Engraving tumblers using a rotary tool on a laser is fairly straightforward. You can read how to do it using an xTool laser in my post How to Use the xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment. I won’t be going into the actually steps for setting up to engrave a tumbler—make sure to read that post first!

I say engraving tumblers easy…until you notice that your tumbler has a logo on it. And you want to do a full wrap design. Or you want to avoid the logo while doing a smaller image. It’s not exactly straightforward, but I’ve come up with a pretty good system for making sure I get it right the first time. Making tumblers is not cheap, so you don’t want to waste them!

Important: This tutorial is done within the xTool Creative Space program for my xTool S1. This should, however, work similarly for other machines with a rotary tool. My preference is actually to do this in Adobe Illustrator and then upload, but I wanted to give you an easy and free option that will work with your xTool laser.

You can see that my particular tumbler has two different logos—the wordmark and the graphic element. We’ll be working around both of these for this project.

This tutorial is dependent on the size of your tumbler or other projects. For example, many tumbler wraps you can purchase are for Stanley 40oz tumblers. Most of these designs will have a place in the design removed for the logo. You can use parts of this tutorial to correctly place the design so it won’t engrave over the logo.

Watch the Video

This tutorial is really helpful when shown on video! Just hit play below to watch. Or keep reading for a written overview.

Measure Your Tumbler

We’re going to start by making a template. This will allow you to see just how big your design needs to be for your specific tumbler, along with where we need to place our logos. This should work with just about anything you need to engrave, including tumblers, mugs, and more. You will need to adjust how you make your template based on your own project (don’t use my measurements!).

Start by measuring your tumbler. You want both the height where you will be engraving, as well as the circumference. For my tumbler, the height is 6.25″ and the circumference is 9.25″.

You’ll also want to measure the sizes of your logo AND the placement when it comes to the height of the tumbler

So I have the following:

• Height: 6.25″
• Circumference: 9.25″
• Thermoflask wordmark: 2.25″ tall by .25″ wide
• Snowflake element: .75″ tall by .625″ wide
• Thermoflask wordmark distance from the bottom of the engraving space: .75″
• Snowflake element distance from the top of the engraving space: .75″

If it’s helpful, you can draw a quick sketch of what you need to re-create in xTool Creative Space. It does NOT need to be accurate, you just need it as a reference.

Create Your Template

Open xTool Creative Space and set the mode on the right to Use Rotary Attachment. I like to zoom out as well.

Now we’re going to re-create the sketch in xTool Creative Space using rectangles. You can change the size of any rectangle you create in the right panel. Make sure to “unlock” the dimensions so you can change the height and width separately.

Note that because of the way my xTool engraves, I once I have my template, I have to rotate it 90° to the right. The top of my tumbler is on the right and the bottom of my tumbler is on the left.

You can see I have a big rectangle showing the entire engraving area, rectangles for both logos, AND the .75″ spacers I’ve added to know where exactly my logos go in relation to the top and bottom of my tumbler. Note that your logos do NOT need to be in the center of your larger box! You can do them at any point along the box, you just need to line it up in the laser properly, like I’ll show later in this post.

Then you can delete the spacer rectangles (keep the logo rectangles!) and add your design. For this example, I have just used a bunch of plant images that I have spaced around my logos. Remember, do NOT cover any logo boxes you have made. If you have a premade design, work it around the boxes.

Note that for my design, I do have some of my leaves going off the sides of my rectangle (which are at the top and bottom of the image in Creative Space, because my design is rotated 90°). If you look at both sides, you’ll see that where the leaves go out of my rectangle, there’s space for them on the other side. This means I won’t have an obvious gap on the back of my tumbler where the two sides of my design come together. It takes a bit of practice to get this right (and I have definitely gotten it wrong), but if you can make it work, it’s great on the final project.

Placing the Design on the Tumbler

Now place your tumbler in your laser with the logo facing up.

In my xTool S1, I can use the laser positioning system to know exactly where my laser is at all times. I placed the laser right over the top of my tumbler and I see that positioning as a red cross in Creative Space.

If you are doing this with a camera, you will need to place your design over the image, making sure the template lines up with the logos on the actual tumbler.

Then back in Creative Space, I can move my design so that the logo spaces are lined up with my red cross. Note that I am lining up my actual tumbler box (the height and circumference box), NOT the bounding box.

Once you have it lined up, delete your rectangles for the logos and your tumbler box.

Then, depending on your design, you may want to weld all of the individual pieces into a single engrave piece using the first option in the combine panel on the right.

This will help reduce the file size and processing time for the image. You can see now that there is a single object in the layers panel on the left vs. a bunch of individual leaves.

Now select the image and set your processing parameters. I have found that a power of 60, a speed of 400, and a lines per cm of 180 consistently gives me good results on most powder coated tumblers.

Then finally, measure the distance of your project inside your machine. Other machines may call this auto-focus, but it’s done with a physical mechanism in my xTool S1. Basically it’s measuring the distance from the laser to the top-most point of your project.

Now you’re ready to make your project! Click Go to Process in the lower right. If everything looks good, click start and you can press the button on your machine to engrave your project!

Clean your tumbler using warm water and a magic eraser and you’re done!

I hope you found this tutorial to engrave around a logo with your laser helpful! If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting, leave me a comment!

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HOW TO LASER ENGRAVE AROUND A LOGO ON A TUMBLER

Learn how to engrave around a logo on a tumbler using a laser machine! This tutorial will walk you through how to measure your tumbler or other project correctly so you don't engrave over the top of the logo.

Keyword Engrave, Laser

Author Cori George

Equipment

• xTool S1 Laser
• Magic eraser

Ingredients

• Tumbler

Instructions

• You can read how to do it using an xTool laser in this post How to Use the xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment. These instructions will not be going into the actual steps for setting up to engrave a tumbler—make sure to read that post first!

  Important: This tutorial is done within the xTool Creative Space program using the xTool S1. This should, however, work similarly for other machines with a rotary tool.

  This tutorial is dependent on the size of your tumbler or other projects. For example, many tumbler wraps you can purchase are for Stanley 40oz tumblers. Most of these designs will have a place in the design removed for the logo. You can use parts of this tutorial to correctly place the design so it won't engrave over the logo.
• Measure Your Tumbler

  We're going to start by making a template. This will allow you to see just how big your design needs to be for your specific tumbler, along with where we need to place our logos. This should work with just about anything you need to engrave, including tumblers, mugs, and more. You will need to adjust how you make your template based on your own project (don't use the measurements in these instructions!).

  Start by measuring your tumbler. You want both the height where you will be engraving, as well as the circumference. For this tumbler, the height is 6.25" and the circumference is 9.25".
  
• 
• You'll also want to measure the sizes of your logo AND the placement when it comes to the height of the tumbler
• So for this tumbler, we have the following:

  Height: 6.25"

  Circumference: 9.25"

  Thermoflask wordmark: 2.25" tall by .25" wide

  Snowflake element: .75" tall by .625" wide

  Thermoflask wordmark distance from the bottom of the engraving space: .75

  "Snowflake element distance from the top of the engraving space: .75"

  If it's helpful, you can draw a quick sketch of what you need to re-create in xTool Creative Space. It does NOT need to be accurate, you just need it as a reference.
  
• Create Your Template

  Open xTool Creative Space and set the mode on the right to Use Rotary Attachment. Zoom it out if you like.

  Now we're going to re-create the sketch in xTool Creative Space using rectangles. You can change the size of any rectangle you create in the right panel. Make sure to "unlock" the dimensions so you can change the height and width separately.
  
• Note that because of the way the xTool engraves, once the template was ready, it had to be rotated 90° to the right. The top of the tumbler is on the right and the bottom of the tumbler is on the left.

  You can see there is a big rectangle showing the entire engraving area, rectangles for both logos, AND the .75" spacers were added to know where exactly the logos go in relation to the top and bottom of the tumbler.

  Note that your logos do NOT need to be in the center of your larger box! You can do them at any point along the box, you just need to line it up in the laser properly, as shown later in these instructions.
  
• Then you can delete the spacer rectangles (keep the logo rectangles!) and add your design. For this example, For this project a bunch of plant images were used and were spaced around the logos. Remember, do NOT cover any logo boxes you have made. If you have a premade design, work it around the boxes.
  
• Note that for this design, there are some of leaves going off the sides of the rectangle (which are at the top and bottom of the image in Creative Space, because the design is rotated 90°).

