If you’ve been thinking about starting a laser engraving business or have launched several business ideas in the hopes of finding something that works for you, a laser engraving business may be right for you.
One of the most enjoyable things about a laser engraving business is that it really involves more than just engraving, but also laser cutting. The versatility of this business is incredible. If you are computer literate and you love working in a computer environment, you will love this business. Another reason it is a great business is that you can easily work from home. You can take orders, get work done and all that goes with it right from your home office or workshop.
The laser engraving machine requires little knowledge on its own to operate, it is the software that requires a bit of effort to learn. The laser engraver is easy to use and you use it the way you use your printer. Just design what you want on your computer and send it to the machine and it will be engraved or cut for you and this is the easy part. You are most likely using CorelDraw, as it is the software that most laser engravers like to use.
You can rent or buy a laser engraving machine. The machines cost between $ 18,000 and $ 20,000. But leasing is cheaper. But it is better to buy your own machine or system if you can. Machines include Epilog Laser, Universal Laser, and LaserPro. The most important thing is to have enough energy. Many people have bought these machines or systems, which come with different accessories and power, but tried to save about $ 1000 and found after starting to accept jobs that they did not have enough power.
There are rotary attachments you can buy that cut glass, but you could forgo this attachment and get more power, helping you get more work done. You don’t need any other equipment.
Get an oversized table to handle more jobs and be sure to get a vector table to cut.
Make sure you get the air assist function. This is very important for many projects and especially if you are cutting wood, working with acrylic or rubber stamps.
There are dozens of items that you can laser engrave, including awards, plaques, trophies, labels, gifts, pens, jewelry, leather, tools, laptops, iPod, iPad, etc. But you can find other uses like those some engraving companies have, including custom engraving of corporate names on cigars and for cutting jobs, for example cutting fabric for sewing clubs.
Many people buy lumber from lumberyards and create their own products and sell them online or at trade shows. If you are artistically talented, you may be able to create some great products on your own. You can see the versatility of the laser engraving machine – many possibilities. Before starting a laser engraving business, be sure to do a lot of research online before renting or buying a laser engraver.