Branded Products Lab
Goals:
- Create a brand logo
- Brand this logo onto a physical object
Process:
Step 1:
To create the logo, I created a free account Adobe Express account and utilized their file creation tools. Then I designed away. Simple always seems to be better when it comes to logos so that was my aim.
Step 2:
I created a black and white version of my logo and imported it into Inkscape since Adobe did not let me export it as an SVG file. SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. One of its main benefits is that it allows you to scale your file without losing quality.
Step 3:
As it turns out, I do not own any coasters. I can think of no better first product than this so I saved this file to a flash drive and made my way over the the lab.
The material I selected is just a plain cork coaster and the tool that I used to engrave it is the xTool F2 UV. I loaded up the SVG file into the xTool Creative Space. I set the z height of the laser to the top of my coaster and centered it in the workspace. In the xTool Creative Space I selected the material that I will be engraving and then it auto filled the specifications I needed.
Step 4:
I started the engraving… and quickly learned that it was off-center. Also, the engraving was not nearly dark enough.
I readjusted its placement and the engraving settings and this is the final result:
Conclusion:
What worked well?
Honestly, everything worked fairly well and I am very happy with the final product. The was a slight learning process and a couple mistakes on the first iteration but that is to be expected.
What would you change if you made it again?
I would be sure that my design is perfectly centered before I begin the laser engraving. I could have messed around with the engraving setting before hand as well.
How would the process change if you needed to make 25 identical copies?
If I had to make 25 of the exact same coasters I would change my tool to one with a bigger work area. This would allow me to fit more coasters into one single engraving. I would also fine tune the laser engraving settings (probably increasing the power and decreasing the passes) so that it can get a similar enough result and save on engraving time. Lastly, I would utilize a placement jig within the workspace so that I know all the coasters will be properly placed and aligned.