  If you look at both sides, you'll see that where the leaves go out of the rectangle, there's space for them on the other side. This means there won't be an obvious gap on the back of thee tumbler where the two sides of the design come together. It takes a bit of practice to get this right but if you can make it work, it's great on the final project.
  
• Placing the Design on the Tumbler

  Now place your tumbler in your laser with the logo facing up.
  
• In the xTool S1, you can use the laser positioning system to know exactly where the laser is at all times. Here, the laser was placed right over the top of the tumbler and you can see that positioning as a red cross in Creative Space.

  If you are doing this with a camera, you will need to place your design over the image, making sure the template lines up with the logos on the actual tumbler.

  Then back in Creative Space, the design was moved so that the logo spaces were lined up with the red cross. Note that the actual tumbler box is being lined up (the height and circumference box), NOT the bounding box.
  
• Once you have it lined up, delete your rectangles for the logos and your tumbler box.
  
• Then, depending on your design, you may want to weld all of the individual pieces into a single engrave piece using the first option in the combine panel on the right.
  
• This will help reduce the file size and processing time for the image. You can see now that there is a single object in the layers panel on the left vs. a bunch of individual leaves.
  
• Now select the image and set your processing parameters. A power of 60, a speed of 400, and a lines per cm of 180 consistently gives good results on most powder coated tumblers.
  
• Then finally, measure the distance of your project inside your machine. Other machines may call this auto-focus, but it's done with a physical mechanism in the xTool S1. Basically it's measuring the distance from the laser to the top-most point of your project.
  
• Now you're ready to make your project! Click Go to Process in the lower right. If everything looks good, click start and you can press the button on your machine to engrave your project!
  
• Clean your tumbler using warm water and a magic eraser and you're done!
  

The post How to Laser Engrave Around a Logo on a Tumbler appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

One of my favorite ways to easily get people my contact information is using a QR code. Instead of having a bunch of links on my business card, for example, I have a QR code that links to a bio page that I can update so my cards never go out of date.

QR codes are also amazing for small businesses. We’re always trying to turn our local customers into online customers and a QR code makes it easy.

In today’s post, I’m going to show you three ways to laser etch a QR code. We’ll use wood, acrylic and paint, and a two-tone acrylic. These techniques should work no matter what laser you are using, though you will have to play around with the settings for your specific material and machine. Today I am pulling out the big guns and using my Glowforge Pro, but a less powerful diode laser should work as well.

When it comes to cutting acrylic on a diode, however, make sure you read my post How to Cut Acrylic with a Diode Laser so you’ll know what you can and can’t cut.

I also have a free sign file for you. You can engrave whatever you’d like at the top (Visit My Site! Join My Email List! Enter to Win!) and then put your QR code right below it. You could also use adhesive vinyl cut on your Cricut or Silhouette.

Watch the Video

Want to see how to make a QR code in a video tutorial? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Supplies Needed

• Laser machine
• Wood sheet (a lighter wood like maple works best) OR
• Acrylic sheet AND
• Coordinating craft paint and brush OR
• Two-tone acrylic sheet
• Masking
• Standing Sign SVG (optional, see above)

Making a QR Code SVG

There are a ton of sites for making free QR codes, but I specifically wanted to find a site that would let me export an SVG file. There is a lot of detail in a QR code and I wanted to make sure the laser had a nice crisp file to work with. I ended up using QR Code Monkey, but there are other options as well.

All you need to do is add your website link! For this one, I am linking to a “sign up for my email list” link I have on my blog. I added it under ENTER CONTENT and Your URL:

Under SET COLORS make it a single color (black works best—the color code is #000000).

Then click on the green “Create QR Code” button on the right and it will create your personalized QR code above it.

Download the SVG version and save somewhere on your computer where you can find it.

Masking Your Material

For all three materials, I highly recommend masking. I have specific notes on each material below, but masking did produce a better, cleaner QR code in all of my tests. You can read more in my post Laser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects.

Engrave and Cut the File on Your Laser

For this project, I’m using my Glowforge Pro so I’ll be using the Glowforge App software. But the overall idea is the same no matter what software you are using.

Note: I am cutting the sign separate from my QR code, but you could also have your QR code directly etch into your sign if you prefer. I like the ability to swap it out if necessary, so that’s why I keep them separate. For this tutorial, I am just going to focus on cutting the QR code.

The setup for the QR code is the same no matter what type of process you are using here. Let’s do the wood one as an example. I’m using a scrap of masked medium maple hardwood that you can see here in the Glowforge App.

Upload your SVG QR code to a new document. It will come in very large.

Resize the QR code. I generally think that 2″ wide is a good size for most signs, but if you are making something different you can go larger. I wouldn’t go too much smaller—for that I would probably use a printed QR code.

From here, you can cut as is, but I prefer a rounded corner to my QR code. I have the Premium Glowforge account, so I have access to using shapes in my design. If you don’t, you can cut it as is or you can import a 2″ square with rounded corners from another design program.

Create a square. In the settings on the right, change the corners to have a .25″ rounded corner.

Then layer that square directly over the QR code. It should be the same size and should snap into place nicely.

Now set your material. I am using that medium maple hardwood. I also went and ignored the square outer cut line that I imported with my QR code. That means that it will only cut the rounded corner.

Click print to send to your Glowforge and engrave and cut!

Results

Let’s see how all of these QR codes turned out!

Wood QR Code

This one is the most simple! For your wood QR code, you’ll definitely want to mask your wood. I found that without the masking, I had way too much charring to even make the QR code legible.

Remove the masking using either Gorilla tape or a plastic razor blade. Gorilla tape worked really well for my Glowforge Proofgrade maple. I used a bit of museum putty to attack the QR code to the stand I made out of cherry. For this one, I engraved the words “join our email list” into the stand.

While this one is the easiest to make, it does have the most rustic feel of them all. Great for many applications, but personally I wanted something more modern, so I tried two different acrylic options next.

Painted Acrylic QR Code

This one you definitely need to mask before cutting, because the masking will act as a stencil for your paint. I like using regular acrylic craft paint or even chalk paint to dab all over the engraved QR code before removing the masking. I also engraved the words “join our email list” into a lighter pink acrylic stand and painted the words as well.

When removing the masking, you can try tape or the plastic razor blade. I found that the plastic razor worked better for me. But you do want to wait for the paint to dry or else you’ll be scraping little pieces of masking into the wet paint.

Overall, this looks great but it is a bit more labor-intensive. In addition to the painting itself, you need to clean up your paint supplies and if you weren’t tidy with your painting (or if you let your nine-year-old paint, like I did!!), you’ll need to scrap extra paint off the sides of your QR code. I do think it looks a little more handmade than the other two options. I can never get that paint as perfect as I’d like.

Two-Tone Acrylic QR Code

When I found this two-tone acrylic from Houston Acrylics, I was really excited to try it out specifically for this project. My acrylic has a white surface with a black core. So when it’s engraved, the laser removes the white part of the acrylic and you can see the black underneath.

The masking removed better with the razor blade on this one, and then I actually cleaned it up even more with some dish soap and a scrubber. I found that there were just a few marks on the white that I wanted to tidy up.

For this one, I used my Cricut Joy Xtra to cut white vinyl and applied it with transfer tape instead of engraving in the stand. It looks nice and neat.

They make other colors as well, but you want to make sure to choose an acrylic that has a good contrast between the two colors so that the QR code is readable.

I hope you found this tutorial on how to laser etch qr codes helpful! Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

The post How to Laser Etch a QR Code appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

The xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment allows you to laser engrave and score on circular objects! This greatly expands the types of projects you can make using your xTool.

I’ll be honest—it’s taken me months to get my xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment out of the box so I could learn how to use it. For some reason, I found all of the pieces really intimidating and I put it off for a long time, even though I knew I could make all sorts of amazing projects with it. If you find it all intimidating as well, you’re in good company!

But I finally got up the nerve to give it a shot recently and I am so glad I did! This tool has a bit of a learning curve (pun intended!), but the results you can get with it are absolutely amazing. It really does give you so many more options when it comes to laser crafting and the detail it can engrave is pretty spectacular.

In today’s post, we’re going to go over how to make a basic straight-sided tumbler using this tool. I want you to get comfortable using this tool with an easy project. Then in future posts, we’ll talk about how to do tapered tumblers (including 40oz Stanley tumblers) and beer glasses, as well as learn how to engrave round objects like ornaments.

