- Can you laser engrave leather:
- Examples of leather products that you can engrave on:
- The best laser engraver for engraving leather products?
- Can you laser engrave leather:
- Types of leather you can engrave on
- Can you laser engrave leather:
- What options do you have when engraving on leather:
- Things to remember when engraving leather
Is it possible to Laser Engraver for Leather? From garments such as jackets to office supplies and novelties, leather is a material that adds a touch of finesse and class. But nothing adds sophistication to your leather items than adding a personalized laser-engraved image or quote.
Is it possible to Laser Engraver for Leather? The answer is yes, you can! As long as you have the right laser engraver, you can engrave on almost all types of leather objects. Engraving on leather will increase its perceived value, so it can be a great business idea, but you can also do it to make unique and memorable gifts for your loved ones
Engraving leather results in a relief effect and provides a clean contrast to the leather surface. Engraving on darker leather results in more contrast, while producing less color contrast on light-colored leather.
Results depend on the leather you work with and the laser you have; that is, the speed, power, and frequency settings. You may want to test your laser machine with different parameters until you get the results you want.
With a laser machine, you can easily “burn” image files into leather and then color them in to get a chic look. To facilitate later coloring of the lasered surface, a film can be glued which burns during the laser process. Before the film is peeled off, the leather can then be stained in the recesses without staining the non-lasered areas. Leather with hair and fur can also be modeled with a laser. This technique is usually applied to cowhide.
Can you laser engrave leather:
Examples of leather products that you can engrave on:
You can use your laser engraver to come up with all kinds of designs on all kinds of products. Here are just a few examples to give you some inspiration.
- bracelets
- belts
- Shoes
- purses
- wallets
- briefcases
- Leather outfits
- Office products
The best laser engraver for engraving leather products?
Can you laser engrave leather:
Types of leather you can engrave on
Laser engraving on natural leather, suede and rough leather works well. It works equally well when engraving and cutting synthetic leather or nubuck and suede leather or microfibre materials, such as Alcantara (Ultrasuede). However, you should check with the manufacturer as synthetic leather often contains PVC compounds. Dangerous gases can be added when processing PVC with a laser engraver. So, just in case, you may want to stick with natural leather unless you know what you’re doing.
Suede has a tendency to stain, but that can be remedied by using coat sprays to add an extra layer of stain resistance. But sometimes this side effect can work in your favor. For example, if you’re going for a rustic look, you can just work with the stains and incorporate them artistically into your design.
Genuine leather is a natural material and countless types react differently to laser processing. Therefore, it is difficult to establish general rules for processing. But as a rule of thumb, reduce the laser power when working with genuine leather that is twisted or out of shape. There is no one-size-fits-all, so you may have to experiment with your machine until you find your sweet spot.
Can you laser engrave leather:
What options do you have when engraving on leather:
Depending on what you are trying to achieve and what kind of leather you are working with, you have three main options;
- Laser cutting of leather – laser cutting is particularly suitable for projects where fine, precise cutting is required. Obtain a laser engraver that is suitable for cutting leather.
- Leather laser engraving – if you want to achieve a relief look, you want to engrave your leather instead of cutting it. The result depends on your leather – some leathers get darker while others get lighter.
- Laser-engraved stamp with laser-cut inlay – This process is used to emboss texture and graphics into the leather using unheated media.
Things to remember when engraving leather
- When engraving leather, keep in mind that natural leather does not provide a great contrast. So you may want to get creative, for example by gluing a film to the material before engraving it. Also, you may want to go for deep and thick leather to get a sharper contrast (or rather, a deeper embossed feel).
- Leather also gives off an unpleasant odor when it burns. That’s because leather usually comes from animal hides. In addition, some synthetic leathers contain materials such as PVC that can produce toxic gases during the laser engraving process. It is therefore a good idea to ensure that you are a spacious and well-ventilated area
- Don’t forget to use safety glasses to protect your eyes. The laser beam can seriously damage your eyes or even burn your skin, so be careful when using it. It can also cause flames, so keep an eye on cutting leather.
No matter what materials you want to cut, it is always recommended to invest in a fume extractor not only for the health benefits but also to protect your laser from contamination and corrosion.
Leather engraving gives leather a luxurious and personal look.
Leather engraving with a CO 2 laser turns something beautiful into something personal between giver and receiver. Therefore, leather engraving is widely used today for bags, wallets, folders, bracelets, belts and other accessories. Because leather is a beautiful natural product that gives very nice results when laser engraving logos, brand names and other texts or images. That is why laser engraving is increasingly used in interior construction, orthopedics, saddlery and in the furniture industry.
Suitable types of leather for laser engraving and laser cutting
Only types of leather that have not been colored with a chromium-containing paint can be engraved and cut with the CO2 laser. You cannot laser cut and engrave PVC-containing artificial leather either.
You can engrave and cut the following types of leather with a CO2 laser:
| natural leather | nappa |
| lambskin | cow leather |
| calfskin | pigskin |
| rabbit leather | goat suede |
| lamb suede | pig suede |
| Calf split suede | Cow split suede |
| snakeskin | goatskin |
| water buffalo leather | deerskin |
| Ray leather | shark leather |
| Crocodile skin | nubuck |
| Lammy | pigskin |
| Alcantara |
Benefits of laser engraving leather
With laser engraving and laser cutting of leather you can make the most beautiful and finely finished things that are pleasantly familiar in the hand. Edges and engravings of leather are always smooth and straight, so without fraying. With laser engraving, no mechanical force is applied to the leather, so you save time compared to cutting or cutting with a knife, because you do not have to fix the material. So you can set up and change the laser equipment in no time. You don’t have to make die cuts or sharpen any tools. Parts that need to be sewn by hand can be ‘pre-drilled’, which also saves a lot of time. The design of your engraving is immediately the tool that controls the laser machine. No intermediate products or intermediate phases, but directly from computer to end product. And what you make always looks the same. Change your design? This can be done quickly and easily: save the drawing and you can start again.
Which CO2 laser is best for engraving leather?
It is perfectly possible to engrave leather with all CO2 lasers. In order to take full advantage of all the advantages of laser engraving, you should take a good look at all the factors that influence the choice. We like to make this personal assessment together with our customers, so that they can be sure that they buy the best CO2 laser for their unique situation.
Applications of leather engraving
For all the advantages of laser engraving, this is also increasingly used to personalize luxury suitcases, promotional gifts and office items made of leather. Thus, laser engraving is becoming more and more popular in the advertising, fashion, and leather goods industries. Because a tastefully engraved writing folder or laptop bag, a diary or notebook with an assignment or a cool hip flask express extra appreciation and bring it back to the recipient time and again.

Good morninig! I have a piece of leather that was engraved. It came out a shade or two darker than expected. Is there any way it can be lightened?