If you're looking for the best laser for engraving metal and jewelry, the small, portable and powerful xTool F1 is a great choice.
The xTool F1 is a dual laser that includes a 10w diode laser as well as an IR laser which is ideal for engraving metals quickly and precisely. Read on for a beginner tutorial on how to engrave metal and jewelry with the xTool F1.
All of the xTool lasers run on xTool Creative Space software which is included free. For this beginner tutorial we're going to engrave an initial on a round silver tag, which is also included free with the F1.
In Creative Space, click the text tool on the left side to open the text panel.
In the panel on the left, replace "Hello" with the initial.
You can pick the font you want to use from the Typeface dropdown. You can choose from pre-installed fonts or fonts downloaded and installed on your computer.
You'll need to resize the text to fit your jewelry piece, but in order to do this precisely you will want to use the framing option.
With the xTool F1 powered on and connected to your computer by WIFI or USB, click on the framing tool at the bottom left of the XCS window to initiate framing mode. A blue box will appear on the base of F1. The box is the size of your design, so place the piece of jewelry over the box exactly where you want the engraving to be positioned.
You should see a red and blue dot from the laser onto the base of the F1. These two dots need to be in the exact same position in order for the laser to be in focus. If they are not in the same position, turn the dial on the right side of the F1 to align the dots.
Close the cover of the F1.
If you need to re-size the text at all, you can do so in the software and the framing box will update live.
Return to XCS, but once you have the sizing and position correct, don't move the text or the jewelry piece. With the text NOT selected, you'll have the option to choose the material you are engraving on. Select Round Stainless Steel Dog.
Because you have already selected the material you are engraving on, the software will have your material settings set to "Reference" meaning they are referring to your selection.
Change the Processing type to "Engrave" and you'll see that the F1 is going to use the IR laser for metal.
When you're ready click "Process". This will take you to another screen where you'll have to press the "Start" button.
Turn on your xTool Air Purifier if you're using one (which you should indoors) and then press the round button on the right side of the F1 to start the engraving.
At this small size and using the IR laser, the engraving will take less than a minute. If you want to see the metal jewelry laser engraving in real time, check out the video.
When the engraving is done, open the F1 laser cover and your engraved jewelry is done! The same could be done for metal keychains, pet tags and other metals including stainless steel tumblers.
The speed and portability of the F1 make it so that you can not only engrave in your craft room or shop, but also on the go including doing on-demand customization at craft fairs and markets.
Want my top 5 secrets for using xTool Creative Space like a pro when you're a beginner? Check out this blog post!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!
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