Laser cutting and engraving is a wonderful and creative hobby. You design and create your own objects, from a picture on the wall to a pair of unique earrings. If you have a laser cutter, you can also start your own business with it, begin as a freelance laser cutter, and generate income. Or consider the laser cutter at school, with which you, as a teacher or technical education assistant, can give your students a head start in the world of digital production?
Snijlab, Lasersheets' sister company, was founded 12 years ago, and we too once started small. In this article, we share some valuable resources to quickly get you started, for anyone who wants to begin with laser cutting.
How do I start with laser cutting?
To start, you naturally need a laser cutter (your own device, or use one at your local makerspace, school, or fab lab), a computer or tablet, software, and the right materials. Of course, you'll first consider the type of laser cutter and accessories to acquire or borrow. This depends on the kind of products you want to make or sell. It's essential to have the right tools for that.
Tip: do you have a Glowforge or Glowforge Aura? Then also read our article about which materials are suitable for them.
Which material do you need?
The material is also important. Do you want to make advertising signs? Then you'll need weather-resistant and eye-catching material for that, such as Acrylic. Do you want to focus on artistic products, for example for wall decor or personal use? Then there are beautiful wood sheets for that.
As a beginner laser cutter, you can invest in a small quantity of different materials so you can experiment with the best techniques and the results you achieve with them. For beginners, it's smart to start simple. Birch plywood, MDF, and Acrylic are affordable and versatile options then.
Tip: at Lasersheets, you can order a large number of materials in small quantities, ideal for the beginner laser cutter. If you then grow into a laser pro, you can order larger quantities and receive an attractive volume discount. And with us, you always know that your materials will come out of the laser cutter beautifully.
Tip: You can save a lot of money with a starter kit. That is a pack of 20x30 cm sheets of many different materials on which you get up to 40% discount. There are various starter kits available, suitable for your projects.
UPDATE Feb. 2025: Do you have a diode laser? Then take a look at the new Starter Kit: Diode 10W. There you'll find an affordable pack with various materials suitable for your diode laser.
How do I create a drawing for laser cutting?
Every product that comes from a laser cutter starts with a design. That can be anything. Do you have a beautiful photo you want to display in a unique way? Your company logo or a nameplate is, of course, also a good start. You make it even more personal if you design a logo yourself that you can laser cut.
You can do this by making a sketch on paper and scanning it. Another option you have is to create your design on your tablet or computer, for example, with a program like Adobe Illustrator.
Tip: for example, take a look at Shaper Trace. A tool to convert sketches into vector drawings for, among other things, laser
Unless you are going to engrave a photo or, for example, use the halftone technique, you will need to convert your design into a so-called vector drawing. These are images that do not work with pixels, but with points and straight or curved lines in between. This way, the laser cutting machine knows along which paths to cut. Well-known vector file formats are .PDF, .AI, .DXF, and .DWG. This is especially important when you are going to cut and engrave logos and text. For flat engravings (also called raster engravings), you can often use pixel files (e.g., .JPG).
Make sure the file is accepted by the laser cutter you are using and is suitable for the technique you want to apply.
Tip: use the free vector drawing program Inkscape to draw your own designs and save them directly as a vector file.
Which software should I use for laser cutting?
The laser cutter you use at home, school, in your fab lab, or makerspace has its own software. Just like you get certain software when you install a printer or scanner at home. Most software for laser cutters is very easy to use. They guide you step by step through the setup so your design can be cut and engraved.
It starts with loading your design. You have converted this to the correct (vector) file for your laser cutter. Most beginners work with Adobe Illustrator and use a PDF file. From the moment you upload, your laser cutter's software guides you through all the important steps before you press the Start button.
Tip: do you have a generic Asian laser machine and are not happy with the included software? Lightburn is popular and good software for controlling lasers and is compatible with many types of machines.
10 Useful Websites and Ready-to-Use Vector Files for Laser Cutting
Why reinvent the wheel when ready-to-use vector files are available for your laser cutter? Especially for beginners or those who are not as creatively inclined, ready-to-use files are a godsend. There are many websites that help you get started with laser cutting until you master it enough to design yourself.