I’m using my xTool S1 for this tutorial, but the tool works in other xTool laser machines as well, including the P2, the M1, and the D1. While my tutorial will give you an overview of how to use the tool, you will want to research other tutorials for your specific machine. See my full xTool S1 Review & Guide for Beginners for more information about this specific laser.

Watch the Video

Want to see the xTool Rotary Attachment in action? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need to make a tumbler using the RA2 Rotary Attachment

• xTool laser
• RA2 Rotary Tool
• Tumbler
• Magic eraser

Straight Sided Tumblers

This tutorial will only work on truly straight-sided tumblers. I got a pack of these colorful tumblers and I really like them. Unfortunately, their products do seem to be running out and I’m not sure if they will restock. But there are other options as well.

I did get some tumblers that I thought had straight sides, but the bottom diameter was about .25″ smaller than the top. As I was testing, I found the the taper acted a bit like a screw and the tumbler moved down the rollers, which would mess up the final image. I ended up returning them.

So make sure you get truly straight-sided tumblers to make this project. The top and bottom diameter should be equal. If you want to do something with a taper, you’ll have to use the chucks, which I will talk about in future tutorial.

What’s in the Box

I have the xTool RA2 Pro Rotary Attachment. Because this is the Pro version, it comes with more pieces than the regular RA2. You can still use this tutorial if you have the regular RA2, but you won’t have as many pieces and you won’t be able to make quite as many projects in upcoming tutorials. But you WILL be able to make the simple tumbler I am making in this post today!

For this straight-sided tumbler, you will only need the cord, the large main piece with the two rollers, and a measuring tape. Everything else is for more complex projects like tapered tumblers.

Riser Base

You will need the riser base for your laser so there is enough room for your project. I talked about setting up the riser base in my post xTool S1 Accessories. Other types of xTool machines will have different ways to set up their particular riser bases.

Measuring Your Tumbler

Next we’re going to measure our tumbler. If you’re using a regular-sized tumbler, you’ll keep the rollers in the “C” position the RA2 comes in. For example, the 20oz tumblers I have are 72mm across, so they easily work with the C slot. If you have something significantly smaller, you may need to unscrew and move the rollers to the other positions:

• A position: 3mm to 50mm
• B position: 45 to 60mm
• C position: 60mm or larger

Using the RA2 Rotary Attachment

Choose the Right Cord

The rotary tool comes with 3 different cords. Be sure to select the cord for your particular machine. For my S1, I am using the cord that has one end that looks like a mini USB and a white connector on the other end.

Set Up the Rotary Tool

Place your RA2 base into the bed of your laser. Try to get it as straight as you can in the machine.

Plug In the Rotary Attachment

The USB slot for the S1 is a bit hard to find. It’s actually inside at the front of the machine. Plug in the rotary attachment—this will bring power to the tool.

Setting Up xTool Creative Space

Let’s head into xTool Creative Space to get it set up for using the rotary attachment. (note I am using the new Beta version of xTool Creative Space). Note that the red + on my canvas is the location of my laser head within the machine. This is one of the things I really like about the xTool S1!

The first thing we need to do is change our mode to using the rotary attachment instead of processing a flat object on the baseplate.

Now you’ll see that the size and shape of our canvas has changed.

Add the Tumbler to the Laser

Place your tumbler inside your laser on top of the two RA2 rollers. The rollers will turn as the project processes so you can engrave all the way around cylindrical objects.

Determine the Height of the Tumbler

Now we need to measure the height of our tumbler so that the laser will be properly focused. Place your laser head over the center of the tumbler. You want it to be anywhere along the highest point of the tumbler.

Now back in Creative Space, click the auto-measure crosshairs to the right of the distance tool. This will prompt your machine to take a measurement of the height of your tumbler.

Then move the laser head so the crosshairs are at the top edge of your tumbler in the center.

Set up the File

Now upload your file to Creative Space. I’ve sized my file to fit most 20oz tumblers, but again you may want to double check the size of your tumbler and resize as needed.

You’ll need to rotate and place your image using the red + as a guide. The top of my tumbler is where my red + is. I wanted BOOKTROVERT to read down the side of the tumbler. So I placed my image centered on that red +. Make sure your image is facing “up” (in this case, up is facing toward the right because the tumbler is sideways in the machine).

NOTE: If you’d like to use your own design, measure the height and circumference of your tumbler and make sure your design is within those measurements and align it with the red + like I did here. You can draw a rectangle and then delete it before engraving if that helps.

Change the Settings

With the image selected, you’ll see that the Object tab in the sidebar is selected. First make sure your processing type is set to Engrave.

Then I really like this new EasySet panel for selecting your settings. I played around with a few different settings and for my laser and my tumblers, I found that 75% power, 300mm/s speed, and 240 lines per cm worked really well. You may need to play around with your settings if you find that your engraving is too deep or too shallow.

Framing Your Image

Next you’ll want to frame your image. Don’t skip this step! This will visually tell you that your image is going to go where you think it should go. Click on framing at the top and you’ll get this message.

Then walk over to your laser and press the button.

Watch the crosshairs on your laser as they frame around where your image will go. The rollers will spin your tumbler. If at any point during this process it looks like your image will NOT be on the tumbler, start over.

I wasn’t really sure what I was doing when I started and when I tried to make a similar tumbler for the first time, I saw that my framing didn’t go all the way to the top. I proceeded anyway. And now I have a tumbler with a half inch of missing image at the top. Whomp whomp.

If the framing looks good, click Framing Completed in Creative Space.

Engrave Your Tumbler

If your framing looks good, you’re on your way! Make sure you are venting your laser (I used my personal filter) and if you have air assist, turn it on.

Click Process in the upper right. Your image will be processed and then you can click start. Close your laser’s lid and press the button to engrave your tumbler!

This tumbler took about an hour and a half to engrave. So not fast, but it had a lot of detail.

Your tumbler may look really charred, but not to worry. A magic eraser and some water will clean it right up! It’s actually my favorite part of the entire process!

It looks SO good! I am really excited about using the RA2 more with other types of projects. Stay tuned!

Print

HOW TO USE THE xTOOL RA2 ROTARY ATTACHMENT

Want to make more with your xTool laser? Grab the xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment! Make tumblers, mugs, glasses, ornaments, and more with this flexible tool.

Keyword Engrave, Score, xTool

Author Cori George

Equipment

• xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment
• xTool laser
• Magic eraser

Ingredients

• Tumbler
• Free Tumbler Engraving File #L14

Instructions

• Straight Sided Tumblers

  These instructions will only work on truly straight-sided tumblers, so make sure you get truly straight-sided tumblers to make this project. The top and bottom diameter should be equal. If you want to do something with a taper, you'll have to use the chucks, which will be coming in a future tutorial.

  What's in the Box

  These instructions use the xTool RA2 Pro Rotary Attachment. Because this is the Pro version, it comes with more pieces than the regular RA2. You can still use these instructions if you have the regular RA2, but you won't have as many pieces and you won't be able to make quite as many projects in upcoming tutorials. But you WILL be able to make the simple tumbler that is being I am making in this post today!

  For this straight-sided tumbler, you will only need the cord, the large main piece with the two rollers, and a measuring tape. Everything else is for more complex projects like tapered tumblers.

  Riser Base

  You will need the riser base for your laser so there is enough room for your project. This post talks about setting up the riser base – xTool S1 Accessories. Other types of xTool machines will have different ways to set up their particular riser bases.
  
• Measuring Your Tumbler

  Next you will need to measure your tumbler. If you're using a regular-sized tumbler, you'll keep the rollers in the "C" position the RA2 comes in. For example, the 20oz tumblers used for this project are 72mm across, so they easily work with the C slot. If you have something significantly smaller, you may need to unscrew and move the rollers to the other positions:

  A position: 3mm to 50mm

  B position: 45 to 60mm

  C position: 60mm or larger
• Using the RA2 Rotary Attachment

  Choose the Right Cord – The rotary tool comes with 3 different cords. Be sure to select the cord for your particular machine. For the S1, the cord that has one end that looks like a mini USB and a white connector on the other end was used.

  Set Up the Rotary Tool

  Place your RA2 base into the bed of your laser. Try to get it as straight as you can in the machine.
  
• Plug In the Rotary Attachment

  The USB slot for the S1 is a bit hard to find. It's actually inside at the front of the machine. Plug in the rotary attachment—this will bring power to the tool.
  
• Setting Up xTool Creative Space

  Let's head into xTool Creative Space to get it set up for using the rotary attachment. (the new Beta version of xTool Creative Space is being used for this project). Note that the red + on the canvas is the location of my laser head within the machine. This is one of the things that is really liked about the xTool S1!
  
