Newbee

[Dave Bureau]

Hello all:

I am looking for information an laser engravers. I'm new to this and don't have experience with them. i don't want something that I will want to upgrade after a short time. I would like information on Brand, price, size and anything else I should be looking for. Also I have no experience with programs like Corel. Am I in trouble here without the program knowledge? Any thoughts would be appreciated, good or bad.
thanks
dave

[Vicky Orsini]

Hi Dave.

What are you looking to do with your laser? Do you have an existing business that you're adding the laser to, or are you planning to start a new business with your laser?

About Corel: Check out your local community college. A lot of them offer evening/continuing ed courses on graphics programs like Corel. Corel is the industry standard for running these machines. I taught myself how to use Corel (with a little help from my friends on these types of forums), so if I can do that, anyone can learn to use it. :D

As far as brand, price, etc... that all depends on what you're going to do with the laser. Figure out your budget constraints beforehand. You can easily spend anywhere between $20,000 to $60,000 and up, and the salespeople will be more than willing to help you decide that the higher-priced machines are your better option. ;) Once you've determined how much you want to spend, contact the 5 main manufacturers (Universal Laser Systems, Epilog Lasers, LaserPro, Trotec and Xenetech) and arrange for demonstrations of the machines in your price range. Just so you know, LaserPro is also known as GCC, and is also sold under the name of Pinnacle by one distributor in the US. Alternatively, you can attend a trade show where all manufacturers are present. There's a big one coming up in Vegas - the ARA Show (Awards & Recognition Association).

There are some up-and-coming, much less expensive Chinese machines on the market. Personally, I'm not willing to take my chances with them. Perhaps in a few years, they'll be up to the same quality as the main 5, and there will be enough people who have experience with them to tell us everything we want to know about them, but I don't know enough about lasers to figure that out for myself just yet. ;)

Best of luck in your search!

[Dave Bureau]

Thanks for the info. Maybe i should get some software and play around with that first. also are there any laser companies that offer a lease program with buyout after a certain amount of time? what software should i get?

[John Esberg]

Dave,

When it comes to software, we'll always say you need to start with CorelDraw. We can't over emphasize this enough. The better you are at this software, the more valuable your machine will be.

To get to know this software, I'd download a trial version and get my hands on some learning materials. Learning from a book is a bit dry, so see if you can find something with a bit of interaction to keep it lively. If you search this forum, I'm sure you'll find some good resources.

So we can help you more, do you know what you want to do with your machine?

V/R,

DAK

[Tim Goldstein]

Thanks for the info. Maybe i should get some software and play around with that first. also are there any laser companies that offer a lease program with buyout after a certain amount of time? what software should i get?

Leasing is available on virtually any piece of equipment including laser engravers. You are not locked into using the manufacturers leasing company. I have worked with one leasing company a number of times. They have become valuable partners in the growth of my business. In one instance it was only through their creativity that I was able to swing a deal that was intstrumental to building the company I currently have. Basically you shop for a lease just like financing for your car or home. It is a separate product from the laser and should be shopped as such. If your credit is good there are quite a range of lease products available such as $99 down and $99 for 6 months regardless of the machine cost. you can also structure for a $1 buy out or 10% or about anything you want.

Regarding software, CorelDraw is the only thing to get and worry about to get going.

[Dave Jones]

You didn't mention if you already have a business that this will suppliment (ie: sign making, gifts, etc...) or if you plan a new company based on the laser. And if so, what do you plan to do/make? There are a lot of people that think it would be a cool machine and jump into it without any real business plan, and then it all falls apart.

[Dave Bureau]

I do not have and existing business pertaining to lasers or signs or anything like that. I have a complete woodworking shop and another contracting business though. I think this is something my wife would like to do. Making gifts and things. engraving photos on glass and stone and the like.

[Joe Pelonio]

Dave,

Starting off from scratch and doing only gifts, a laser could be worn out well before it's paid for itself. If she's working on the items full time and doing a lot of craft shows and internet sales, then you might be able to prove me wrong. Also, if either of you is a good salesperson and can find wholesale accounts to sell in large quantities, at gift shops and boutiques. Most of us make our money on production jobs and supplement with the gift items.

You could even consider starting to market the items by using a local laser Creeker at wholesale prices to see what sort of market you have while learning Corel and wait until you have some established customers before buying your own.

I agree with the others, on learning Corel ahead of time. When the laser arrives you need to immediately start producing work on it. The actual operation of the laser itself can take just a few hours or a day with good training from the vendor, but the learning curve for Corel with no prior vector based graphics program experience is long, especially if you will be doing your own original designs.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Joseph B. Chritz]

I do not have and existing business pertaining to lasers or signs or anything like that. I have a complete woodworking shop and another contracting business though. I think this is something my wife would like to do. Making gifts and things. engraving photos on glass and stone and the like.
Hi Dave,

Some of us have lasers to enhance our hobbies, they don't have to pay for themselves. That makes it easier to decide if we want to invest thousands in something we enjoy.

If you wife is artistic, that's a plus. If she has some computer experience, another plus. Your woodworking would really complement laser work. It's something you two could do together without getting in each others way. Download the demo version of Corel Draw. If you want to be good, you will have to be proficient with Corel Photopaint and Corel Draw at least. It won't cost you anything but time to find out if that's possible.

Send some E-mails to the laser companies and they will beat a path to your door. They will send spec sheets and samples.

After the cost of the laser you will have additional expenses. I really like Photograv software. It's about $400.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite about $200
Small air compressor about $150
Maybe a new computer about $1000
Small dust collector and hose to exaust fumes, about $200.
Material to work on, wood, marble, acrylic, glass, laser plastics,anodized aluminum, etc. The list is long, but a wood worker can help with many projects and materials. Get extra, you'll make mistakes.
Also consider the cost of a replacement laser tube. Better sit down when you see that one.

You could be a very good woodworker without any power tools. Power tools allow you to do more things faster, easier, sometimes better. A laser is just another tool.

This should be a joint decision with your wife. It could be great, it could be fun, it could be rewarding, but it won't be cheep.

Joseph

[Ray McAlister]

If you go to vtc.com you can watch tutorials on hundreds of different software programs including but not limited to Corel, Photoshop programs, Mac. etc. and if you sign up it's around $30 dollars a month. You have to sign up to get all tuturials and full access. When I did it they let you check it out for free.
Have a great day.
Ray