Introduction: Wooden Stickers at Techshop-Austin Tx

This is a little how-to about making Veneer wooden stickers. You can make anything from spice labels to bumper stickers. Created on a Trotec Speedy 300 at Techshop-Austin.

Step 1: Create Your Design

Decide what it is you wish to print with the laser. I pulled a design from the interwebs for this one and loaded it into Adobe to tweak it and make it the way I wanted. You can do pretty much anything you choose with the laser. It prints gray scale and can cut fine details. 

Step 2: Pull Into Illustrator

Next I pulled the file into Illustrator. You can use CorelDraw too, but I found that Illustrator works better for those of us that are well adapted to Adobe. Find out what you want to be cut and what you want to be engraved. Set your cut lines to .25pt CMYK Red. The laser will not cut otherwise. 


Step 3: Focus Laser and Load Material

Make sure you focus your laser ALWAYS before you start engraving and cutting. Also make sure your material is as flat as possible, otherwise your laser cannot cut all the way through.

I suggest a 20mil PSA backed veneer. You can apply the sticky back yourself, but the PSA is super strong, durable, and comes already applied. So worth it.

Step 4: Send to Laser and Press Play

Hit print in Illustrator and it will take you straight to the Laser interface. Make sure you have all your settings right, and press play. I would try a few test rounds to make sure you get it the way you want it. Things always take a little fiddling with to get it just right.

Step 5: Sit Back and Watch the Magic

This is the coolest and easiest part. Your robot friend is now an extension of your brain!!! OOooooh Robots. <3

Step 6: Success!! Now Put Your Sticker Somewhere!

We did it! Now you have made an awesome wooden sticker. You are now an official bad mamojama.  Feel free to stain these any color you like too! It works super well.

A few tips and tricks. 

- For outdoor use for things like bumperstickers, I suggest coating with a polyurethane.

- Prep any surface you put the sticker on by cleaning well with alcohol. Oils and dirt will cause the adhesive to not stick and stay as well.

- The veneer will form around cylindrical forms, but only following the wood grain. Test the direction of the bend before you cut so it will bend right for you.



Thank you guys and enjoy!!!!

I made this at Techshop - Austin Tx.

www.techshop.ws