Birthday calendar

Step by step guide

You keep forgetting the birthdays of your loved ones? Let us help you with our lasercut and engraved birthday calendar. We show you how to create a personalised birthday calendar.

Preparation

Required material

colorful A3 paper
sticky tape
glue
binding rings

Trotec laser used

Speedy 300
80 watts
1.5 inch lens

Tip:

vacuum table with the honeycomb cutting tabletop

Step by Step

Step 1: Design and Laser parameters

Import the PDF file into Corel Draw and select the desired graphic (see the tabs below the working area in Corel Draw).
You will find the cover page and each month of the calendar ready to go in the file. There is also a template for you to insert individual graphics or images and create your personalised birthday calendar.

Laser Settings

Engraving: Power: 10%, Speed: 50%, Frequency: 500 ppi, Air-Assist: ON - Advanced: Optimized Quality
Cutting: Power: 5%, Speed: 0,80%, Frequency: 1000 Hz, Air-Assist: ON
Cutting-in: Power: 2%, Speed: 0,80%, Frequency: 1000 Hz, Z-Offset: 2mm, Air-Assist: ON

Step 2: Lasercut and engrave the months

Before you begin with the cutting and engraving process be sure to cover the table around your piece of paper with sticky tape and a piece of cardboard. This will ensure that the paper is properly fixed for lasercutting and engraving. Put the first piece of paper in the colour of your choice for January in the laser. Send the file for January to the laser and repeat this process with all other months. Use different colors for every month to create a colorful calendar.

Step 3: Create the cover page

Choose the front of the cover page in CorelDraw and lasercut and engrave it in the color of your choice.
Lasercut the back of the cover page in a color that contrasts well with the front. When you have the cover page and its back in front of you, you only need to glue them. Use only a small amount of glue on the sides to avoid stains on the paper.

Tip:

When you lasercut the cover page, deactivate Air-Assist to ensure that the little pieces (the symbols of the sign of the zodiac in the sample) do not float into the cutting path of the next symbol or letter.

Step 4: Binding

When you have all the loose pages of your calendar, all that remains is the binding. Just head to a print shop near you and get it done professionally.
If you'd rather go completely diy, you can punch holes in the paper with a binding machine and pull binding rings through them.