White Ceramic tile settings

[Randy Digby]

Ok, I've searched the forum and find comments on engraving ceramic tile but no settings to get me started. My pile of scrap ceramic is growing and I need for the pain to stop. Someone please give me a starting point for plain white Home Depot white ceramic tiles. My granddaughter is going to be all grown up before I get a photo of her engraved and color filled.

I do production type plain text engraving on our laser so I'm way behind the learning curve of you folks who do a lot of graphics and images.

Thanks.

[Frank Corker]

Randy, look at the recommended settings for glass for your laser, that should give you a good engrave on ceramic tile.

[Randy Digby]

Good thought Frank, I had not thought that glass is really close to ceramic tile. My laser shows 85p 100s and 1000dpi. I was trying in the range of 100p 100s and 500 dpi and 100p 50s 500dpi. Maybe the big difference in dpi will help. Problem with my runs is that I couldn't even get fill with rub n buff.
Thanks

[Dave Johnson29]

Problem with my runs is that I couldn't even get fill with rub n buff.
Thanks

Randy,

That suggests insufficient power, since you are 100p, maybe slow down some. Using 1000dpi on a tile is probably going to just all mush together. Try your original settings at slower speeds.

I do a lot of pics on tiles and I use 100p, 60s 250dpi.

[Darren Null]

Nuke it hard! I've only got a 10W, so my speed/power is probably way out, but some ceramics have to be really nuked to get a result. If you're not getting a result, drop the speed and give it another go.

[Randy Digby]

Got a couple more production runs to make and I'm going to try hot, slow and 250dpi and see what I get. I found one more tile here this morning. All I've got here to fill with is some gold rub-n-buff. Got any suggestions for test fill to save me a trip to office supply? I was thinking about trying a Sharpie pen or majick marker...I have some craft acrylic black paint...will that stick to the ceramic?

[Tim Bateson]

Randy, Can you post a few pictures, so we can see what problems you may be having.

[Randy Digby]

My first two attempts would not hold rub-n-buff. The attached pic is the third try last night run at 85p 100s 1000dpi and filled with gold rub-n-buff. I'm sure it would look much better with a black fill. There are some vertical lines in the engraving that I gues are a function of the tile??

Anyway..let's try uploading a pic and see how it goes.

Upload failed..may be too big...I'll research and try again.

[Randy Digby]

Try again....

Ok..let's see if this works...

[Tim Bateson]

... There are some vertical lines in the engraving that I guess are a function of the tile??...

Those lines are the tile. You've gone too deep. These tiles don't fill much darker than that. Unless you mask and paint or hand paint.

[Randy Digby]

Ok...I'll drop power and dpi and give it a run.

[Randy Digby]

Well...I tried my last tile at 60p 100s 250dpi, applied rub-n-buff, let it dry and 100% of the fill buffed off with a soft cloth. I guess it's time for me to bite the bullet, get a couple of tiles and run a full power/speed/dpi grid to see what works....

[Tim Bateson]

I use 50/100/300 S/P/DPI. The problem with any rub-n-buff technique on tile is you pull most of the paint out when buffing. Sometimes I'll do the rub-n-buff type stuff (I use acrylic paint) several times, drying in between. Still doesn't get as dark as I'd like, but better than a faded gray.

It should also be noted that the quality of these 13 cent HD tiles are hit & miss. Your lines could just be bad tile too.

[Tim Bateson]

... I guess it's time for me to bite the bullet, get a couple of tiles and run a full power/speed/dpi grid to see what works....

Good idea, but don't use a miniature of this image. Find a spot on your full size image that has all the tones you want & use that.

[Randy Digby]

What do you use for color fill when not rub-n-buff?

[Tim Bateson]

Spray paint. I've tried primer, acrylic, flat, gloss - all produced the same result. Like I said though, short of masking or hand painting, I've never got deep colors on HD tile.
Hopefully some else here will have better advice for you.

[Dee Gallo]

Randy,

You might want to read this post: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=111381&highlight=ceramic+tile+fill

Personally, I like lasertile - fast and easy. Cermark for ceramics works very well too. But Ray Mighells has a good procedure you might study.

:) dee

[Randy Digby]

Thanks to the group for the good feedback. Dee, I'll study the previous links you sent tonight and thanks Tim for the fill input. I'll make a HD run tomorrow and stock up and see what I can do.

[Darren Null]

I've got pretty good results from normal artists' acrylic paint in a tube. Soft enough to buff the excess off without pulling your fill out too. The most important bit, I've found, is to wash the tile after lasering. There's dust in the bottom and that stops your fill from sticking. A wash in the sink and letting it dry before filling helps.

[Dave Johnson29]

Well...I tried my last tile at 60p 100s 250dpi, applied rub-n-buff, let it dry and 100% of the fill buffed off with a soft cloth.

Randy, maybe it is too much power and it is melting the material and leaving nothing much for the fill to stick to. I had that problem with a 12" x 12" tile. The laser parts were all shiny like the rest of the tile. Normally the lasered part is rough and looks to have been blasted out.

I never did get that tile to work out and I was using a paint fill. Fortunately it was only to be a sample so no great loss, but lesson learned.