General Information
The Epilog Mini is a 60W laser that is able to etch & cut wood up to 12" x 24" and etch onto cylindrical objects using the rotary tool. The laser can be reserved by appointment or used in Library programs. For safety, if any material is questionable or unknown to staff, we will not attempt to cut or etch it for any reason. If you have questions about materials, please contact Digital Services.
We recommend you view our MakerLab Essentials: Laser Cutting tutorials before you begin your project. Staff are available to help by appointment or during Library programs.
Design software: Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, or other vector graphics programs.
Accepted File Formats: .svg is the preferred format to bring in so the project can be edited, if necessary. The final design is saved as a .pdf and sent to the laser.
Templates
Artwork
Designing your own artwork is a great option, but when getting started, it is nice to learn about laser cutting by using pre-designed files. Below are a few sites that offer options for free artwork.
MakerLab Essentials
Design at home, make an appointment, then come into the Library to run your project! Templates can be found in the section above. For questions, please e-mail digitalservices@balibrary.org.
Laser Settings
A number of settings for common materials are pre-programmed into the laser. For a full list of settings for our 60W laser, please refer to the Epilog Mini Recommended Settings.
| Specialty settings | Speed | Power |
| Chipboard (Vector) | 50% | 20% |
| Chipboard (Raster) | 50% | 50% |
Setup and Use
Center Engrave
Center Engrave allows you to place the laser at the center of the design instead of the top-left corner. This is beneficial for avoiding other markings or manually performing multiple etches on the same object. There are two components to the center engrave to design and setting the laser's home position.
Approved Materials
- Unfinished and untreated hardwood
- Clear glass
- Genuine, untreated leather
- Leather-like material (NOT PLEATHER)
- Powder coated or anodized surfaces
- Chipboard (heavy, single-ply, untreated/uncolored cardboard)
Potential Vendors