Our laser is a machine that uses a laser beam to cut or engrave materials like wood, acrylic, cardboard, and leather. The laser is best with smooth vector shapes. It can also etch photos, but quality may not always be the best.
MakerCase – Create laser-cut box templates
Thingiverse (Laser) – Community library of shared laser designs
Canva – Great for simple designs or importing black-and-white images
Google Drawings – Easy shape-based design
Gravit Designer – Free, browser-based vector design tool
Cuttle.xyz – Web-based tool for creative, layered designs and laser-friendly SVGs
Figma – Collaborative vector design tool, great for clean, scalable graphics
Adobe Illustrator – Industry-standard vector software taught at MHS and MMS
LightBurn – Laser-specific software for advanced control and layering
The Dream Center does not provide material for the laser cutter.
📏 Measure your piece (width × height) and note thickness and material type.
🪵 Great laserable materials can include acrylic, sheets of wood, leather, or painted stainless steel cups (thing Stanley or Yeti).
Each line in your design will need to be ENGRAVED, SCORED, or CUT. Choose what will happen with your design.
🖤 Engrave = fill areas (logos, photos, solid shapes).
🔵 Score = thin vector lines for light marks/detail.
🔴 Cut = vector “hairline” paths that go all the way through.
💡 Tip: Use colors by role in your file (e.g., Black = engrave, Blue = score, Red = cut) so it’s easy to set power/speed later.
🟢 Beginner: Inkscape (free) or Canva (simple shapes/text → export PDF).
🟡 Intermediate: Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer (best for vectors).
🖼️ Photo prep: Photos (Mac), GIMP, or Photoshop (convert to B/W, boost contrast).
We use xTool's Creative Space. You will sit with a Dream Center partner for this step and the next.
🔲 Vectors for cutting & scoring: clean paths, no overlaps; join/merge where needed.
🖤 Engraves: use filled shapes or a high-contrast bitmap (black/white).
🖼️ Photos: crop tightly, convert to grayscale, boost contrast/clarity, then dither (e.g., Floyd-Steinberg) for reliable engraving. Aim for 300–600 DPI at final size.
🅰️ Stencils: add bridges on letters like A/O/R so centers don’t fall out.
🔎 Avoid super-thin details that could char or vanish (keep small text bold/legible).
✅ Size matches your material.
✅ Text is outlined; no hidden layers.
✅ No duplicate/stacked cut lines.
✅ Cut strokes = hairline; score strokes = thin but not hairline; engraves = fills.
✅ Raster images are pure B/W at 300–600 DPI.
✅ Any QR codes tested (print on paper first to size and scan).
✅ Ready to send it to the laser!
🎯 Simple, high contrast art wins. Busy gradients don’t engrave well—use solid shapes or dithered photos.
🧪 Paper prototype first. Print to scale and lay it on your material to check size/spacing.
🧱 Press-fit parts? Leave a little clearance—perfect friction fits need kerf testing.
🧵 Score lines: use single-line (centerline) or “stick” fonts for clean, fast detail.
🪵 Wood engraves: masking (tape) can reduce smoke staining; peel after engraving.
🔥 Material matters: we cannot engrave unsafe materials (e.g., PVC/vinyl). Ask staff if unsure.
🧼 Clean paths: use boolean tools (union/subtract) to remove overlaps and tiny slivers.
🔊 Small text: prefer bold sans-serif; avoid hairline serif details on tiny labels.
🧭 Color-coding: keep your role colors consistent across projects to speed setup.