Leather gives warm, dark marks and forgives a lot, but it also gets heavy quickly. Prepare the file with that in mind.
Reviewed by the Vextrify team, tested in our own laser workshops · Updated · How we test
Try Vextrify freeLeather darkens under the burn, and the surface can scorch. Dot gain, where the burn spreads past each dot, is strong, so tones come out heavier than on screen. The mark is darker than the leather, which means a photo is prepared as a normal positive. Aim for a lighter, more open file than you would for a pale material.
Photo Studio's leather profile is one of the 12 material profiles. It sets starting brightness, contrast and gamma and suggests a dithering method, and it does not invert by default. Use the live preview, compare the ten dithering methods and grayscale, and lift the shadows so they do not close into dark patches.
A heavy result usually has the usual causes: closed shadows in the source, a line interval smaller than the spot, and dot gain. The too-dark guide lists them in fix order. Start with the file, then spacing, and test on an offcut.
Leather varies by tannage, thickness and finish, so no speed or power figure is reliable. Engrave a material test grid on an offcut of the same piece, choose the best field and save it as a recipe. For orders with many similar items, Batch applies that recipe to many photos and returns one ZIP.
Leather is a natural material, so two pieces of the same hide can behave differently. Look at the surface where you will engrave: a flat, even area gives a more even result than a grain fold or a stitched edge. Keep the photo away from seams, and clean the surface so loose dust does not mark. Engrave a small test of the actual photo on an offcut before the finished item, since you cannot undo a burn on leather.
Leather darkens under the burn and dot gain is strong, so tones come out heavier than on screen. Lighten the file and check line spacing before changing machine settings.
No. The mark is darker than the leather, so a photo is prepared as a normal positive. Vextrify's leather profile does not invert.
Yes. The surface can scorch, which is another reason to test on an offcut first.