The 7 Best Laser Engravers in 2022
One of the laser engraving machines listed below is likely to meet your customization needs, whether it’s for DIY, at-home gift personalization, or taking your business to the next level.
We understand that the laser engraving market can be difficult to traverse due to the numerous brands and models available, so we’ve whittled it down to only the best laser engravers to suit any budget, material, or use case.
Below you will discover all of the information you will need to make an informed business decision. And here is a list that takes into account pricing, software, material, application, size, monetization, and profitability.
Overview
It’s a machine designed for use at home and in the office, with a tiny footprint and safety features such as water cooling. It also engraves 20% faster than the Glowforge Basic, making it a capable engraver for a dedicated user.
It can also be used as a 3D printer. While other 3D printers employ a plastic mold design, the laser design allows you to cut a complete 3D object. You can use this method to not just engrave an object, but also to entirely build it from the ground up.
The Glowforge Plus has the power to bring your vision to life at the speed of light. The Plus offers upgraded components and a top engraving speed that’s up to twice as fast as the Glowforge Basic.
Key Features:
-Simple setup in under 30 minutes
- Use hundreds of materials
- Live camera preview
- Free web-based software
- Autofocus and 3D engraving
- Compatible with Mac, PC or mobile
Snapmaker 2.0 is one of the most iconic 3-in-1 3D printer series. It features 3D printing, laser engraving, and CNC cutting technologies and has a large build volume.
With the Snapmaker 3D Printer, you can cut, engrave, carve and print out your designs, all in one machine. It’s not just about its ability to perform these activities, but also its impressively high resolution that tramps other dual-purpose laser cutters.
This 3D printer and desktop laser cutter tool includes the 3-in-1 software, Snapmaker Luban, which allows you to explore your creativity and gives you access to useful APIs, tutorials, and plugins.
It also has an auto-focus feature that automatically finds the optimal laser height before it starts engraving. This means you don’t have to spend so much time adjusting the focal point for a clear image.
This laser engraver works well on wood, fabric, leather, plastic, and non-transparent acrylic. It is a solid and well-built kit that will be a great asset to any graphic design or arts and crafts business.
Key Features:
-3D printing
- Laser engraving
- CNC carving
Sleek, modern and compact, beamo is designed to sit beautifully in any home, school or workshop space. The metal body and acrylic lid come pre-assembled at 615 x 445 x 177 mm. The modest build fits perfectly on any desk, while still allowing for a large cutting space of letter size (A4) for it’s powerful 30W C02 laser.
The FLUX Beambox is an easy-to-use desktop laser engraver and cutter. It’s equipped with an HD camera for optimal object alignment, an advanced cooling system, and a highly precise laser.
The machine also features a large color touchscreen for intuitive operation but can also be controlled via FLUX’s iOS/Android app.
Key Features:
-Built in HD Camera
- Integrated Safety Features
- Powerful High-Resolution Laser
The OMTech 40W CO2 Laser Engraver features a 12” x 8” (300 x 200mm) engraving surface and powerful internal components, allowing you to cut or engrave a variety of non-metal materials. The double-duty working surface is equipped with a stability clamp for irregular objects and a leveling board to ensure your laser designs come out flawless.
Suitable to work on Wood, Bamboo, Acrylic, Fabric, Glass, Ceramic, Delrin, Cloth, Leather, Marble, Matte Board, Melamine, Paper, Mylar, Pressboard, Rubber, Fiberglass, Anodized Aluminum, Tile, Plastic, Cork and more NON-metal materials.
Key Features:
-VERSATILE WORK SURFACE: The 12” x 8” engraving surface is equipped with a stability clamp for irregular items and a level board for regular/bulky objects to accommodate products of various dimensions.
- UPGRADED DIGITAL CONTROLS: The new control panel with LCD display enables users to easily view & adjust the current power volume thanks to the upgraded touch controls.
- INTEGRATED COOLING FAN: Never overheat again! The pre-installed exhaust fan provides improved ventilation performance, easier operation, lower noise level, and greater portability.
- NEW RED DOT GUIDANCE: The red dot pointer quickly indicates the engraving point and marks the laser head’s path to identify positioning sizes and make your project setup nearly effortless.
- SUPPORT & SERVICE: Order this OMTech laser engraver with your peace of mind assured thanks to its fast US-based shipping; its strong 2 year warranty (6 months for the tube & power supply); and our helpful customer service and tech support, available weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm PST
If you’re new to laser engraving, the Ortur Laser Master 2 could be the right place to start, as it’s affordable and simple.
It has three variable input strengths — 7, 15, and 20 W — so you can tailor its “power” to your needs, as well as a generous 400 x 430 mm area.
Key Features:
-Specialized Motherboard with STM32 MCU
- The Most Advanced 32Bits Laser Engraver Firmware
- Laser power range could be S0 — S1000
- Engraving speed could be as high as 3000MM/Min
- Active Position Protection
- Exposure Duration Detection and Limitation
NEJE is one of the most popular CNC machine manufacturers in the maker community. They produce a range of laser engravers and cutters of all sizes and budgets.
NEJE engraving module designed with advanced optical and heat conduction not only brings more excellent engraving and cutting process than ordinary modules, and also achieves a lighter design and stronger performance.
As a professional engraving module, NEJE is a built-in intelligent drive and temperature recognition that adjusts the work status of the fan dynamically to bring a quieter experience.
The full series of NEJE engraving modules use temperature sensing to guaranteed the performance and functions of each module that will be reliable to process of the NEJE factory. NEJE is proud of our customer care to provide 2 years (20,000 hours) after-sales service.
