# Laser Etching



## naka1 (Oct 7, 2008)

Hey is anyone familiar with Laser Etching? Does anyone here do that?


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## naka1 (Oct 7, 2008)

Hmm. I guess not. I've seen samples of the process on fleece and denim. Makes a great tonal image in the outer surface of the fabric. The places that advertise the process seem to only print on their supplied garments. Your basic promotional styles. I am hoping to find a contract printer to etch my jackets. Maybe I better go to the appropriate forum...


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## InspiredImp (May 29, 2008)

I've got experience doing laser etching with an Epilog Laser. But, we never used it on fabric: pens, keychains, mugs, signage, etc. All hard products.

I know it can be done though, because that is the technology Stahls is using to make their SimStitch lettering.

Good Luck


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## Frosted Images (Sep 10, 2008)

I would like to hear more about people that are using their lasers? I run an Epilog Legend 36EXT 60 watt and would like to see what software people are using? Photograv vs 1 Touch Photo, EngravLab or simply Corel. Tips, advice, problems, etc.


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## dazzabling (Sep 21, 2011)

The textile laser that I know of I saw at a show and read in the Imprintables Magazine (maybe Rodney knows the issue) Hirsch Embroidery Machines has a laser textile etching system. SL4 Textile Laser

You may need to contact Hirsch and see if they have a list of vendors.


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## LocalColorAppare (Nov 27, 2011)

A company that I work closely with does laser etching on garments. The owner introduced me to it, but I haven't had any more experience with it. Based on samples, I like the end product. He said he just needs to tweak the laser level depending on the garment. I can find out what machine he's using.


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## kal6150 (Jan 22, 2011)

Sansegal does laser etching.


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## dazzabling (Sep 21, 2011)

goodnana said:


> I know it can be done though, because that is the technology Stahls is using to make their SimStitch lettering.


Isn't this done with an Ioline cutter? I don't see anywhere in the description that they are laser cut. 

You are also talking about cutting not etching. Etching is something different.


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## dtogs (Apr 1, 2007)

Yes, CO2 lasers in a sense bleach out the original color in the fabric. Denim will show a white color where the laser hit occurs.


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## dazzabling (Sep 21, 2011)

dtogs said:


> Yes, CO2 lasers in a sense bleach out the original color in the fabric. Denim will show a white color where the laser hit occurs.


I was at the ISA show, they had a desktop laser engraver and they had some fabric laser etched. It was more of a textured type fabric -suede and felt.


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## Frosted Images (Sep 10, 2008)

Suede and felt is excellent for laser etching. In this case it is called embossing because it leaves a raised look. You have to be extremely care not to burn through your fabric. My laser is an Epilog 36EXT 60W...therefore I have to use a setting of 12 power and 60 speed. I have also created appliques for embroidery.


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## personalazeit (Nov 5, 2009)

I have a universal 50 watt co2 laser and was just asked by a customer to quote laser on polos and Ts. Is there fabric that is more friendly that I should focus on when doing this? I also do embroidery screen printing, etc. so this will be cool. The shirts will have screen printing on the front but laser engraving on the sleeves!


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## RickyJ702 (Jul 23, 2012)

i've been reading alot on etching/laser for my embroidery. the one that caught my eye was the Permaboss laser.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF9Wi6ZK_F4[/media]

going to Magic here in vegas tomorrow to check it out. i'll fill you in the difference ^^


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## lasting impreess (Nov 13, 2012)

does any body no how much the permaboss ngl50 laser cost


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## agensop (Dec 11, 2008)

alot last i remember 30k i think. 



lasting impreess said:


> does any body no how much the permaboss ngl50 laser cost


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## levelonegraphics (Dec 17, 2010)

actually the permaboss is $70,000.


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

agensop said:


> alot last i remember 30k i think.


Hi, I purchased an NGL-50 60/80 watt last March and will be happy to discuss etching on your product. 