• The first thing you need to do is change our mode to use the rotary attachment instead of processing a flat object on the baseplate.
  
• Now you'll see that the size and shape of the canvas has changed.
  
• Add the Tumbler to the Laser

  Place your tumbler inside your laser on top of the two RA2 rollers. The rollers will turn as the project processes so you can engrave all the way around cylindrical objects.
  
• Determine the Height of the Tumbler

  Now you need to measure the height of the tumbler so that the laser will be properly focused. Place your laser head over the center of the tumbler. You want it to be anywhere along the highest point of the tumbler.
  
• Now back in Creative Space, click the auto-measure crosshairs to the right of the distance tool. This will prompt your machine to take a measurement of the height of your tumbler.
  
• Then move the laser head so the crosshairs are at the top edge of your tumbler in the center.
  
• Set up the File

  Now upload your file to Creative Space. This file was sized to fit most 20oz tumblers, but again you may want to double check the size of your tumbler and resize as needed.
  
• You'll need to rotate and place your image using the red + as a guide. The top of the tumbler is where the red + is. To have BOOKTROVERT read down the side of the tumbler, the image was placed centered on the red +. Make sure your image is facing "up" (in this case, up is facing toward the right because the tumbler is sideways in the machine).

  NOTE: If you'd like to use your own design, measure the height and circumference of your tumbler and make sure your design is within those measurements and align it with the red + like was done here. You can draw a rectangle and then delete it before engraving if that helps.
  
• Change the Settings

  With the image selected, you'll see that the Object tab in the sidebar is selected. First make sure your processing type is set to Engrave.

  Use EasySet panel for selecting your settings. It has been found that 75% power, 300mm/s speed, and 240 lines per cm worked really well. You may need to play around with your settings if you find that your engraving is too deep or too shallow.
  
• Framing Your Image

  Next you'll want to frame your image. Don't skip this step! This will visually tell you that your image is going to go where you think it should go. Click on framing at the top and you'll get this message.
  
• Then walk over to your laser and press the button.
  
• Watch the crosshairs on your laser as they frame around where your image will go. The rollers will spin your tumbler. If at any point during this process it looks like your image will NOT be on the tumbler, start over.

  This image shows a first time attempt making a tumbler where the framing didn't go all the way to the top but proceeded with the engraving anyway. As you can see the tumbler has a half inch of missing image at the top!

  If the framing looks good, click Framing Completed in Creative Space.
  
• Engrave Your Tumbler

  If your framing looks good, you're on your way! Make sure you are venting your laser (for this project a personal filter was used) and if you have air assist, turn it on.

  Click Process in the upper right. Your image will be processed and then you can click start. Close your laser's lid and press the button to engrave your tumbler!

  This tumbler took about an hour and a half to engrave. So not fast, but it had a lot of detail.
  
• Your tumbler may look really charred, but not to worry. A magic eraser and some water will clean it right up! It's actually my favorite part of the entire process!
  

The post How to Use the xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Screen printing is a type of decorating technology that I haven’t talked about here before! But when xTool recently asked me to review their new xTool Laser Screen Printer, I really wanted to give it a try. I wanted the actual experience of screen printing so I could compare it to other types of decorating, including HTV, sublimation, and DTF printing.

So all of that being said, I’m still very new to the screen printing world. If you want a huge variety of tutorials for different screen printing methods and techniques, definitely check out my friend Jennifer at Pigskins and Pigtails. She’s a screen printing pro and has the experience and expertise whereas I’m just learning!

Watch the Video

Want a video walkthrough of this entire post! I highly recommend it because there are some details that are difficult to show in photos! Just click play below!

Before we get to the actual tutorial for using the xTool Laser Screen Printer, let’s talk a little bit about screen printing in general.

What is Screen Printing?

Screen printing starts with a design that is used to create a stencil on a mesh screen. Then ink is applied across the screen using a squeegee. This allows ink to pass through some of the screen (the design) but not all of it, allowing for intricate designs to be reproduced on t-shirts, tote bags, paper, and more. You can use more than one screen to create layered designs and you can mix ink colors to create custom looks.

Many of my readers might be familiar with screen printing using a Cricut or Silhouette. You cut the stencil out of vinyl and apply it to the screen. But in this tutorial, we’re using specialized screens designed specifically for laser cutting.

How is Screen Printing Different than Silk Screening?

Basically these are the same thing. Most screens today are made from man-made materials like nylon or polyester. Before that, however, silk was the primary medium for screening for a long time. So silk screening, is basically screen printing with silk. It is still done in some art applications. But most modern screen printing is done with a man-made material.

What Can You Screen Print?

Screen printing has a wide variety of applications. Garments (t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, etc) are probably the most popular, but you can also screen print on bags, posters, art prints, flags, towels, mousepads, notebooks, wood panels, and more.

For all but one of my screen printing tests so far, I’ve used BELLA+CANVAS shirts. I found that there was no ink bleed into the fabric with BELLA+CANVAS compared to a bargain blank shirt.

Combine that with the fact that BELLA+CANVAS tees are so much softer and fit better, plus they have eco-friendly manufacturing practices, and they are definitely my go-to brand!

Did you know you can buy BELLA+CANVAS garments at wholesale pricing without a reseller license? Get a BELLA+CANVAS Maker’s Account! This account allows you access to the wholesale side of their business without the need for any permits or licenses. Even better? It’s free! Learn more in my post Buying Wholesale Blanks without a Resale License!

Note that you may want to research different types of ink based on your blank. For example, there are fabric inks and acrylic inks from other brands that may be better for your particular project.

How Do Screen Prints Wash and Wear?

Screen printing is one of the most durable decorating processes and is great if you have a shop where you are selling a lot of the same t-shirt or other product. Screen printing gets soft and vintage-y and it doesn’t like peel up like HTV sometimes does. Over time it just gets little cracks that just make it the whole design feel even softer.

Okay! Now let’s talk specifically about the xTool Laser Screen Printer.

Which xTool Lasers work with the Laser Screen Printer?

You can use the xTool Laser Screen Printer with the following lasers. To use the multi-color kit, you will need the frame fixing pieces (which help you align your frames so they are all lined up), which only work on some of the machines as mentioned below. For the others, you’ll want to use the basic kit, which is for single-color screen transfers.

• xTool S1 – multi-color set or basic set
• xTool D1 – multi-color set or basic set
• xTool P2 with riser – multi-color set (make your own DIY frame fixing piece) or basic set
• xTool M1 with riser – basic set
• xTool F1 – basic set

What’s in the xTool Laser Screen Printer Box?

I got the multi-color set, so if you ordered the basic set, it will contain fewer items. The screen printing system was very well packed, making the most of the space in the box. I do think storing everything when it’s not in use could be a bit tough because it’s sort of awkward and has lots of pieces. But the packing box is actually really great as a storage box, so think twice before recycling it.

In the multi-color box, you’ll get:

• Screen printing base
• Wood work surface
• 4 metal screen frames
• 12 screens (coated screen, 100-mesh)
• 11 ink jars (2 red, 2 yellow, 2 blue, 2 black, glitter silver, glitter gold, and glow in the dark)
• Placement sticker sheets
• Sticky mat
• Practice tote bag
• Wood squeegee (with internal magnet)
• Palette knife
• Frame fixing pieces for the S1 and D1

This is almost everything you need to get started! I would also suggest having a few other supplies on hand depending on your preferences (I talk about all of these in the tutorial below so you can decide if you need them or not):

• Compressed air
• Screen cleaning solution
• 2″ painter’s tape
• Teflon sheet
• Heat press
• Heat gun
• White screen print ink (if you want to do more custom colors)
• 8oz jars for mixing custom colors

You can also buy additional screen print frames and screens.

Setting the Screen in the Frame

To start, you’ll need to set the screen in the frame piece. Set the frame piece on your work surface with the back side facing up (the side with the rails).

Open the six clamps toward the outside of the frame. This will loosen the rails so you can insert your fixing pins.

Take one of the screens (do NOT remove the cardboard) and set it in the frame with the cardboard facing down. The cardboard is perfectly sized to fit in the frame.

Add the fixing pins (these sit inside the rails). I like to do the two long fixing pins first, then the two short ones. These can be a bit tough to put in—you’ll want to angle them at a 45° angle and press them down, pushing the screen into the rail.

Once you get a fixing pin in, press down on the flat part toward the frame to lock it into place. Repeat with the other three fixing pins.

