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Laser Options

Here on Kittery Ave we offer laser engraving and cutting on a variety of materials. 

Laser Engraving

What is Laser Engraving?

Laser Engraving is the method of transferring a design, photo, or logo to a material using a laser beam and CNC technology. The laser beam etches in to the topmost layer of the material to reveal the image.

How Will My Engraving Look?

Your finished engraving depends on a few factors: material, speed, and power. The material dictates what we can use for speed and power, so let's focus on material.

Wood, fleece, and other materials engrave darker than their original color:
Examples: Cherry wood engraves to a dark brown/red.
Light blue fleece engraves to a navy color.

Painted or powder-coated metals engrave to whatever the material underneath is.
Examples: A black stainless steel tumbler will engrave to bare steel.
A DLC coated knife blade will engrave to bare steel.

If you can provide a sample or scrap of the material you'd like engraved that gives us the opportunity to run some tests before committing to your final piece.

Can My Engraving Be a Different Color?

Yes and no - it depends largely on the material. Here's what we can offer based on our most commonly used materials:

  • Acrylic
    • Screen Printing
    • 3D Layering
      • Instead of engraving your design we would cut it out of a colored acrylic and mount it on to the backer color of your choice
  • Coated Metals
    • Cannot be colored
  • Leather
    • Spot Dye
    • Screen Printing
  • Wood
    • Powder Coating
      • We fill the engraving with colored powder and laser it in place

What Types of Files Can Be Engraved?

Your design/photo/logo must be in a format that the computer and laser can both understand; this format is known as a vector (EPS, SVG). Vector artwork is essentially a connect-the-dots image and that's exactly what the laser does - it moves from dot to dot and engraves everything in between!

What Materials Can Be Engraved?

Here at KAC we focus primarily on engraving Acrylic, Wood, Leather, and Coated Metals. That being said, the list of materials we can engrave is extensive! Here's some more to get your creative juices flowing:

Acrylic
Anodized Aluminum
Brass
Cardstock
Cork
Fleece
Glass
Granite
Leather
Painted Metals
Powder Coated Metals
Slate
Stainless Steel
Wood

Laser Cutting

What is Laser Cutting?

Laser Cutting is the method of thermally separating a material using a laser beam and CNC technology. The laser beam passes all the way through the material (instead of only touching the surface like in engraving) separating it from its stock.

What Types of Files Can Be Cut?

Your design/photo/logo must be in a format that the computer and laser can both understand; this format is known as a vector (EPS, SVG). Vector line artwork is essentially a connect-the-dots and that's exactly what the laser does - it moves from dot to dot and cuts everything in between!

What Materials Can Be Cut?

Here at KAC we focus primarily on cutting Acrylic, Wood, and Leather. That being said, here's some more materials to get your creative juices flowing:

Acrylic
Cardboard
Cardstock
Cork
Delrin
Leather
Magnetic Sheets
MDF
Mylar
Twill
Wood

General Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What types of products can you make for me?

The possibilities are endless! With such wide variety of materials ready to be engraved or cut it really comes down to your imagination. If you need some inspiration please check out our Store for ready-made goods that we produce, or head over to our Custom page for more ideas!

Are there materials you CANNOT laser?

Yes! We cannot engrave or cut any of the following materials:

  • Any material containing PVC (this includes some faux leathers)
    • Emits pure chlorine gas
  • ABS Plastic
    • Emits cyanide gas & tends to melt
  • HDPE Plastic
    • Catches fire & will melt
  • PolyStyrene & PolyPropylene Foam
    • Catches fire
  • Fiberglass
    • Emits toxic fumes
  • Coated Carbon Fiber
    • Emits toxic fumes
  • Epoxy
    • Emits toxic fumes
    • Since I have your attention, here's your friendly reminder that epoxy is not food-safe and should not be used on cutting boards! No, this isn't relevant, it's just a huge pet-peeve of mine, ha!

Can I bring you a product to engrave?

Yes! However, it must not contain any of the materials listed above. If you can't prove 100% that the product is free of those materials then we will not take the job.

If you bring a product for us to engrave it is ideal that you provide at least one extra blank, a swatch, or a scrap of the same product that we can run tests on to dial in the perfect settings. If you cannot provide a test piece your job may be more expensive as the risk of ruining your only item has significantly increased.