Heidi


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

Especially when you figure the shipping, training, set-up expense, etc...


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## Csdichuck (Jun 21, 2011)

I own a Permaboss Laser. Feel free to contact me with your questions.


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## RickyJ702 (Jul 23, 2012)

permaboss came out with a new laser called a GG30. anybody have any info on this one? no tech is needed.


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## SickPuppy (Aug 10, 2009)

I have an 80 watt CO2 LASER and I do etching on jeans and leather jackets. not an easy thing to do power settings can be a bit tricky. Just get some old jeans and scrap leather and practice.


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

I've got to try jeans, I did try leather and it looks awesome. 
Is yours a Permaboss with 3 setting options?
If so, do you have basic settings for jeans and 
Leather you would share? I've gotten good results
but wonder if they could be even better. 
Are you doing much appliqué?

Thanks!!


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## SickPuppy (Aug 10, 2009)

GOCOASTAL said:


> I've got to try jeans, I did try leather and it looks awesome.
> Is yours a Permaboss with 3 setting options?
> If so, do you have basic settings for jeans and
> Leather you would share? I've gotten good results
> ...


I have the Professional Series CO2 24x18 Laser from Full Spectrum Laser. 

On the jeans you will never obtain a true white image there will always be some dye that remains in the material leaving it a light shade of blue. On leather I have achieved several different looks depending on power and speed. The best look is a deep debossed image. Power and speed setting will depend on the power output of the laser and will also depend on the type and thickness of the laser.


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## agensop (Dec 11, 2008)

are those the cats in arizona???




SickPuppy said:


> I have the Professional Series CO2 24x18 Laser from Full Spectrum Laser.
> 
> On the jeans you will never obtain a true white image there will always be some dye that remains in the material leaving it a light shade of blue. On leather I have achieved several different looks depending on power and speed. The best look is a deep debossed image. Power and speed setting will depend on the power output of the laser and will also depend on the type and thickness of the laser.


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

Well, we have different lasers but I would love to see some of your work! We are trying some new throw pillows and table linens printed on our Kornit, then either etched, or appliqued and embroidered.

Much more fun than our standard corporate business model. Just not enough time in the day to play with the toys!


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## dlcompton (Jan 8, 2008)

The Permaboss laser cost upwards of $70k when I checked in Spring 2012. It might have come down since then but I doubt by much. I want a laser so bad to do this but it's just not in the budget yet.......


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

It's true and there are preparations you will most likely need a contractor to take care of. 
I think that if you have a clear plan of what you want to do and how to market it you'll make a wise purchase. Let me know if you have any questions if you plan on getting one.


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## Laser My Logo (Mar 16, 2013)

Good morning guys. I have a permaboss NGL40 CO2 laser. When I laser cotton material the settings I use are 40 - 50% power, 900mm speed, 1 pass. This will act as a discharge and burn the dye out of the cotton. It will look a tanish color at first but when washed, it will look more natural and give a distressed/vintage look. If you add some heatpressed rhinestones to the decorations, you can really get a good profit margin. Always think multi-media decoration to up the value.

Tony.


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## Liberty (Jul 18, 2006)

Tony, have you washed tested any of the cotton tees after etching? I've gotta tell you, I've tried many, many cotton tees and if we use enough power to leave any noticeable marking, the garments do not hold up when washed. I've never seen any results that I would equate to a discharge look. Can you put up a few pictures?

We are doing poly garments every day with great results. on some garments we are even using two color art with a high and a low power setting and getting the effect of a two color design.

I agree, multi-media is where the real potential is.

Thanks!



Laser My Logo said:


> Good morning guys. I have a permaboss NGL40 CO2 laser. When I laser cotton material the settings I use are 40 - 50% power, 900mm speed, 1 pass. This will act as a discharge and burn the dye out of the cotton. It will look a tanish color at first but when washed, it will look more natural and give a distressed/vintage look. If you add some heatpressed rhinestones to the decorations, you can really get a good profit margin. Always think multi-media decoration to up the value.
> 
> Tony.