Tip: even if you start small, keep all your files in your own database now. Use a grouping so you can easily find them again. You can always consult this database if you are looking for a design you have used before.
We recommend the 10 websites below for everyone taking their first steps with laser cutting:
1. Justin Laser
This YouTube channel is full of information for laser cutting beginners. Justin shares his experiences on how he started with laser cutting and also on how you can turn a hobby into a professional and profitable business.
2. Rasterbator
Rasterbator is a free program to use if you want to convert a photo into a hole pattern. This technique is called halftone. If you look closely at the photo, you only see holes of different sizes and at different distances. But if you step back, the image comes to life, with astonishing detail.
For more information about this technique and how to make an acoustic panel yourself using the halftone technique, consult our blog with an extensive halftone tutorial.
3. Makercase
MakerCase is an ideal website for beginners who want to make boxes and need a ready-to-use Vector file for that. You can choose from parametric laser drawings of simple boxes, but also boxes with three or more sides, and boxes with dividers.
4. Boxes.py
Boxes.PY also offers you the possibility to download parametric designs for your laser cutter. They go a bit further than MakerCase, as you also have choices like a holder for your keyboard, round boxes, or boxes with drawers.
5. Thingiverse - laser
The name says it all, but Thingiverse is full of free designs of 'things' for your laser cutter or 3D printer. You get access to 6000 Things for daily use, for wall decor, or utility items you no longer need to buy in stores.
6. Etsy
As a laser cutter, Etsy is your friend. Even if you pay a small amount for the designs (sometimes you get hundreds of designs in one convenient bundle), these are truly beautiful and artistic. It's an ideal starting point for creative people who want to make something very special with their laser cutter.
7. All3DP Blog
Are you a beginner laser cutter or a technology teacher at a secondary school who wants to introduce laser cutting in the classroom? Then, in this article (in English), you'll find a useful comparison of the most common software to use for creating designs for your laser cutter.
9 different types of software are compared and described, allowing you to form your own opinion and make a choice.
8. imagR
Do you want to engrave a photo with your laser cutter, for example on a beautiful Birch Plywood sheet from Lasersheets? Then Imagr is the website that helps you prepare your files for your device. In 6 short steps, you will be guided through the entire process. Afterward, you can download the file in the format you need and send it to your laser printer.
9. graveermaterialen.nl
Graveermaterialen.nl is Trotec's website where you can find a large quantity of different materials for your laser printer. These are all suitable for the laser printer and for both engraving and cutting.
10. Sawmillcreek
Sawmill Creek is a forum where woodworkers gather and share experiences. It's not only intended for laser cutters, but many topics related to laser engraving are covered. Current hobbyists, makers, teachers, and professional laser engravers come together there to discuss problems and exchange ideas.
How do I make a box with my laser cutter?
Now you have all the information and resources you need to start with laser cutting. For students and beginner makers, a small box is a perfect object to try out your laser cutter for the first time. Use the step-by-step guide below and you can make a handy box yourself with your laser printer at home or at school.
- Go to https://www.makercase.com and choose Simple Boxes.
- Under Units, choose Millimeters.
- Enter the dimensions of your box. The width (Width), height (Height), and depth (Depth) and the thickness of the material you are using (Material Thickness).
- Indicate whether you want to make an Open or Closed Box and how you want to finish the edges under Edge Joints.
- If everything is correct, click ‘Download Box Plans’.
- You load this file into your laser cutter's software.
- Instruct your laser cutter to cut the parts of the box, and the only thing you have left to do is assemble and finish it.
Lasersheets for all materials for beginner laser cutters
We also started laser cutting 12 years ago (as Snijlab), and we understand better than anyone how enthusiastic you are when you give your laser cutting machine its first command. Hopefully, this article has helped you make a success of it. The more you work with your laser cutter, the better you become.
Do you want to buy some different materials to experiment with? Or do you need an affordable and reliable supplier for your stock materials? Is it important to you that these materials are cut to size and delivered by post? Then browse our webshop. We guarantee that all our sheets will come out of your laser cutter perfectly.
Together, we ensure an excellent start to your laser cutting adventure. Students, makers, and professional users of laser cutters repeatedly create stunning products with the materials from Lasersheets!
