Laser Cutter/Engraver

Use guidelines:

• Users must receive training from a qualified staff member prior to scheduling time for projects. Contact Dave at dave@hfpl.org or 201-358-5072 to make an appointment.
• A qualified staff member or volunteer assistant must be present to assist and supervise.
• Only pre-approved materials may be used. PVC, vinyl, or any material containing chlorine is PROHIBITED. Materials of unknown composition are PROHIBITED. Pre-approved materials include paper, clean corrugated cardboard, untreated wood, raw leather, acrylic, glass, stone, tile and blue painter’s tape. Discuss other materials with designated staff.
• Matching the appropriate speed and power of the laser with the material may require some experimentation and failure. Suggested settings are offered as a guide, but there are no guarantees.

Design tools:

The software that controls the laser cutter is a browser-based application called Retina Engrave. It resides on the machine, but FSL provides a hosted version for creating and exporting project files. While designs can be created directly in the Retina Engrave application, they may also be imported from other file types. High quality grayscale .jpg images, .pdf files, and .svg files are acceptable.

• Retina Engrave 3.0 – hosted by Full Spectrum Laser
• Inkscape – free application to create scalable vector graphics (.svg)
• Online file generators for laser cutting – gears, puzzles, boxes, etc.

Training resources:

• Full Spectrum Laser PS20 user manual
• Retina Engrave 3.0 software manual
• Tutorials at FSL
• Designing for Laser Cutting: a technical ebook for creatives
• Full Spectrum Laser You Tube Channel
• Hillsdale Library: Laser 101 – Custom Name Plate (step-by-step)

Materials for sale:

• 1/8 inch baltic birch sheets 12″x12″ – $2.00 each
• 1/4 inch baltic birch sheets 12″x12″ – $3.50 each