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## Laser My Logo (Mar 16, 2013)

you are correct. I have done some design where the shirt broke down after one wash. Not sure what type of laser you are using but on the NGL, I can control the density of the laser so when I convert my file in the laser software, I use a .40mm thickness. When I tried a .30mm thickness in density, the cotton shirt broke down. The laser intensity was too hot.

The technical garments (100% poly dri wick type) work great. The homerun is the microfleece. Ash City has many options for you that are stunning. You can look at my website. I have a gallery of photos of laser etched garments. www.lasermylogo.com

Tony


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

Hi,
I have the Permaboss NGL60. We are just now starting the multi-decoration techniques with embroidery applique' and printing in the background. It takes some playing around but there are amazing results. Fleece, performance tees, polo's and jackets are so fast and easy. Hard to beat.


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## Liberty (Jul 18, 2006)

I have Universals, all CO2. We've been cutting applique and etching for years. I gave up on the etching cotton but maybe when I get some free time I'll take another look at it. That black cotton tee in your gallery looks pretty good, I'd be curious to wash it a few times though. And dare I ask, how you risk running a few of those logos, much less putting them up on your web site?

Thanks for the help...


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## SickPuppy (Aug 10, 2009)

I have never been able to get a good look on T-Shirts. After etching  with the laser the fibers break down in the wash or just rip out when pulled. With blue jeans you can get a good etched look without cutting through or weakening the jeans


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## Elzbelz (Jun 6, 2013)

I work for a company and we have a Permaboss NGL 60s. I have a lot of great things to say about this laser cutter. I have learned a lot in the last year that I have been hired to run the laser. We do high volume here where I work, do a lot for athletic programs and many other companies. I have run into a bit of a problem with doing applique on shirts. When I click the box to change the preview area from the box to the outline of the actual cut, and then go to where the preview "tracer" to line up to cut the applique, the tracer lights up but sits in one spot, and I have to restart the laser and the cutting program to get out of the freeze-up. The freeze up for certain files doesn't happen often, only certain files. Was told by the company that the file is corrupt, so I got a new cutting file from the woman here who sets those up. Do I need just a new UCJ file for the cutter, or does the whole file need to be redone from scratch. In the past, just a new UCJ file worked, but not this time. The first time I used the UCJ file, it worked just fine, but now only freezes up.

Any help on this would be great, to get more support time from the Permaboss is off the wall expensive!


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

Elzbelz said:


> I work for a company and we have a Permaboss NGL 60s. I have a lot of great things to say about this laser cutter. I have learned a lot in the last year that I have been hired to run the laser. We do high volume here where I work, do a lot for athletic programs and many other companies. I have run into a bit of a problem with doing applique on shirts. When I click the box to change the preview area from the box to the outline of the actual cut, and then go to where the preview "tracer" to line up to cut the applique, the tracer lights up but sits in one spot, and I have to restart the laser and the cutting program to get out of the freeze-up. The freeze up for certain files doesn't happen often, only certain files. Was told by the company that the file is corrupt, so I got a new cutting file from the woman here who sets those up. Do I need just a new UCJ file for the cutter, or does the whole file need to be redone from scratch. In the past, just a new UCJ file worked, but not this time. The first time I used the UCJ file, it worked just fine, but now only freezes up.
> 
> Any help on this would be great, to get more support time from the Permaboss is off the wall expensive!


Is it a complex cut or etch?

I have had this happen from time to time when it's actually cutting. I found a disconnected vector line one time so you might want to zoom in and check that. I hope this helps but I do think that sometimes this thing just locks up. I have not had it lock up during set-up so maybe they have a patch for that?

I didn't know they started charging for help, that's unfortunate. I would visit them at your next local show!

Good luck!!


