Engraving on denim is fun and we have done a number of projects doing this.
For this project we will be engraving a piece of denim using our xTool D1 and using LightBurn Software.
When I’m not engraving on a pair of jeans, I like to cut my scrap pieces of denim to about 7″. The allows me to trim them back to use in cushion covers, tote bags etc.
Where can you buy the xTool D1
Note that the version we have (xTool D1 10w) is no longer available, however, you an purchase the next level up.
- (aff link)
So let’s get started!
The first thing to do is decide on the image you want to engrave.
I have selected an American eagle image aff link from Creative Fabrica. They have an enormous range of great images for all types of projects. (Heres’ a tip – if you use a lot of graphics, fonts etc then it is well worth getting the Yearly membership with Creative Fabrica aff link – you can then download pretty much everything on the site as often as you like.)
The first thing you need to do is bring in your file. Just click on FILE from the top menu and select IMPORT.
Once you have your image on the screen, you can adjust the size to suit up in the Width and Height section of Lightburn.
I’m going to change the size to 6 inches in width and I’m going to make it 5 inches in height. As I have cut the denim square to 7″, this leaves me plenty of room to trim the square back at a later stage.
You many have noticed that when you imported your SVG file, that over on the Cuts/Layers window a new layer was automatically created.
You may also notice that in the Mode section of that layer it is set to LINE, however we don’t want to create a line engraving, we want a more filled look.
So we click that drop-down and select FILL.
Now we need to change the Speed and Power settings. To do that, double-click on the layer in the Cuts/Layers window. This opens a window where you can make your changes.
Settings
NOTE: We are using the xTool D1 10w machine for this project. If you are using the later xTool D1 Pro or any later versions, ensure you test the settings first before committing to the engraving.
For this project I’m going to change my speed to 100 and my power to 30. Then we just come down and press OK.
IMPORTANT: It’s worth doing a small test before committing to our settings.
Setting the Focus
***I suggest also watching the video above on how to do this, because the images below really can’t visualise the steps particularly well.***
Before we start engraving, we need to adjust the laser head so that it is the right distance from the material. So, I bring down the focus lever and rest it so that it’s sitting on the material.
Then I push the lever up on the other side of the laser head. This loosens the laser head so that you can gently push it down as far as it will go.
Now push the lever back up to tighten it.
Finally, turn the lever on the other side back up. Now I know that I have the right distance between my laser head and my material.
Frame
Next we want to make sure that the design is going to fit on the material and it’s in the right position, so I’m just going to select Frame. (Note that you can click either of the framing options.)
Just adjust the material until you get it where it needs to be. I did a couple more runs until I got it right.
Engraving
Now that I’m happy with my placement I press START. (If a message appears that says that the cut might be out of bounds, just press that’s OK.)
So now the machine starts engraving. Watch the video above to see it in action.
The xTool D1 does a beautiful job engraving on denim, and I do love this design. This design is from Creative Fabrica and it’s American Eagle with the flag in the background.
Clean Up
Once the machine has finished engraving you will need to wipe off the dust that forms. You always get a little bit of that when you’re engraving on denim.
You can see on the back, it hasn’t burnt through the material. It’s only taken that top layer, which I do believe is the dye layer.
So have fun experimenting with your xTool D1 and see what lovely designs you can come up with on your denim jeans or scraps.
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