Here is what I have found out...
Hotstamping is quite durable.
You will commonly find hotstamped solid colored Paulsons in casinos for tournament play.
Hotstamping is kinda like an "iron on" that uses a device that looks similar to a drill press with a ribbon of material under the head to "melt" your design into the surface of the chip and leaves the metallic foil or color behind.
The standard for most hotstamped poker chips is gold foil.
It is quite inexpensive, even if you want a custom design. The only additional costs when using a custom design are usually in the "die" (the actual stamp) creation. This can range from $50-100, and is a one time fee. Once this cost is paid, the stamping is typically the same price as just getting initials or denominations.
Custom designs can be just about anything you want. You don't want TOO much detail (more like line art, not photographs) as the die can only be so intricate, and may "bleed" into other close detailed areas.
Keep it simple.
In the next month or so I will probably be making a decent sized purchase (2000-2500) of custom hotstamped Super Diamonds for our "traveling tournaments" and will be happy to post a full review when that process is complete.
