Prepare your texts for laser cutting and laser engraving
Pay attention to the minimum and maximum dimensions
Create nodes
Find the great 2D models
When cast acrylic is laser engraved, it produces a frost that gives a beautiful white contrast.
Engrave multiple items in one batch
Adjust the resolution
Use color mapping
Contrast and depth are the most important factors when laser engraving wood.
Most wood will, therefore, need the laser power to be at 100% for best results
As you laser engrave wood, the resin will typically come to the surface of the wood and mix with smoke.
Clean the surface of residue
for wood that has no coating, you will have to remove the residue with a wet sponge or chamois
Do not attempt to use a paper towel to clean the resin because the paper towel will shred and the shredded fibers will get stuck in the wood.
color fill the engraved parts of the wood in order to create more contrast and make your engraved item more visually appealing
e careful when color filling because the liquid color could easily absorb into the grain of the wood surface and show in unwanted areas
lighter-colored woods like cherry and maple are great for laser engraving because of the aesthetically appealing contrast they produce
The denser the wood, the more laser power you will need to cut through.
Walnut, Maple, Oak, Cherry, and Alder are the most commonly laser engraved hardwoods because their grains work very well with laser engravers
Plywood is typically used as a building material and it doesn’t respond very well to laser engraving
air bubbles in the plywood can interfere with the laser beam and this means achieving a neat laser cut is almost impossible.
understand the characteristics of a certain type of wood before you embark on engraving it
engrave acrylic on the backside as this will give you a look-through effect from the front
remember to mirror your image before sending it to the legend
use low power and high speeds because high power levels can distort the acrylic.
to achieve a deep engraving on acrylic, use a mylar mask or transfer tape
if you are looking to perform a light surface engraving, no mask will be needed
exercise caution when engraving through painted acrylic surfaces because using too much power will melt the paint thereby resulting in distortions
Do not leave the legend system unattended when vector cutting acrylic because acrylic is very flammable
Play with the image dithering and engrave direction
Get familiar with the settings on the laser
Pre-engrave items
Use center engraving
Use Layers
Control the order of cuts
Have multiple parts & designs in one file
Create guides
be aware of the difference between engraving on a solid piece of wood versus a composite material like plywood or MDF
darker grains are harder and the lighter parts between them is softer.
Overlap lines. Eliminate doubled up lines.
Understand raster vs vector
Defocus the Laser for Thicker Vector Lines
Add a Vector Score to the Edge of Type or Engravings
Engrave Multiple Objects.
Create a grid that you can lay the pieces out on and accurately have the laser engrave on them
Create a vector file the size of your laser bed.
Use the Red Dot to Figure Out Where to Cut or Engrave
Turn off the power to the laser and turn on the red dot. Then run the file and watch where the red dot goes
If you need to use the red dot to figure out where an engraving will end up, draw a vector square or circle around the engraving and then have the red dot trace the square. Or draw horizontal and vertical center lines.