Laser-engraved glass carafe | Trotec Laser DIY sample

In this tutorial, we show you an easy way to personalize a glass set with your Trotec laser engraving machine.

Preparation

Required material:

Tumbler / carafe (e.g. IKEA “DIOD” or IKEA “VIKTIGT”)
Rotary engraving attachment
Single-layer paper towel
Water

Machine used:

Trotec Speedy 360
80 Watt with 1.5 inch lens

Tip:

Waterproof acrylic paint can be used to create a colored background for bold and subtle engraving effects, but make sure the paint is non-toxic and rinse the glasses manually.

Korak po korak

Step 1: Import/create design template

Import our design template into your graphic program. Alternatively, you can create your own individual designs and adapt them to the shape of your glasses and carafes.

Example: Our design proposals were created to match IKEA glasses of the series “DIOD” and the “VIKTIGT” carafe.

Step 2: Preparation of the glasses/carafe

Cover the area to be laser engraved with the moist single-layer paper towel. This prevents the glass from splintering during engraving. Then switch the Air Assist OFF to avoid premature drying of the paper during engraving. For further processing options see Tips and Tricks for Glass Engraving.

Tip:

Make sure that no air bubbles or overlaps are formed when you place the paper towel on the workpiece. This would affect the engraving results.

Step 3: Rotary engraving attachment

For installing and removing the rotary engraving attachment, the laser must be switched off. Insert the rotary attachment into your laser, and connect it via the connecting cable on the inside of your machine.
Now you can clamp the glass into the rotary attachment and focus on the surface.

Step 4: Software settings

Next, send the print job to the laser. In the Print dialog, go to the “Layout” tab and set the positioning to “Center-Right." This will cause the graphic to automatically rotate by 90° in the software. Note that this change becomes visible only in JobControl®.

Then go to the JobControl® print window. Check the “rotary attachment” option and then enter the height of your graphics and the diameter of the workpiece on the right-hand side. Measure the diameter at the point where you want to engrave your workpiece.