A personalized, laser-engraved couch cushion makes a great gift. Use this tutorial and template to make you own.
Preparation
Required material:
A plain cushion cover in any color (although darker materials show off the engraving better). We used a red GURLI from IKEA
Used Trotec Laser:
Speedy 400
80 watts
2 inch lens
Step by Step
Step 1: Design it!
Open the PDF template in CorelDraw or any other Vector graphic program, and adapt it as you like. You can use any pattern, text or graphic - let your imagination run wild!
Step 2: Laser process
Put the cover without the filling material into the laser. A vacuumtable helps you to fix the material, but you can also use some tape to secure it to the bed. To keep the cushion cover flat for engraving, you can iron it before you put it into the laser engraving machine. This will also help to focus the laser.
Laser Settings
Engraving: Power: 30% - Speed: 100% - Frequency: 500 ppi - Air Assist: ON
Wash the cushion cover once before filling it to remove any residue that might be left on the cover.
Tip:
This also works great with photos of friends, family or pets using the Photo Optimization settings in Job Control®.