Key Features:
-large engraving area
- Advanced laser module
- More materials and more clear
- Portable professional control software
- Perfect after-sales service
As CDI’s flagship product, EM-Smart® will be most suitable for customization and personalization of gifts, souvenirs, handicrafts, logos, coins, pens, forks & knives, pet tags, brands, QR codes, guns, jewelry, hardware, nameplates, etc. for designers, handicraftsmen, Etsy sellers, Kickstarter entrepreneurs, creative agencies, and small businesses. It’s able to mark and engrave on all kinds of metals, plastics, slates, leathers, stones, coated wood, etc.
It’s the first portable laser marking machine with commercial capacity! It’s also the smallest 20W fiber laser marking machine in the world!
You can even put this super portable laser marking machine in your car, take it anywhere and laser your ideas anytime. Just show it on exhibitions, commercial promotions, and any other events.
EM-Smart uses genuine parts (RAYCUS, BJJCZ, SINO-GALVO) only to ensure excellent working performance, including high-speed and high-precision laser marking on both metal and non-metal materials.
The EM-Smart laser machines use fiber laser for laser marking and engraving without additional consumption, and there’s no pollution compared with traditional printing.
Key Features:
-Portable and Powerful
- Quick installation
- Top brand laser source
- 100,000 hours lifespan
- High marking speed & precision
- Work on all materials
- Apply to all industries
- 2 years warranty
- Free Shipping Worldwide
What is laser engraving and how does it work?
The aim of Laser Engraving is to engrave a specific picture or logo onto a selected material. It is a subtractive manufacturing method. However, before the actual engraving process can begin, the machine needs a file sent from a computer to the machine’s controller, which then positions the laser. When the Laser Engraving process starts, the beam creates a high heat that burns or evaporates the surface according to the image from the file.
In short, laser engraving is a process that vaporizes materials into fumes to engrave permanent, deep marks. The laser beam acts as a chisel, incising marks by removing layers from the surface of the material. The laser hits localized areas with massive levels of energy to generate the high heat required for vaporization.
It is the most common option for people who would like an industrial feel when running fingers over the engraved area. It is a common option for use in plastics, steel, glass, wood, and even leather. In Laser engraving, the laser beam directed on the product burns off the surface hence the logo or imprint will never wipe off. The advantage of engraving is that the material will never lose its mark in whatever condition. It is therefore ideal when one needs a permanent mark especially in parts that will be open to very harsh conditions.
There are further three types of laser engravings on the basis of how much surface is being removed:
- Etching
- Deep laser engraving
- Laser ablation
The method of laser engraving is fast and is great for products that are going to work in harsh conditions and will face wear and tear. The portable engraving machine is a great choice for DIYers who work on projects that involve customized engraving. However, it should be noted that the laser engraving machines are not able to mark safety-critical parts efficiently.
What software can be used for engraving?
1. Lightburn
As a native application written for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, LightBurn itself actually mixes a bit of design and control into its capabilities, making it quite a versatile tool.
2. Inkscape
Inkscape is a free and open-source vector graphics editor used to create vector images, primarily in Scalable Vector Graphics format. Other formats can be imported and exported. Inkscape can render primitive vector shapes and text.
3. Laser GRBL
LaserGRBL is one of the best Windows software for image Laser Engraving. LaserGRBL is able to load any image, pictures and logo and send to your laser engrave with few click.
4. Laser Web
LaserWeb is an application for generating GCODE from DXF/SVG/BITMAP/JPG/PNG files for Lasers and CNC Mills (= CAM Operations) and controlling a connected CNC / Laser machine (running one of the supported firmwares). This Application is built for Windows, OSX and Linux (on x86/x64 CPU) and comes with an easy installer. The server part can also be run on a Raspberry Pi.
5. OnShape
Onshape is the only Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product development platform that combines CAD, built-in data management, real-time collaboration tools, and business analytics.
6. DraftSight
DraftSight has the productivity tools, functionality, and file compatibility you need to create, edit, view and markup any 2D or 3D DWG-file with speed and efficiency. Millions of designers’ trust DraftSight’s advanced desktop 2D and 3D CAD with powerful time-saving functionalities and an API to accelerate their design projects.
7. EZCAD
EZCAD is a smart software for laser marking system, which is used on 32 bit or 64-bit operating system of Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. EZCAD will drive the USB control board for the laser marking machine to mark text, patterns, and photos on the surface of the object.
8. RDWorks
RDWorks is a powerful program that allows you to perform laser cutting engraving operations. The program has support for drawing points, lines (horizontal/vertical), polyline, ellipse/circle, rectangular/square, Bezier curve, text, and for CAD models such as DXF, AI, and PLT.
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and design program developed and marketed by Adobe Inc. It lets you create logos, icons, drawings, typography, and complex illustrations for any medium. Adobe Illustrator is the industry-standard design app that lets you capture your creative vision with shapes, color, effects, and typography.
What should you take into account when buying a laser engraver?
-Price
- Quality
- Power
- Function
- Software
- Material
- Scenarios
- Productivity
Conclusion
The world of laser engravers is endless. There are different models available with different features, and they all come at different prices. You can pick up an entry-level option for under $500 like OMTech 40W or Ortur Laser Master 2 if you’re interested in basic laser engraving, or you can move your way up into the world of wood and metal like Glowforge Plus or EM-Smart One. It all depends on what materials you are going to engrave, where you are going to use the engraver, and how much budget you have.
Ideally, there is no right or wrong when it comes to engraving machines. To ensure you get the most out of your device, make sure to cross-check your needs and requirements once to find the best machine for yourself.
