Glass laser engraving has been fully adopted. Businesses, designers, hobbyists and manufacturers alike use this advanced technology to enhance their glassware.
Not only that, but they've effectively created newer and better products while still maintaining professional craftsmanship.
Whether you are new to glass laser engraving or are using your third or fourth machine, we have all the information you need.
It's fun and inexpensive to make personalized gifts for friends and family. Engraved glass crafts are a great way to customize a gift for someone you care about.
You don't need to be an expert to make beautiful carved glass crafts. In fact, there are many ways to do this.
Atomstack S10 Pro
Atomstack is a great DIY diode laser cutter and engraver for beginners.
The fuselage frame is made of anodized aluminum alloy, with a built-in stabilizer, which can reduce the shaking when the laser cutting machine is working.
You'll love the integrated protective glass cover. It filters out more than 97% of UV rays, protecting your eyes when the laser beam is on.
Compatible with major brands of engraving software, the highest engraving speed is 3000mm/min.
How to Laser Engrave Glass
Laser engraving and etching glass is a remarkable process, but it almost feels wrong. At first glance, it is obvious that the glass will crack or shatter when trying to shoot a laser at it, but instead we are faced with a controlled surface shattering.
This is because glass is made of silicon. When glass is transformed into a final product such as a mug or panel, it absorbs air and moisture. It is this air and moisture that reacts to the laser, not the silicon, which expands from the heat of the laser, causing the controlled fracturing of the surface that allows us to create our beautiful designs.
The laser itself is a beam of light that is magnified using a lens to obtain a high temperature beam that is used to vaporize the material (glass in this case) and engrave or cut the desired pattern.
The end result is gorgeous designs and the perfect way to imprint logos, pictures, numbers and other important personal touches on glass.
Laser Engraved vs. Laser Etched Glass
It is important to note that there is a difference between laser engraved glass and laser etched glass.
Atomstack A5 Pro , Portable Laser Engraver
Sculpting is used to evaporate only a portion of the material. For thicker materials, the cut depth is usually around 0.02" and 0.125", the space left by the laser beam is the design. With engraving, you can feel where it was cut and you can feel the absence of material.
Alternatively, with etching, you don't cut the material, you remove it. Only about 0.001" deep, when laser etching you only remove the topmost layer, which is still enough to reveal the design.
On a technical level, laser engraving is a physical process where you cut material, however, etching is a subset of engraving that is labeled as a chemical process. Both have become successful techniques for adding a personal touch to glass.