Could also be used for engraving other books or diary type things with a hard back.. One of my friends mentioned as a joke how cool it would be to laser cut/ engrave the leavers books we get at the end of year 11. We asked our Technology teacher Mr miles if we could and he happily said yes. (As he got to use the laser cutter). All the leavers book are just blue on the front and cannot be told apart unless you look inside them. By laser engraving them we personalized them and made them easier to identify in a pile of others.

Step 1: Design

First you need to get the size of the cover correct as some of my friends who also did this got the size wrong and cut into the binding which then did not look professional. Measure from the binding to the edge and set up the design space on the design software. I used 2D design as it is the software we use at school. Set the material size to the cover size and make sure you leave a gap between the edge and your design otherwise it may cut into the binding. This could also work for engraving a book cover or diary.

Step 2: Personalize

Find something personal to put on the cover and possibly back cover. I chose my name, the symbol of an LED as i like Systems, My school name and the years i have been there for. This was for the front. The CERN Logo as i visited it recently with school and had a good time so it is a symbol to remind me of the good memories and a the SparkFun logo as i buy electronics from them and like the look of the logo. Also to personalize the cover, you should chose a font you prefer and preferably a thin fill to stop it burning through and to make the cut take less time. It also looks a lot cooler. Also make sure there is a transparent background to the logos and pictures you use otherwise it will also cut the background out.

Step 3: Cut

Use a high speed and lowish power to stop the laser cutting through the cover. You may want to check the strength of the laser on a piece of card or someone else's leavers book.

Step 4: Clean Up

After engraving the cover there may be a residue left behind. To remove this use a rubber lightly brushing it to avoid damaging the engraving or use a very slightly damp cloth. Too wet and it will ruin the cover. Brush over the residue lightly until it comes away onto the cloth or rubber.