General Information
The Epilog Mini and the Epilog Fusion are both 60W lasers that are 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.
If you would like to get a more complete understanding for how the laser works, here is a link to the Epilog Mini manual.
Approved Materials (Subject to Staff Inspection)
Material Requirements
- Unfinished and untreated hardwood
- Clear glass
- Leather-like material (NOT PLEATHER)
- Powder coated or anodized surfaces
- Chipboard (heavy, single-ply, untreated/uncolored cardboard)
Materials Sold in the MakerLab
- 24"x12" Birch and Hardwood sheets
- 24"x12" Leather-Like sheets (various colors)
- Leather-Like Journals (various colors)
- Leather-Like Coasters (various colors)
- Pint Glasses
- Stemless Wine Glasses
Potential Vendors
For larger projects or to bring in your own materials, these are vendors that we have purchased from previously and may have materials that suit your project. Not everything sold by these vendors can be safely lasered in the MakerLab. To approve materials before purchasing, send us the products you're interested in at DigitalServices@balibrary.org.
Designing For the Laser
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. Otherwise, most PNG, JPEG, and PDF files can be imported into design software.
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. Typically, black and white or high contrast images work best for laser projects, especially when etching glass or anodized aluminum.
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 Digital Services.
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 | Notes |
| Chipboard (Vector) | 50% | 20% | |
| Chipboard (Raster) | 50% | 50% | |
| Powder Coated Materials (Raster) | 100% | 75% | |
| No Odor Laserable Rubber (Raster) | 15% | 100% | Etch from bottom up. 500 - 600 DPI. |
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.