Then close the six outer clamps. This will tighten the screen in the frame. Your screen should be tight without any wrinkles.

Flip the screen over and remove the cardboard. Just pull it up and recycle it. I had a bit of trouble with some of my cardboard and I had to peel up the adhesive strips as well. You may want to use a little alcohol or Goo Gone to remove any leftover adhesive.

Setting Up the Laser for Screen Printing

For this project I am using my xTool S1. This means I can use the multi-color set. This means that I can have more than one frame for the same image because they are all being burned in the same location. You’ll see what I mean when we make the project below.

Remove the riser and honeycomb tray if you are using them, and install the baseplate in the machine. Remove the two screws in the middle of the right side of the base of the machine.

Fit the frame fixing piece inside xTool S1 with the screws. Your frame fixing piece comes with longer screws, so use those instead of the ones you removed.

Setting Up Your Screen Printing File

Now we can go to the xTool Creative Space to set up our file. Open Creative Space and create a new file. To start, on the right, we’re going to change our processing type from Laser Flat to Screen Print.

This will tell the laser that we are using the screen printer. You’ll see a green rectangle appear on the Canvas—this is the area of the screen itself. So you’ll want to keep your design within those margins.

Next we’ll upload our file. Go to the file folder image in the upper left and click Import Image. Navigate to your image and add it to your Canvas.

You’ll get a warning at the top that tells you to insert that frame fixing piece (we already did that) and to reflect the image horizontally. So let’s go up to Reflect and reverse our image horizontally.

Now resize and rotate your image to fit on your garment or other project. Note that the hinge of the screen printer will be on the right and the top of your shirt will be on the left. So you want the top of your image to be toward the left of the screen.

Now this particular SVG has two layers—the otter and the words. We want it to be a single layer. So with both layers selected, go to Combine > Subtract.

This will “subtract” the letters out of the otter shape, leaving you with a single layer.

With the image selected, change your processing type to Engrave on the right.

And change your material to Coated Screen.

Finally, we need to auto-measure the height of the screen. Make sure your laser head is toward the center of your screen (you can just move it by hand).

There’s a small targeting icon next to the distance box in the panel on the left. Click the icon and your machine will automatically measure the height of the screen.

Click Process and you’re ready to burn your screen!

Burning Your Screen

Turn the frame with the screen so the backside is up. Slide into the machine. The frame fixing piece we installed earlier has two pins and the frame slides into place. This ensures the design is in the same place every time, which is particularly important if you are doing a multi-color design like we are here.

Then you can click Process in the xTool Creative Space program and your laser will burn your screen!

Preparing to Screen Print

Remove your screen from the laser when it’s done processing. To clean your screen, use a little canned compressed air. This will remove any extra material that didn’t get removed inside the laser.

Remove the sticky mat protective sheet from the back side and place on the wood base. Then peel off the other side exposing the sticky side up. This will give your blank project something to stick to so when you lift up your screen, your project will stay in the exact same space. You can also use the tack spray I mentioned in the supplies list above.

Thread your shirt onto the wood base, with the back of the shirt going below the wood base. Press well on the sticky mat so that it adheres with no wrinkles.

Make sure you are avoiding the brackets underneath the base so that the shirt doesn’t interfere with closing the screen.

If you have a project that is not “threadable” (like a tote bag or baby onesie) then use some of the provided cardstock between any layers to prevent ink bleed-through.

Open the levers on the hinge of the base. Then slide your frame into the hinge and close the two levers to lock it into place.

Add painter’s tape on all four sides to make clean up and storage much easier! The tape will prevent ink from going between your screen and the frame.

There’s a knob on the right side. You can use this to adjust the height of the screen. Hold onto the screen and when you have it in a place you like, turn the knob to tighten.

There are also directional knobs on the machine, to make incremental changes to where your base plate is in relation to the screen.

Screen Printing using the xTool Laser Screen Printer

Choose your ink color. For this project, I went with the “red” (more like magenta) right out of the jar. You can mix your own custom colors if you’d like. Stir the ink really well.

Using the spatula, spread a layer of ink above your design.

Lightly pull the squeegee through the paint and toward you at a 45° angle. This is called flooding or priming the screen. You’re not pressing the ink into the design yet.

Next, start at the top of the design once again and press down and pull toward you. Depending on the width of your design you may need to do more than one pull across your design.

Note that pressing too hard or pulling too much ink can result in ink bleed. Check out this video on screen print ink bleed for more tips and tricks for getting the perfect ink transfer.

Lift up the screen to see your design. If you’ve used the sticky mat or tack spray and your image hasn’t moved, you can lay your screen back down if you feel like you need more ink coverage.

Then pull your project off the screen printer and you’re done! Screen printing is great for batching, so keep using that screen to make as many projects as you’d like.

Curing the Screen Print Ink

xTool’s screen print ink says that it just needs 48 hours of air drying to cure.

Other ink, however, needs a heat press to cure. Let your project dry for 24 hours and then press it for 30 seconds at 350° using a teflon sheet on top of my project to protect it.

You can also use a heat gun set to 350° to speed up the drying process instead of letting it dry for 24 hours. Just make sure you aren’t getting the heat gun to close because it can burn or create bubbles in your ink.

Cleaning Your Screen

Remember how we used that tape around the edge of our screen? Peel that off! Now you don’t have ink in the space between the screen and the frame. Use water to clean your ink from your frame.

If you are struggling with getting your screen clean, you can use a screen cleaning solution, which I linked in the supplies list above.

Reusing Your Screens

You can definitely reuse your screens. The easiest way is to leave them in their frames. You can buy more frames, though they aren’t inexpensive (there is a bulk order discount on that page). If you have a small business, however, and you have a certain number of designs you make, you could buy enough frames for those designs and continue to reuse them until the screens no longer work. Then you can just replace the screens.

There are also smaller 9×12 frames and replacement screens for smaller projects!

If you do not want to leave the screens in their frames, you can check out this hack for reusing your screens!

Hope you found this tutorial for using the xTool Laser Screen Printer helpful! Stay tuned for a tutorial on making prints with more than one color!

Print

xTOOL LASER SCREEN PRINTING

Screen printing starts with a design that is used to create a stencil on a mesh screen. Then ink is applied across the screen using a squeegee. This allows ink to pass through some of the screen (the design) but not all of it, allowing for intricate designs to be reproduced on t-shirts, tote bags, paper, and more. You can use more than one screen to create layered designs and you can mix ink colors to create custom looks.

Keyword Laser, Screen Printing, xTool

Author Cori George

Equipment

• xTool Laser Screen Printer

Ingredients

• Compressed air
• Screen cleaning solution
• 2" painters tape
• Teflon sheet
• Heat press
• Heat gun
• White screen print ink (if you want to do more custom colors)
• 8oz jars for mixing custom colors
• additional screen print frames
• additional screen print screens
• Free Otter SVG File #L13

Instructions

• Setting the Screen in the Frame

  To start, you'll need to set the screen in the frame piece. Set the frame piece on your work surface with the back side facing up (the side with the rails).
  
• Open the six clamps toward the outside of the frame. This will loosen the rails so you can insert your fixing pins.
  
• Take one of the screens (do NOT remove the cardboard) and set it in the frame with the cardboard facing down. The cardboard is perfectly sized to fit in the frame.
  
• Add the fixing pins (these sit inside the rails). Do the two long fixing pins first, then the two short ones. These can be a bit tough to put in—you'll want to angle them at a 45° angle and press them down, pushing the screen into the rail.
  
• Once you get a fixing pin in, press down on the flat part toward the frame to lock it into place. Repeat with the other three fixing pins.
  
• Then close the six outer clamps. This will tighten the screen in the frame. Your screen should be tight without any wrinkles.
  
• Flip the screen over and remove the cardboard. Just pull it up and recycle it.
  
• If you have trouble with some of the cardboard, peel up the adhesive strips as well. You may want to use a little alcohol or Goo Gone to remove any leftover adhesive.
  
• Setting Up the Laser for Screen Printing

  For this project a xTool S1 is being used This means the multi-color set can be used, and that you can have more than one frame for the same image because they are all being burned in the same location. This will be better understood when the project below is made.

  Remove the riser and honeycomb tray if you are using them, and install the baseplate in the machine. Remove the two screws in the middle of the right side of the base of the machine.
  
• Fit the frame fixing piece inside xTool S1 with the screws. Your frame fixing piece comes with longer screws, so use those instead of the ones you removed.
  