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## Elzbelz (Jun 6, 2013)

GOCOASTAL said:


> Is it a complex cut or etch?
> 
> I have had this happen from time to time when it's actually cutting. I found a disconnected vector line one time so you might want to zoom in and check that. I hope this helps but I do think that sometimes this thing just locks up. I have not had it lock up during set-up so maybe they have a patch for that?
> 
> ...


I will have to check that, thanks for the help. 

The cut is a simple one, sew a design in a piece of fabric of a different color than the shirt, and at the laser cut an outline around the design sewn in, 99% 250 speed, and 2 passes with foil between the layers.


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## Elzbelz (Jun 6, 2013)

GOCOASTAL said:


> Is it a complex cut or etch?
> 
> I have had this happen from time to time when it's actually cutting. I found a disconnected vector line one time so you might want to zoom in and check that. I hope this helps but I do think that sometimes this thing just locks up. I have not had it lock up during set-up so maybe they have a patch for that?
> 
> ...


 
Went through and did find a tiny break in the vector line, going to get it fixed and try again.

Thanks a bunch!!


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## GOCOASTAL (Mar 24, 2011)

Elzbelz said:


> Went through and did find a tiny break in the vector line, going to get it fixed and try again.
> 
> Thanks a bunch!!


Wow, I can't believe I was able to help! Yay !
Thanks!


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## Laser My Logo (Mar 16, 2013)

I have the NGL40. I also had freeze ups. There is a software upgrade. Since I did the upgrade, I haven't had anymore freezes. Does it happen when you do cutting or laser etching?


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## Karmage (Apr 2, 2013)

I've messed around with my Epilog Zing 30w lazer engraver and yeah you can use it on clothes but you have to get the settings perfect or you'll either burn the shirt or not get the pigment bleached out enough. its a tricky process but I honestly don't see a huge profit on focuing on just fabric b/c it takes too much time to run a lot of them


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## Effective Emb (Nov 25, 2013)

Hello I was looking at the NGL laser , it didn't give me a number after the NGL but saw it online then you tube. Is this right just NGL? I haven't got a price yet! I have a PR620 emboridery machine, also GX24 vinly cutter, and was also looking at a DTG. Tony what about his 90 day!! Thank you Robert p.s. where are you located?


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## Effective Emb (Nov 25, 2013)

Hello I was looking at the NGL laser , it didn't give me a number after the NGL but saw it online then you tube. Is this right just NGL? I haven't got a price yet! I have a PR620 emboridery machine, also GX24 vinly cutter, and was also looking at a DTG. Tony what about his 90 day!! Thank you Robert p.s. where are you located?


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## miamirhinestone (Mar 10, 2009)

I purchased the NGL 60 I love it you can etch on so many different items Jeans, Fleece, Polyeste,r Granite, wood, glass, metal, plastic I have etched on anything I can get my hands on


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## jasonatpermaboss (Mar 26, 2014)

My Name is Jason Farrugia I work at Permaboss we now have a 30 watt laser that leases out for 950.00 per month. If you send me an email I can forward you some info. [email protected]


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## BETO (Feb 1, 2008)

Hello I just post a video in different post I start but since you guys haven't post no pictures or videos here it goes https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz2XU2cNcwo.
Robert.


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## Printwizard (Jan 15, 2011)

Hi, there is also a Facebook Page for Permaboss Owners and Users to support and help each other, offer advice, share photos, organise files if people off sick or holiday etc. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1597469297231941/


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## SheenaF (Sep 23, 2016)

My company has a Permaboss NGL40S Laser machine in pristine condition for sale. If anyone is interested, please contact me at [email protected]. Thank you!


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## tradeup (Jun 30, 2013)

Bringing on old post back from the GRAVE 



I have a Permaboss CC30 and computer crashed, need help! 

Have the Laserworx software with dongle but can't seem to configure the machine to work properly, seems like I am missing a step.


Please help!


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