and ever-changing trends of practically any industry. Designers are constantly looking for new ways to create and customize wearable pieces.
In a blog post we wrote about lasers in the fashion industry, we highlighted some of the fashion trends laser marking has played a role in, including:
- Custom-engraved shoes
- Leather-engraved handbags
- Distressed denim
- Texturized fur
- And more
Vinyl Records
Vinyl records have made a resurgence in popularity in recent years and the upward trend seems to keep growing.
Due to this, one Austrian company is looking to capitalize on the trend and change the way vinyl records are produced using laser engraving methods. The company, Rebeat, reports that the new records provide better sound quality, more amplitude, and longer playing time than current records produced with traditional technology.
Not only does this coincide with a current trend, but it also has the potential to start a whole new one for the music industry!
Environmental Impact
The final aspect we’ll highlight is the Zero Waste trend and others like it that analyze the environmental impact we make as humans.
Whether you refer to it as a trend or a movement, Zero Waste is the idea of everything having a purpose and a reuse purpose. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills or incinerators.
Often, the biggest impediment to this goal for both companies and consumers is the packaging used for products. With environmental awareness in mind, many companies are turning to laser marking as a way to individually mark, label, and brand their products without the use of external packaging.
This trend has especially picked up in the grocery industry, specifically with fruits and vegetables, and looks to be rolling into other markets as well.
Learn More About Laser Marking
There are plenty of other ways laser marking is being utilized throughout a wide range of industries, with plenty more sure to be discovered!
To learn more about how laser marking can help your business, contact TYKMA Electrox today.