• Setting Up Your Screen Printing File

  Now go to the xTool Creative Space to set up the file. Open Creative Space and create a new file. To start, on the right, change the processing type from Laser Flat to Screen Print.
  
• This will tell the laser that we are using the screen printer. You'll see a green rectangle appear on the Canvas—this is the area of the screen itself. So you'll want to keep your design within those margins.
  
• Next upload the file. Go to the file folder image in the upper left and click Import Image. Navigate to your image and add it to your Canvas.
  
• You'll get a warning at the top that tells you to insert that frame fixing piece (you already did that) and to reflect the image horizontally. So let's go up to Reflect and reverse our image horizontally.
  
• Now resize and rotate the image to fit on the garment or other project. Note that the hinge of the screen printer will be on the right and the top of your shirt will be on the left. So you want the top of your image to be toward the left of the screen.
  
• This particular otter SVG has two layers—the otter and the words. We want it to be a single layer. So with both layers selected, go to Combine > Subtract.
  
• This will "subtract" the letters out of the otter shape, leaving you with a single layer.
  
• With the image selected, change your processing type to Engrave on the right.
  
• And change your material to Coated Screen.
  
• Finally, you need to auto-measure the height of the screen. Make sure your laser head is toward the center of your screen (you can just move it by hand).
  
• There's a small targeting icon next to the distance box in the panel on the left.
  
• Click the icon and your machine will automatically measure the height of the screen.

  Click Process and you're ready to burn your screen!
  
• Burning Your Screen

  Turn the frame with the screen so the backside is up. Slide into the machine. The frame fixing piece that was installed earlier has two pins and the frame slides into place. This ensures the design is in the same place every time, which is particularly important if you are doing a multi-color design like you are here.

  Then you can click Process in the xTool Creative Space program and your laser will burn your screen!
  
• Preparing to Screen Print

  Remove your screen from the laser when it's done processing. To clean your screen, use a little canned compressed air. This will remove any extra material that didn't get removed inside the laser.
  
• Remove the sticky mat protective sheet from the back side and place on the wood base. Then peel off the other side exposing the sticky side up. This will give your blank project something to stick to so when you lift up your screen, your project will stay in the exact same space. You can also use the tack spray I mentioned in the supplies list above.
  
• Thread your shirt onto the wood base, with the back of the shirt going below the wood base. Press well on the sticky mat so that it adheres with no wrinkles.
  
• Make sure you are avoiding the brackets underneath the base so that the shirt doesn't interfere with closing the screen.

  If you have a project that is not "threadable" (like a tote bag or baby onesie) then use some of the provided cardstock between any layers to prevent ink bleed-through.
  
• Open the levers on the hinge of the base. Then slide your frame into the hinge and close the two levers to lock it into place.
  
• Add painter's tape on all four sides to make clean up and storage much easier! The tape will prevent ink from going between your screen and the frame.
  
• There's a knob on the right side. You can use this to adjust the height of the screen. Hold onto the screen and when you have it in a place you like, turn the knob to tighten.
  
• There are also directional knobs on the machine, to make incremental changes to where your base plate is in relation to the screen.
  
• Screen Printing using the xTool Laser Screen Printer

  Choose your ink color. For this project, the "red" ink was (more like magenta) used right out of the jar. You can mix your own custom colors if you'd like. Stir the ink really well.
  
• Using the spatula, spread a layer of ink above your design.
  
• Lightly pull the squeegee through the paint and toward you at a 45° angle. This is called flooding or priming the screen. You're not pressing the ink into the design yet.
  
• Next, start at the top of the design once again and press down and pull toward you. Depending on the width of your design you may need to do more than one pull across your design.
  
• Note that pressing too hard or pulling too much ink can result in ink bleed. Check out this video on screen print ink bleed for more tips and tricks for getting the perfect ink transfer.

  Lift up the screen to see your design. If you've used the sticky mat or tack spray and your image hasn't moved, you can lay your screen back down if you feel like you need more ink coverage.

  Then pull your project off the screen printer and you're done! Screen printing is great for batching, so keep using that screen to make as many projects as you'd like.
  
• Curing the Screen Print Ink

  xTool's screen print ink says that it just needs 48 hours of air drying to cure.

  Other ink, however, needs a heat press to cure. Let your project dry for 24 hours and then press it for 30 seconds at 350° using a teflon sheet on top of my project to protect it.

  You can also use a heat gun set to 350° to speed up the drying process instead of letting it dry for 24 hours. Just make sure you aren't getting the heat gun to close because it can burn or create bubbles in your ink.
• Cleaning Your Screen

  Remember how the tape was used around the edge of our screen? Peel that off! Now you don't have ink in the space between the screen and the frame. Use water to clean your ink from your frame.

  If you are struggling with getting your screen clean, you can use a screen cleaning solution, which is linked in the supplies list above.
• Reusing Your Screens

  You can definitely reuse your screens. The easiest way is to leave them in their frames. You can buy more frames, though they aren't inexpensive (there is a bulk order discount on that page). If you have a small business, however, and you have a certain number of designs you make, you could buy enough frames for those designs and continue to reuse them until the screens no longer work. Then you can just replace the screens.

  There are also smaller 9×12 frames and replacement screens for smaller projects!

  If you do not want to leave the screens in their frames, you can check out this hack for reusing your screens!

The post How to Use the xTool Laser Screen Printer appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

When I’m teaching about using a laser, I most often talk about two types of materials—wood and acrylic. But today we’re going to learn how to engrave slate with laser! You can make all sorts of cute custom coasters, photos, and cheese boards using this method and they make great products to sell as well.

For this project, I am using my Glowforge Spark™. Glowforge Spark is a diode laser, which means that it’s smaller and less powerful than a larger CO2 laser like the Glowforge Pro™ or Glowforge Plus™. But it also means that it’s significantly less expensive for the everyday crafter and it allows you to get started in the laser crafting world without breaking the bank. Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Glowforge Spark to learn more about this Craft Laser™!

Note that it is impossible to cut slate with a laser, even a more powerful CO2 laser. Your best option for cutting slate is…a tile saw!

Engraving slate may seem like an advanced tutorial, but it’s actually super easy! I’m going to show you two different projects today. How to engrave a design and then how to engrave a photo (which requires a simple extra step).

Watch the Video

Want to see how I engrave slate in action? Hit the play button below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Supplies

• Laser machine (I am using my Glowforge Spark)
• Round slate coasters
• Square slate coasters
• Acrylic easel stands (for display)

Instructions for Engraving a Design

Place the slate in the center of the bed of your laser. Make it as straight as possible if you’re using a square or rectangle. Your Glowforge will take a photo of the bed of your laser with the slate, which you’ll be able to see in the Glowforge App.

Because this material is thick, we want to set our focus. This will help our engraving to look crisp and not blurry. Go to the three dots at the top of the Glowforge App and click Set Focus.

Your Glowforge will make some noise as it sets the focus. Then you’re ready to add your image. Upload the image you want to use and resize it on top of your slate. For these designs, I liked keeping the design itself inside the boundaries of the rough edges of the slate.

Then we’ll need to set a manual setting for slate because it’s not a Glowforge Proofgrade material. For these mandala designs, I found Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 to work really well. I set my Lines Per Inch to 270. You may need to do some tests to see what works best for your laser and image.

That’s it! Click Print and your image will be processed. This has an engrave time of an hour and ten minutes. This is one of the tradeoffs between a larger CO2 laser (like the Glowforge Pro) and a smaller diode Craft Laser. A Craft Laser is much slower than a larger CO2 machine.

Press the blinking button and your Glowforge will engrave your slate!

Gorgeous!

Instructions for Engraving a Photo

Engraving a photo is basically the same as engraving a design with one extra step—you need to invert the photo first. Because the color inside the slate is lighter than the top layer of the slate, you’ll end up with what looks like an inverted image if you just engrave a regular image. You can see that here with this image of my boys.

Not exactly what we want! To invert a photo, you can use a site like Free Photo Inverter. Just upload your photo, click invert, and download your inverted photo. You’ll see that it actually looks similar to the photo above!

Then you’ll upload the inverted photo to the Glowforge App and proceed as we did above. I did some more testing with the image of my boys as babies and never found a setting that I really liked. I think this is because there are too many medium grays in my image. You can’t tell, but they are wearing yellow onesies, they have peachy skin, and the blanket they are on is light blue. All medium grays when converted to grayscale.

