Cork coasters are one of the cheapest engraving blanks out there, and they're really versatile. In this guide I engrave two on the xTool F2 with the blue diode: a vector logo and quote first, then a photo.
They need different settings, and cork is hard to get images on, so I tested my own values for both. They're below, along with a quick trick that speeds up vector jobs.
Jump to: Coasters and setup · Focus · Vector design · Material · Vector settings · Faster path trick · Photos on cork · Photo settings
1. The coasters and setup
I use round cork coasters from Amazon. Mine came in a pack of about 20, and you can get them from loads of places. They're cheap and practical.
You can just lay one on the bed. I prefer a jig, because it centers the coaster and puts it back in the same position every time. That means you can batch produce them and be really efficient. I used my Self-Centering Jig, which fits the xTool F1, F2 and F1 Lite.
2. Focus
If the red and blue dots aren't joined, turn the dial on the side of the laser head until they meet. It moves the head up and down. For this coaster I turned it counterclockwise.
In xTool Studio, click New project in the top right. It connects to the machine and takes a snapshot of the bed with the F2's camera.
One quirk: even after focusing by hand, the thickness box on the right is empty by default. Click Auto Measure to fill it. The light turns off, the laser focuses off the top of the coaster and the distance updates.
3. The vector design
An SVG is a vector file, so you can scale it up or down as much as you like and it stays sharp.
I get a lot of my designs from Creative Fabrica. Most come with a commercial license, so in theory you can put them on something and sell it, but always check. I searched for encouragement SVG and picked Keep Smiling. The download is a folder with JPEG, PDF, PNG and SVG files. You want the SVG.
- Click Import and pick the SVG.
- Grab the handle in the middle and drag to scale it up. It keeps the aspect ratio locked. I filled as much of the coaster as I could.
- Frame it. Click the three dots next to the framing button in the bottom right, choose Outline so you see the actual design rather than a box, then click frame and check it sits on the coaster.
4. Set the material
At the top it says Unknown material by default. Click it to open the xTool material library. Its settings aren't always amazing, but they're a good place to start. Type cork into the search, press Enter, pick Glued Cork and click Apply.
Setting the material matters even more for photos, as you'll see below.
5. Vector settings
Studio offers its blue light reference settings for glued cork. I tested those and they're okay, but my own settings work better. I saved them as Cork Vector.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Laser type | Blue light |
| Power | 80% |
| Speed | 1,750 mm/s |
| Lines per cm | 110 |
| Passes | 1 |
| Engraving mode | Bi-directional |
6. Trick: a faster processing path
By default (auto planning) the laser goes left to right, all the way down. That's fine, but it can take longer.
- Next to the Process button, open the processing settings.
- Change Processing path to User defining.
- Turn on Smart. It follows the contours of the design by the fastest route.
If you're doing these as a business, that time saving adds up. Mine took 24 seconds.
Click Process, then Start, and wait for the beep that tells you the machine has the job. Close the lid, and make sure your extraction is good, because cork makes smoke. You don't want to damage your laser or fill your room with it.
This is where the jig pays off. Put the next coaster in, close it up, and it's in exactly the same spot. Double tap the button on the machine and it runs the same job again, so you can turn these out fast.
7. Photos on cork
Photos need a different process and different settings, so follow these steps exactly.
- Load a new coaster into the jig and click the camera icon to refresh the background. It will be in the same position.
- Click Import and pick your photo. I used an AI-generated Labrador because it was quick and easy.
- It won't fit the round coaster, so add a mask. Click Mask at the top (or right-click the photo and create a mask), pick the circle on the left, position it over the photo and click Done.
- Resize it to fill the coaster. I like to fill the whole thing.
Now the material you set earlier pays off. It tells Studio how to adjust the photo to suit cork. Click Adjust in the top middle, then Auto adjust on the left. It sorts the sharpness, contrast and brightness for you. I used to move the sliders by hand, and this makes life so much easier.
Frame it again with Outline. I turned the light power up to 10 so I could see it. Never rely on the photo alone.
8. Photo settings
This is the critical part. The default settings just weren't very good, so I did some serious testing to get the right balance of darkness and contrast.
I saved the result as Cork Image:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Laser type | Blue light |
| Dot duration | 60 µs |
| Power | 30% |
| DPI | 350 |
| Passes | 1 |
| Bitmap mode | Jarvis |
| Engraving mode | Bi-directional |
Both cork settings are in my free Laser Settings Library and on the xTool F2 settings page.
Click Process. Images take longer. Mine was 4 minutes 9 seconds, but it's worth the wait.
Cork is hard to get images on, and I was so happy with how this one came out.
What will you put on yours?
You can do this with any image. If you have a question, leave it in the comments on the video.
