Common questions about Graphic Design for Laser Engraving and Laser Cutting

Chances are, if you’ve wandered onto our Graphic Design Page, you may have a few questions about file formats, logos, or picture quality.  We’ve done our best to answer as many of those questions as possible below, but if you don’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to contact us via the link at the bottom of the page.

 

Do you offer custom graphic design services?

Yes, we do.  Given the proper file formats, we can create a logo, crop a photo for engraving, create 3D effects within the engraving file, create a laser cutting file for your custom project, and many more options, some of which are listed below. Contact us today to discuss your project in greater depth!

  • Selection from 3000+ fonts
  • Selection from a wide variety of clipart images
  • Varied character heights, widths, and spacing
  • Justification (left-center-right)
  • Italics
  • Mirror imaging

 

What is your hourly rate for graphic design services?

The hourly rate for graphic design services is 60$ per hour, billed in 5 minute increments. Graphic design fees must be paid prior to any actual laser engraving or cutting. We can save you a trip using online invoicing through Square. We will send you proofs for all items we have designed for you for your approval prior to invoicing you for them.

 

What types of formats do files need to be in for LASER ENGRAVING or LASER CUTTING?

We use a file format commonly referred to as a vector file for Laser Cutting and Laser Engraving. There are several types of vector file formats.  Our graphics software most easily works with CDR (Corel Draw) files, but we have comprised a list below of file formats that will also work. If your files are not available in these formats, periodically we can convert other types of files into these formats provided your original images have relatively good resolution.

  • AI
  • CDR
  • DWG
  • DXF
  • EPS
  • SVG

 

What types of file formats do PHOTOS need to be in for engraving?

Photo engraving is perhaps one of the most tricky, yet rewarding areas of the laser engraving industry. A quality laser engraved photo requires a high-quality, high-resolution original image photo in electronic BMP, JPEG, PNG, or TIFF formats.  While we have worked with photos that have come from lesser quality cell phone cameras or that have been downloaded (and therefore resampled) from social media sites, these photos do not produce clear, crisp results like those of higher quality photos.  We reserve the right to refuse a photo engraving project if we feel that the quality of the photo is not adequate to complete the work in a quality and timely manner. Additionally, we can not use photos with large amounts of shading and/or monochromatic color schemes.

 

If I have my own graphic designer, can you collaborate with him or her?

Absolutely!  We are glad to work with graphic designers and artists to create items to your specifications. Contact us today to determine if our services will meet your next project needs!

 

What if I would like to create my own artwork, text, and photo files? 

We can work with you if you prefer to do your own graphic design.  We do have to review all artwork prior to engraving or cutting, however, to ensure that our laser system can ‘read’ the file correctly and that the images are of a high enough resolution to render a quality image.

 

What are the restrictions on using COPYRIGHTED, LICENSED, PATENTED, OR TRADEMARKED media in laser engraving projects?

Unfortunately, we cannot engrave any clipart, text, or photos that you or we do not specifically own the rights to reproduce commercially.  Many files that appear on the internet today claim to be ‘free’ for the public to use.  However, many of the artists who have created these files have also added language prohibiting “commercial use” of their products.  If you are using one of these types of files, please notify us so that we can confirm that no other fees are required to use the artwork commercially.

 

Can you provide a quote for custom graphic design or laser engraving and cutting services?

We can provide you with the most accurate quote once we review your design files. Unfortunately, we cannot give exact prices over the phone or in many cases, without running a test sample.

 

We’ve attempted to include information above that may help you prepare your graphic design files for the laser engraving or cutting process.  If we have missed your question, feel free to contact us via the link below!

 

Contact us today for a quote!