So I tried a different photo with more contrast, this one of my boys this year (they’re eight now!). This photo has a lot more contrast. I used the settings Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 with my lines per inch set to 405. And I got a much better result!

Like with most crafts, you may need to do some testing to get the best results. Luckily, these slate coasters aren’t expensive so you have some room to play around and see what settings are best for your photo!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial showing how to engrave slate with a laser! If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting, just leave me a comment below!

Print

ENGRAVING SLATE WITH A LASER

Your laser can work with so many more materials than just wood and acrylic! Learn all the tips and tricks to engrave slate with a laser and get a free set of engraving files for your laser!

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Laser Machine (Glowforge Spark)
• Acrylic easel stands (for display)

Ingredients

• Round slate coasters
• Square slate coasters
• Free Mandala File #L12

Instructions

• For this project, the Glowforge Spark™ is being used. Glowforge Spark is a diode laser, which means that it's smaller and less powerful than a larger CO2 laser like the Glowforge Pro™ or Glowforge Plus™. But it also means that it's significantly less expensive for the everyday crafter and it allows you to get started in the laser crafting world without breaking the bank. Check out this Beginner’s Guide to Glowforge Spark to learn more about this Craft Laser™!

  Note that it is impossible to cut slate with a laser, even a more powerful CO2 laser. Your best option for cutting slate is…a tile saw!

  These instructions will show you two different projects. First, how to engrave a design and then how to engrave a photo (which requires a simple extra step).
  
• Instructions for Engraving a Design

  Place the slate in the center of the bed of your laser. Make it as straight as possible if you're using a square or rectangle. Your Glowforge will take a photo of the bed of your laser with the slate, which you'll be able to see in the Glowforge App.
  
• Because this material is thick, you will want to set the focus. This will help the engraving to look crisp and not blurry. Go to the three dots at the top of the Glowforge App and click Set Focus.
  
• The Glowforge will make some noise as it sets the focus. Then you're ready to add your image. Upload the image you want to use and resize it on top of your slate. For these designs, the design was kept inside the boundaries of the rough edges of the slate.
  
• Next, you will need to set a manual setting for slate because it's not a Glowforge Proofgrade material. For these mandala designs, Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 work really well and the Lines Per Inch to was set to 270. You may need to do some tests to see what works best for your laser and image.
  
• That's it! Click Print and your image will be processed. This has an engrave time of an hour and ten minutes. This is one of the tradeoffs between a larger CO2 laser (like the Glowforge Pro) and a smaller diode Craft Laser. A Craft Laser is much slower than a larger CO2 machine.
  
• Press the blinking button and your Glowforge will engrave your slate! Gorgeous!
  
• Instructions for Engraving a Photo

  Engraving a photo is basically the same as engraving a design with one extra step—you need to invert the photo first. Because the color inside the slate is lighter than the top layer of the slate, you'll end up with what looks like an inverted image if you just engrave a regular image.
  
• Not exactly what we want! To invert a photo, you can use a site like Free Photo Inverter. Just upload your photo, click invert, and download your inverted photo. You'll see that it actually looks similar to the photo above!
  
• Next, upload the inverted photo to the Glowforge App and proceed as you did in the steps above. More testing with the image of these two boys as babies and a setting was never found that looked good and this is because there are too many medium grays in the image. You can't tell, but they are wearing yellow onesies, they have peachy skin, and the blanket they are on is light blue. All medium grays when converted to grayscale.
  
• A different photo was used with more contrast. The settings used were Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 with the lines per inch set to 405. This is a much better result!

  Like with most crafts, you may need to do some testing to get the best results. Luckily, these slate coasters aren't expensive so you have some room to play around and see what settings are best for your photo!
  

The post How to Engrave Slate with a Laser appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Getting any new crafting machine can be intimidating, but getting a new laser cutter is probably one of the scariest for some people!

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is getting a new crafting machine (whether it’s a laser, a sublimation printer, a Cricut, or some other machine) and then they try and do a complex project. Often the complex project fails and then the crafter is discouraged and doesn’t want to work with their machine anymore. It’s like going to senior-level classes in college without first learning the basics as a freshman!

So if you have a new Glowforge Spark, Glowforge Aura, or other laser machine, I’ve got three easy projects for you to make today. All of these are easy to make as a first project and will get you familiar with the basics of using your machine and a few basic materials and processes.

If you are new to the laser crafting, here are a few posts that might also help you start off well on your laser journey:

• Must-Have Laser Supplies for Beginners
• Laser Linetypes: Basic Overview of Cut, Score, and Engrave
• Laser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects

Watch the Video

Want to see a video walkthrough of making these three projects? Just click play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Supplies for these Beginner Laser Projects

These are the supplies I’m using for my particular projects. You can make these out of other colors of wood or acrylic as well!

• Glowforge Spark (you can use whatever laser you have)
• Glowforge Proofgrade Light Maple Plywood
• Glowforge Proofgrade Red EcoThin Acrylic
• Glowforge Proofgrade Black EcoThin Acrylic
• Houston Acrylic pink acrylic
• Plastic razor blade (optional)
• Craft glue
• 3M double sided adhesive
• Brayer (optional)
• Pliers
• Small clamps (optional)
• Earring findings
• Keychain findings
• Bookmark tassel
• SVG file (see below)

Retro Flower Engraved Wood Bookmark

Our first beginner laser project will help get you comfortable with both cutting and engraving wood using your laser.

Start by placing your piece of wood in the bed of your machine. Your Glowforge will automatically take a photo of the material when you close the lid.

Upload the SVG file to the Glowforge App. You will see all three projects with each layer on the left.

We only want to cut and engrave the bookmark, so click on the other layers and set the linetype to “ignore.” They will still show as images, but they won’t actually process because we’ve ignored them.

I am using a thin maple plywood for this project but there is no QR code on this particular piece. If you have Glowforge Proofgrade material and it can read the barcode, the settings will automatically be set for you. If for some reason you don’t have a QR code or your Glowforge can’t read it, click on the material in the upper left and set your material.

For the two pieces of the bookmark, confirm that the outline of the bookmark is set to cut, and the flowers are set to engrave.

Now place your bookmark at the edge of your material or wherever you think you’ll make the most of your material. You can move the other ignored layers out of the way.

Then click Print! From here, your Glowforge will process your image and tell you how long it will take to cut and engrave. This one is 42 minutes. Yes, that’s a long time! But that’s one of the biggest tradeoffs getting a smaller craft diode laser vs. a larger laser like the Glowforge Plus or Pro.

Press the glowing button on your machine to start the process. Once your project is done cutting and engraving, remove it from the bed of the laser. Use a plastic razor blade or other tool to remove the paper masking from your project. See more about removing masking in my post Laser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects.

Then add your tassel and you’re done with your first project!

Mushroom Earrings with Wood and Acrylic

Next up, let’s make a pair of mushroom earrings. This tutorial will show you how to combine materials (wood and acrylic) and how to use craft glue to layer a project. You can also use the 3M adhesive method shown for the keychain below if you’d like.

Head back into the Glowforge App. You can click on and delete the bookmark file since we already did it, or you can choose to ignore those layers.

We’ll be cutting the back pieces out of the light maple we used for the bookmark. To make the most out of my material, I rotated my mushrooms and nested them together.

Now change the mushroom backing layer to cut instead of ignore.

That’s it! This one is ready to go. Click Print. This cut time is much faster at just under 4 minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your earring backs.

Now we’re going to do the same process with the earring fronts. Place your red acrylic in the bed of the laser. You’ll notice on this one that it read the QR code and automatically set my material to the EcoThin Red Acrylic. If you do not see this, manually set your material like we did with the maple above.

Now we can move our mushroom tops to where we want to cut them. You can right click on the mushrooms to ungroup them and delete the back layer that we already cut, or you can actually just overlap the two images like I’ve done here.

Then set the backing pieces to ignore and the mushroom tops to cut and you’re good to go!

Click Print. The cut time for these two pieces is around 8 minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your mushroom top pieces.

Now we can assemble our earrings. Use the plastic razor blade to remove the masking on all of the pieces.

Then place a very thin layer of glue on the back of the red piece and secure to the wood piece. You can use a clip or clamp to hold them together, or place it under a stack of books. Wipe up any glue that has seeped out of the edges.

Once the glue has dried, add your fishhook earring findings to finish your project!

Layered Acrylic Happy Face Keychain

Up last is a layered project using two types of acrylic! There are specialty glues for adhering acrylic, but I prefer to use the 3M double-sided adhesive.

