Photoengraved Menu Card
Make your own photoengraved menu card out of Trotec TroLase material.
Preparation
Required material
- quarter sheet of 1.6mm pink/white TroLase (available at Trotec)
- quarter sheet of 0.5mm black/white TroLase Thins with self-adhesive back (available at Trotec)
- a binding screw
- paper for content
Machine used
- Speedy 360, 80 Watts
- 1.5" lens
- vacuum table with acrylic cutting grid table
You can also create this sample using any machine from the Speedy series.
Important
- for a detailed engraving of a photo we recommend using the 1.5" lens
- for a good cutting result we recommend using the acrylic cutting grid table
Step by step
Step 1: Cover Sheet
You can start by creating your own design, or you can use our template. With the integrated Photo mode, our JobControl Laser Software supports you perfectly when engraving photos. Get more detailed information and tips and tricks for photoengraving here:
Send your design to the laser using following settings:
Process | Resolution | Cut line |
---|---|---|
Photo optimized | 600 dpi | none |
Halftone | Others |
---|---|
Ordered dithering | - |
Step 2: Laser process cover sheet
Set the parameters as described below. The laser parameters may vary depending on the type of laser machine you are using and available laser power.
Laser Parameters
Color | Process | Power (%) | Speed (%) | ppi/Hz |
---|---|---|---|---|
black | engraving CO2 | 50 | 80 | 600 |
red | cutting CO2 | 6 | 5 | 1000 |
blue | cutting CO2 | 60 | 1.2 | 1000 |
Passes | Air Assist | Z-Offset | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
1 | on | 1 mm | - |
1 | on | - | - |
1 | on | - | - |
Info:
- Run the engraving from bottom to top so that the dust can be perfectly exhausted. (This minimizes cleaning.)
- For cutting, we used the JobControl® standard parameter for quality
- You can download the JobControl® material parameter from www.troteclaser.com
Step 3: Material Handling
Remove the protective foil from the pink TroLase material and put it into your Trotec laser. Run the engraving (black) and the cut jobs (red and blue).
Step 4: Rhombic pattern
As an eye catcher, we combined two different materials for our menu card. Send the second graphic, the rhombic pattern, to your Trotec laser by using the following parameters:
Tip:
- We use the JobControl® standard parameter optimized for quality.
Print settings
Process mode | Resolution | Cut line |
---|---|---|
Standard | 600 dpi | none |
Halftone | Others |
---|---|
color | - |
Step 5: Laser process rhombic pattern
Put your TroLase Thin material in your Trotec-Laser. Remove the protective foil, run the engraving job from bottom to top, and cut the job.
Important:
Because of the size it is important to have very good vacuum. You can increase your vacuum power by covering the rest of your working area with paper.
Laser Parameter
Color | Process | Power (%) | Speed (%) | ppi/Hz |
---|---|---|---|---|
black | engraving CO2 | 60 | 80 | 600 |
red | cutting CO2 | 30 | 1.5 | 1000 |
Passes | Air Assist | Z-Offset | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
1 | on | 1 mm | High Quality |
1 | on | - | - |
Step 6: Post-processing
Clean the surface and the edges of both TroLase-materials with a damp cloth. Take the rhombic pattern and apply it to the photoengraved cover. Finally, add your content to the menu card and clip it with the binding screw. And voilà - be proud of your unique menu card.
Tipp:
You can print the content-sheets of your menu card and cut it with the laser. Our JobControl® Vision laser software then supports you in cutting out the printed sheets with highest precision.
Inspirations
Of course you can also create amazing menu cards out of materials like TroGlass or our Trotec Wood. Here are some samples.