Skip to main content

Uncover turns MacBooks into engraved works of art

Apple’s iconic laptop design, with the white Apple logo, is easily identifiable – there’s no mistaking it wherever you see one, whether it’s in the movies or at your local Starbucks. But if you want to remove your MacBook from the herd and make it a bit more personal, there’s a way to customize that classic cover.

Uncover is a company that offers engraving – “tattoos for objects” – and clever backlighting systems for MacBooks, changing that little white logo into something far more exciting. It’s done everything from simple crosses, to Snapchat ghosts and near full-panel designs that are far more artistic.

Recommended Videos

Designs can be as simple or as intricate as you like, though the more time, energy, and expertise that’s required to complete the job will directly correlate to the cost, of course. “The Uncover,” a package for simple, circular designs, will set you back 399 euros ($443). For something more complex, you can expect to spend at least 499 euros ($554) for “Complex Uncover,” but it could be a lot more, depending on how detailed the design is.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

For those on a budget, there are simple engraving options that are very attractive, though the Apple logo will remain viewable. However, at 99 euros ($110) for “Engraving,” it’s much more affordable.

While we can take a good guess at how the custom casing is made, the people behind Uncover aren’t forthcoming about their technique for the custom light shows. We do know that it involves the careful removal of the laptop display before modifying the rear cover. The backlighting is provided by the light panel that’s behind every MacBook cover.

Those considering one of these should bear in mind that it does void the Apple warranty. However, UncoverMac adds its own six-month screen warranty, so customers do have some protection should something go wrong.

The listed compatible MacBooks are the MacBook Air and Retina-equipped MacBook Pro.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
MacBook Pro 16 vs. MacBook Pro 14: here’s which M4 you should buy
The MacBook Pro 16-inch on a table.

MacBook Pros are some of the best laptops money can buy. With the M4 chip now onboard, these laptops have never been so powerful, and the update brings some interesting upgrades, such as the improved 12-megapixel webcam and brighter screen. They're the best MacBooks that have ever been made, and it's a perfect time to pick one up based on upgrade timing.

But just because the entire MacBook Pro lineup is better now, that doesn't mean it's any easier to choose between the two size options that are available. Despite the fact that they include many of the same features, the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro feel like entirely different systems due to their contrast in size.

Read more
Apple hid one of the best features of the M4 MacBook Pro
Someone using a MacBook Pro M4.

Apple's new M4 MacBook Pro is great. It earned a rare Editors' Choice badge in our M4 MacBook Pro review, and it's cemented itself as one of the best laptops you can buy. Even with so much going for it, Apple hid one of the most exciting developments it made with its new range of laptops -- the use of quantum dot technology.

Like the last few generations of MacBook Pro displays, the M4 range is using a mini-LED backlight. There's no tandem OLED like we saw on the iPad Pro earlier this year. However, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), Apple added a layer of quantum dots to the M4 MacBook Pro. This, according to the display expert, offers better color gamut and motion performance compared to the solution Apple previously used.

Read more
MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: how to easily decide which to buy
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air placed on a desk with its lid closed.

When it comes to picking the best MacBook for you, the eternal debate between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro rages on. Both laptops are at the top of their game right now, and that can sometimes make the decision between the two even trickier, especially when you consider the timing.

Choosing between options as extreme as the 16-inch MacBook M4 Pro and an M1 MacBook Air isn't where the problems lie. It's probably obvious which of those is right for you based on the thousands of dollars separating the two.

Read more