Laser Details

We have a C02 laser with a 24" x 18" bed.  Our machine has a pass-through option that allows us to engrave into the centre of larger pieces.   We also have a smaller laser engraver that can be placed onto larger surfaces to be engraved.

What we can cut:

• Wood: Engraves very nicely, with finer grained wood holding more detail.  We can cut through material up to 1/4" thick.  Woods with higher sugar content (e.g. maple, cherry) tend to engrave to a darker brown colour.
• Plastic:  We can engrave and cut into many types of plastic, detail depends on the type of plastic.  We can cut through 1/4" material.
• Paper/cardboard: We can cut nice clean lines into most types of paper and cardboard.  Wonderful for stencils and art projects.
• Coated metal:  We can etch through the coating to expose the bare metal below.  For example, we can etch through the coating on a YETI mug to expose the bare metal.

What we can't cut:

• Unidentified plastic: some plastics melt, others release toxic fumes, please be sure to properly identify your plastic before trying to engrave it.
• Metal:  unfortunately our CO2 laser is not powerful enough to cut through metal. We apologize for the inconvenience.  

Our minimum charge for laser engraving is $30 for the first 15 minutes, which can handle most jobs up to about 6" x 6".  We charge per 15 minute increment thereafter.  Discounts are available on bulk orders.  Files can be sent to info@myurbanworkshop.com for a free quote.

Submitting Files

When sending in your files .pdf files are preferred for the best reliability between what you see on screen and what the laser actually cuts.  It is also advisable to send along an editable version of the file in case we need to make any tweaks or changes.  We can accept .pdf, .jpg, .png, .ai and .svg files just to name a few.  If you can send it to a printer chances are we can cut it with the laser.  Please bear in mind that the higher the quality of the source material the better the results will be from the laser.  Most of our laser takes place at 250 DPI, but the machine can run at up to 1000 DPI.  

Basic text can be engraved without sending a file, just send along the text you want engraved (please remember to spell check), the desired font and dimensions of the finished engraving.

We are happy to do quick fixes to your image like resizing, brightness adjustments, etc.  However, more intensive image manipulation is charged at our regular shop rate. 

Please note that depending on our workload we cannot always run laser jobs immediately.  By sending your files ahead of time we can ensure that they are ready to be picked up when you arrive.