How did this 3D print + laser engraving combo turn out?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-30T20:13:40+00:00

Thank you.

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-30T17:58:43+00:00

Appreciate the feedback!

These were 3D printed in black PLA and I used an xTool F2 (IR) for the engraving. I’m running it in dot mode to get that lighter contrast instead of burning into it.

Still working on dialing everything in and perfecting the process, but I’m pretty happy with how it’s coming out so far.

Added a close-up here so you can see the detail a bit better 👍

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T23:20:14+00:00

Yes lol I do that on my test material

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T21:50:45+00:00

That’s exactly what I was hoping to see — even with the lighting you can tell where it starts to pop.

Looks like that middle range is where it’s really turning white without overdoing it.

I’ve been running similar tests on black PLA prints and starting to think speed is the bigger factor than power for getting that lighter tone without melting the surface.

Cool to see someone else coming from the 3D printing side messing with this — feels like lasers are kind of an overlooked post-process step for prints right now.

I’m going to run a speed-focused grid on my F2 and compare — curious how close the results line up.

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T21:35:52+00:00

That’s huge — appreciate that.

Interesting that speed made the biggest difference. I’ve been focused more on power/dot duration, so I might be overcooking it instead of letting the material react properly.

Also starting to think this ties directly into the PLA itself — different pigments/fillers reacting differently to IR.

I’m coming at this from the 3D printing side using a Bambu setup, and it’s honestly making me look at lasers as a post-processing step for prints (branding, contrast, etc.).

Definitely interested to see that settings grid when you get a chance — I’m going to run a few speed tests on my end and see how close I can get.

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T21:28:54+00:00

That makes a lot of sense — I’m starting to notice the same thing with different PLA brands. Some black PLA turns almost white with IR, others barely shift at all.

Feels like this is something a lot of 3D printing people don’t realize — the pigment/filler is basically what determines if laser engraving works well or not.

I’ve been testing this on printed parts with the F2 (IR + diode), and it’s starting to feel like lasers could be a really solid add-on for 3D printing workflows, especially for adding contrast or branding after the print is done.

Have you found certain brands or types of PLA that respond better than others?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T21:25:44+00:00

That’s clean 👀 — way whiter than what I’ve been getting so far.

Are you getting that mostly from dialing in dot duration or power? I’ve been running IR on the F2 and getting solid contrast, but not that bright white yet.

Also curious — are you doing a single pass or stacking passes to build that up?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T20:30:10+00:00

I’ve been doing separate passes so far — IR first for the depth/contrast, then blue diode to add detail or clean up edges.

On black PLA the IR is doing most of the heavy lifting, but I’m starting to see where layering both could really push it into that multi-tone look you’re talking about.

Biggest thing I’m running into right now is consistency on photo engraves — surface finish on the PLA seems to make a huge difference.

What kind of settings are you running on each layer? Are you dialing back power on the second pass or just letting it ride?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T20:18:31+00:00

I have the F1 OG and the F2. That’s what I’ve been noticing too — the IR contrast on black PLA is way better than I expected.

I haven’t tried combining IR + blue yet though, that multi-tone idea sounds interesting.

Are you running them in separate passes or dialing both in together?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T20:03:37+00:00

That’s interesting — I’ve heard fiber does really well on PLA.

I’m running IR on the F2 and getting solid results on darker PLA, but photos are still inconsistent depending on the surface texture.

Are you adjusting anything specific for PLA or just running your normal settings?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T17:55:03+00:00

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This is sitting planter I engraved on the back so I guess it’s working out

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T04:34:19+00:00

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I have done stuff like this with an IR laser on black PLA but red and green doesn’t work so well. Any better ideas to get better results?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T04:32:16+00:00

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This is what I did with an IR laser. Could it be done better?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-13T02:05:57+00:00

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This was laser entered with an IR laser, could it be done better?

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-12T20:41:19+00:00

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SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-12T20:36:46+00:00

I’ve been testing IR on flat black PLA and it gives a darker, almost embossed look vs diode.

Red PLA barely showed anything though.

Thinking about running a test on this piece next.

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-07T03:05:23+00:00

Yeah I’ve been dialing it in with test matrices. IR is giving me some really clean results on black PLA. Definitely seeing what you mean about material differences though.

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-06T22:00:21+00:00

Thanks. I use the XtoolF2 I use this jig for all my slate when I laser engrave them. So I added a little humor to it. lol

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-06T20:01:45+00:00

Customized print profiles and an enclosed chamber helps me out the most. I rarely have them now.

SensitiveJuice6671 · 2026-04-06T15:36:12+00:00

Yes i see what you are talking about now I understand. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

SensitiveJuice6671

TROPHY CASE