Let’s start by cutting the black backing piece just like we have our other pieces. Delete the mushroom earrings from the file or set them to ignore. Move the happy face piece to a place on your acrylic where you’ll be wasting the least amount of material.

Set the backing piece to cut and confirm the front happy face piece is set to ignore.

Click Print. The cut time for this piece is only a bit over two minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your black piece.

Now for the happy face piece, I’m going to use a piece of diode-tested acrylic from Houston Acrylic. They have a lot of acrylic colors that have been tested to work in diode lasers like the Glowforge Aura and Glowforge Spark. Because these aren’t directly from Glowforge, they are not “Proofgrade” materials, meaning that Glowforge does not have a setting for them within their software. Thankfully, for these particular acrylic colors, Houston Acrylic has the settings on their website. We’ll change those in just a minute.

But first we need to add that 3M double-sided adhesive to the back of our piece of acrylic. Start by removing the masking from the back of the acrylic.

Then apply the 3M double sided adhesive to the unmasked side of the acrylic. Trim off any excess adhesive using a craft knife or scissors.

Use a brayer to remove any air bubbles or wrinkles.

Then place the acrylic in the bed of the machine with the 3M side down. Place your keychain image to take advantage of the material.

Then change the happy face piece to cut and the backing piece to ignore.

Now we need to set the settings as I mentioned before. With the happy face layer selected on the left, click Manual. This will open up the manual settings window. Here you can enter the settings from the Houston Acrylic website. For this material, I have my speed set to 10, my power set to 10, and I have it set for three passes.

Click Print. The cut time for this piece is about eight minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your pink happy face piece.

Now we can assemble! Remove the masking off the front of the pink piece and both sides of the black piece. And then peel back the backing of the 3M adhesive on the back of the pink piece.

Then place the pink piece on the black piece. The 3M adhesive is pretty sticky, so make sure you get it right the first time!

Then add your keychain finding and you’re done!

I hope these projects got you over the fear of starting to use your laser! If you have any questions about these beginner laser projects or anything having to do with a laser, I’d be happy to answer them in the comments.

Print

BEGINNER LASER PROJECTS WITH GLOWFORGE SPARK

Looking for beginner laser projects to cut on your Glowforge or other laser crafting machine? You're in luck! We're making three projects, start to finish, that are perfect for your first print.

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Glowforge Spark (you can use whatever laser you have)
• Plastic Razor Blade (optional)
• craft glue
• Brayer (optional)
• pliers
• Small clamps (optional)

Ingredients

• Glowforge Proofgrade Light Maple Plywood
• Glowforge Proofgrade Red EcoThin Acrylic
• Glowforge Proofgrade Black EcoThin Acrylic
• Houston Acrylic pink acrylic
• 3M double sided adhesive
• Earring findings
• Keychain findings
• Bookmark tassel
• Beginner Laser Projects SVG File #L11

Instructions

• If you are new to the laser crafting, here are a few posts that might also help you start off well on your laser journey:

  Must-Have Laser Supplies for BeginnersLaser Linetypes: Basic Overview of Cut, Score, and EngraveLaser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects

  Retro Flower Engraved Wood Bookmark

  Place your piece of wood in the bed of your machine. Your Glowforge will automatically take a photo of the material when you close the lid.

  Upload the SVG file to the Glowforge App. You will see all three projects with each layer on the left.
  
• You only want to cut and engrave the bookmark, so click on the other layers and set the linetype to "ignore." They will still show as images, but they won't actually process because they've been set to ignore.
  
• For this project a thin maple plywood is being used but there is no QR code on this particular piece. If you have Glowforge Proofgrade material and it can read the barcode, the settings will automatically be set for you. If for some reason you don't have a QR code or your Glowforge can't read it, click on the material in the upper left and set your material.
  
• For the two pieces of the bookmark, confirm that the outline of the bookmark is set to cut, and the flowers are set to engrave.
  
• Now place your bookmark at the edge of your material or wherever you think you'll make the most of your material. You can move the other ignored layers out of the way.
  
• Then click Print! From here, your Glowforge will process your image and tell you how long it will take to cut and engrave. This one is 42 minutes. Yes, that's a long time! But that's one of the biggest tradeoffs getting a smaller craft diode laser vs. a larger laser like the Glowforge Plus or Pro.
• Press the glowing button on your machine to start the process. Once your project is done cutting and engraving, remove it from the bed of the laser. Use a plastic razor blade or other tool to remove the paper masking from your project. See more about removing masking in this Laser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects.
  
• Then add your tassel and you're done with your first project!
  
• Mushroom Earrings with Wood and Acrylic

  Next up, let's make a pair of mushroom earrings. This tutorial will show you how to combine materials (wood and acrylic) and how to use craft glue to layer a project. You can also use the 3M adhesive method shown for the keychain below if you'd like.

  Head back into the Glowforge App. You can click on and delete the bookmark file since we already did it, or you can choose to ignore those layers.

  The back pieces will be cut out of the light maple we used for the bookmark. To make the most out of your material, rotate the mushrooms and nest them together.
  
• Now change the mushroom backing layer to cut instead of ignore.
  
• That's it! This one is ready to go. Click Print. This cut time is much faster at just under 4 minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your earring backs.

  Now we're going to do the same process with the earring fronts. Place your red acrylic in the bed of the laser. You'll notice on this one that it read the QR code and automatically set the material to the EcoThin Red Acrylic. If you do not see this, manually set your material like you did with the maple above.

  Now you can move the mushroom tops to where you want to cut them. You can right click on the mushrooms to ungroup them and delete the back layer that we already cut, or you can actually just overlap the two images like what has been done here.
  
• Next, set the backing pieces to ignore and the mushroom tops to cut and you're good to go!
  
• Then set the backing pieces to ignore and the mushroom tops to cut and you're good to go!
  
• Click Print. The cut time for these two pieces is around 8 minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your mushroom top pieces.

  Now you can assemble the earrings. Use the plastic razor blade to remove the masking on all of the pieces.
  
• Then place a very thin layer of glue on the back of the red piece and secure to the wood piece. You can use a clip or clamp to hold them together, or place it under a stack of books. Wipe up any glue that has seeped out of the edges.
  
• Once the glue has dried, add your fishhook earring findings to finish your project!
  
• Adorable!
  
• Layered Acrylic Happy Face Keychain

  Up last is a layered project using two types of acrylic! There are specialty glues for adhering acrylic, but the preferred method is to use the 3M double-sided adhesive.

  Let's start by cutting the black backing piece just like you did the other pieces. Delete the mushroom earrings from the file or set them to ignore. Move the happy face piece to a place on your acrylic where you'll be wasting the least amount of material.
  
• Set the backing piece to cut and confirm the front happy face piece is set to ignore
  
• Click Print. The cut time for this piece is only a bit over two minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your black piece.

  Now for the happy face piece, use a piece of diode-tested acrylic from Houston Acrylic. They have a lot of acrylic colors that have been tested to work in diode lasers like the Glowforge Aura and Glowforge Spark. Because these aren't directly from Glowforge, they are not "Proofgrade" materials, meaning that Glowforge does not have a setting for them within their software. Thankfully, for these particular acrylic colors, Houston Acrylic has the settings on their website. You will be changing those in just a minute.

  But first you need to add that 3M double-sided adhesive to the back of the piece of acrylic. Start by removing the masking from the back of the acrylic.
  
• Then apply the 3M double sided adhesive to the unmasked side of the acrylic. Trim off any excess adhesive using a craft knife or scissors.
  
• Use a brayer to remove any air bubbles or wrinkles.
  
• Then place the acrylic in the bed of the machine with the 3M side down. Place your keychain image to take advantage of the material.
  
• Then change the happy face piece to cut and the backing piece to ignore.
  
• Now you need to set the settings as mentioned before. With the happy face layer selected on the left, click Manual. This will open up the manual settings window. Here you can enter the settings from the Houston Acrylic website. For this material, I have my speed set to 10, my power set to 10, and I have it set for three passes.
  
• Click Print. The cut time for this piece is about eight minutes. Press the glowing button on your Glowforge to cut your pink happy face piece.

  Now we can assemble! Remove the masking off the front of the pink piece and both sides of the black piece. And then peel back the backing of the 3M adhesive on the back of the pink piece.
  
• Then place the pink piece on the black piece. The 3M adhesive is pretty sticky, so make sure you get it right the first time!
  
• Then add your keychain finding and you're done!
  

The post Beginner Laser Projects with Glowforge Spark appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.