Printed vs Stamped vs Engraved Golf Balls: Which Is Best?
19 June 2026
There are three main ways to put your mark on a golf ball: printing, stamping and engraving. They look similar in a product photo, but they work very differently — and the right choice depends on whether you want a full-colour logo, a quick way to identify your own ball, or a permanent monogram.
Here's how the three compare, and how to pick.
Quick comparison
| Method | Colours | Best for | DIY or made for you | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-colour printing (what we do) | Unlimited — logos, photos, gradients | Logos, photos, gifts, events, corporate | Made to order | No setup fees, no minimum |
| Golf ball stamp | Usually one colour | Quickly marking your own ball | Do-it-yourself at home | Low up-front, you do the work |
| Engraving / laser etch | None (monochrome mark) | A permanent single-colour monogram | Specialist process | Higher, more niche |
Full-colour printing
Printing applies your artwork straight onto the ball's surface. We use a full-colour UV process over a roughly 22 mm area on one side, which cures the ink onto the cover and reproduces fine detail — so a multi-colour logo, a gradient or a full photo all come through cleanly, with no extra charge per colour and no setup tooling.
Best for: company logos, club crests, photos, gifts and event giveaways — anything where colour and detail matter. It's also the most durable way to get a colour result: see how we print golf balls, or look at real examples of our work to judge the finish for yourself.
Trade-off: it's a made-to-order process rather than something you do at home — though with no minimum order, a single personalised dozen is enough.
Golf ball stamps
A golf ball stamp is a small self-inking or pad stamp — your initials, a symbol or a short design — that you press onto the ball yourself. They're popular for a simple reason: they're cheap, reusable and instant, so you can mark a whole sleeve at the first tee.
Best for: identifying your own ball quickly, in a single ink colour. If you searched for a custom golf ball stamp to mark your own ball at home, a self-inking stamp is genuinely the right tool.
Trade-off: stamps are limited to one colour, the ink can smudge or wear, and they can't reproduce a colour logo or a photo. We don't sell stamps — we print finished, ready-to-play balls — so if you want a polished branded or gift ball rather than a DIY marker, printing is the better route.
Engraved & monogrammed golf balls
Engraving (usually laser etching) cuts a permanent mark into the ball's cover. The result is a clean, single-colour monogram or design that won't rub off — a classic, understated look.
Best for: a permanent keepsake or a tasteful monogram where colour isn't needed.
Trade-off: engraving is monochrome by nature, it's a more specialised process (so usually pricier), and etching into the cover is a different finish to a printed or stamped surface. For a colour logo, a photo or a vibrant gift, printing wins. We specialise in printing rather than engraving.
So which should you choose?
- Logos, photos, gifts, corporate days, multi-colour artwork → full-colour printed golf balls. This is what we do, and it's the only one of the three that reproduces colour and photos. For bulk and events, see corporate & bulk golf balls.
- Just marking your own ball cheaply at home → a self-inking golf ball stamp. Different job, different tool — and not something we supply.
- A permanent single-colour monogram keepsake → engraving.
If your goal is a sharp, full-colour logo or a photo on a genuine premium ball like the Titleist Pro V1 — for a gift, a club, or a corporate golf day — printing is almost always the answer. Start with personalised golf balls, or read more about how the printing works.
Shop personalised golf balls →
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between printed, stamped and engraved golf balls?
Printing applies a full-colour image to the ball's surface with a UV process, so logos, photos and multi-colour artwork all reproduce. A golf ball stamp is a self-inking tool you press onto the ball yourself, usually in a single colour, to mark it. Engraving (or laser etching) cuts a permanent monochrome mark into the cover. Printing is best for colour logos, photos and gifts; a stamp is best for quickly marking your own ball; engraving suits a permanent single-colour monogram.
What is a golf ball stamp and how does it work?
A golf ball stamp is a small self-inking or pad stamp with your initials, a symbol or a short design. You press it onto the ball at home to mark it as yours. It's a cheap, reusable, do-it-yourself option in one ink colour — handy for identifying your ball, but not suited to full-colour logos or photos. We don't sell stamps; we print finished, ready-to-play balls instead.
Are engraved or monogrammed golf balls any good?
Engraved (laser-etched) golf balls carry a permanent, single-colour mark cut into the cover — a classic look for a monogram or keepsake. The trade-off is no colour and a more specialised, usually pricier process. For a colour logo, a photo or a gift that pops, full-colour printing is the better fit. We specialise in printing rather than engraving.
Can you put a colour logo or photo on a golf ball?
Yes. We print logos, photos and text in full colour using a UV process over a roughly 22mm area on one side — multi-colour artwork and photographs reproduce cleanly, at no extra cost per colour. See how we print golf balls or browse personalised golf balls.
Do printed golf balls wear off when you play them?
The UV print is hard-wearing and bonds to the ball, so it stands up to real play — in our own testing a ball played for a full 32 holes came back with the print still clear. Over many rounds any printed or stamped ball will pick up scuffs and gradually soften, but ours is built to be played, not just displayed.
Which is cheapest — printing, stamping or engraving?
A self-inking stamp has the lowest up-front cost if you're happy to mark balls yourself in one colour. Printing gives you a finished, full-colour ball with no setup fees and no minimum order, which is usually the best value for gifts, events and logos. Engraving tends to be the most specialised and is priced accordingly.