xTool Studio is a powerful tool, but only if you know how to use it. In this article, I want to walk you through how to make an edge-lit acrylic display. However, instead of simply engraving the letters, we are going to cut the letters out entirely and press in reflective-backed lettering for a high-contrast, premium finish.
Materials Used in this Project
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Software: xTool Studio installed on your PC
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Hardware: xTool P3 CO2 laser Part# 4964-P0101000118-P0103000120-ND
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Material 1: Clear 1/4” Acrylic
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Material 2: Reflective 1/8” Red Mirror Acrylic
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Lighting: Kitronik 1927-3561-ND LED board
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Base: Custom 3D-printed base
Importing and Tracing the Logo
First off, we need a logo. Being that we are in the DigiKey TechForum, it seems fitting to use the DigiKey logo. I do have access to the actual SVG, but most likely, you will only have access to a JPG or PNG for your own projects, so I am going to walk you through how to convert an image using the Trace tool.
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Download your image and drag it into your xTool Studio project. Currently, if you imported a PNG or JPG, you will only have the option to engrave the image, so we need to convert it to a vector to have the option to cut it out.
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With the image highlighted, click on the Trace tool.
- With the trace tool open, you can use the options on the left side to dial in how well it is tracing your object. In this case, checking the box for “Layering by Color”, increasing the “Fuzziness Threshold”, and increasing the “Smoothness” gained me the results I needed. You can zoom in on your image to make sure the image is traced correctly.
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Once you hit Done, the two objects will be layered directly over each other. We need to get rid of the original image, as we won’t be doing any engraving for this project.
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Open the Layers and Objects list by pressing the icon in the bottom left corner, select the original image from the list, and press Delete. You should now be left with just the vector trace of your logo.
Sizing, Placement, and Flipping the Cut
Now I am going to copy in a sign shape I have already designed previously. I might have to make a separate post on how I designed this, as I went through several variations for the sizing and optic shape before I got the results I was looking for. This is part of the reason these lasers are so great for rapid prototyping. I will make the files available at the end, in case you want them.
Next, resize the logo and place it inside the sign border. At this point, we need to make sure our settings are correct. On the right side, select the type of material we are using, then make sure both your vectors are set to Cut.
Something I have seen during my time using the xTool P3 is that the top side of the cut (closest to the nozzle) tends to be slightly wider than the back side of the cut due to the shape of the laser beam. In most cases, it isn’t enough to make a difference, but when it comes to tight friction-fit tolerances, we can use this draft angle to our advantage, as you know one side will be easier to slide in than the other.
Since I will be pressing the inlay pieces in from the back side, I am going to flip the image horizontally so that the back side of the display will have a slightly larger opening, aiding us in inserting the cutouts later.
As long as your image is flipped horizontally, your material is set, and all your vectors are set to cut, we are ready to cut the first clear piece.
(Gif is in 4x speed)
Cutting the Inlay (Dialing in the Kerf Offset)
For the next piece, create a new project. Copy your logo from the last project and paste it into the new one so we know it is the exact same size.
In this case, we want the top side of the red acrylic to be slightly wider, so make sure you flip the logo back forward so it reads correctly. Over in the settings, select your material (1/8” red mirror Acrylic), then head over to the cut settings on the right side.
This is where it gets interesting. The xTool P3 laser has three different lens sizes, and the lens size determines your line width. In our case, we have the Medium size lens, which gives us a line width of 0.20mm. This is important to know for these next steps.
When we cut the first piece, the laser essentially cut the letter openings about 0.1mm wider than the actual dimensions of the letter. If we just cut the red letters out normally in this next project, the letters will be 0.2 mm smaller than the actual dimensions, resulting in a loose, sloppy fit.
To get a tight friction fit, we need to use the Kerf Offset feature. When you toggle the option on, you can set the Kerf either inward or outward. The physical line width is 0.20mm, but I have found that you need to set it to at least 0.22mm to get a tight fit. Also keep in mind that the thinner the material, the less taper effect you will see on the bottom side of the material as well, which affects your ideal Kerf setting.
In this case, I’m pressing 1/8” red mirrored Acrylic into 1/4” clear Acrylic and keeping the back side flush. Knowing that thinner material will have less taper, and that the smaller letters will be affected by the close cuts, I initially set the kerf at 0.24mm. In the end, that was not enough, as none of the letters held in on their own. I ran another cut at 0.26mm, which proved to be the absolute sweet spot for this scenario. Some were on the tighter side, but worked out well in the end. Don’t necessarily recommend doing letters this small, but wanted to see how far I can push this.
(Gif is in 4x speed)
Assembly and Lighting it Up
Now for the fun part: press in each of the red letters, and then press the clear acrylic cutouts back inside the letter openings. Take your time as you don’t want to crack any of the pieces. The results give a deep 3D effect, amplified by the stark contrast of the different colors and finishes.
To bring it all to life, slide the assembled acrylic sign into your 3D printed base. I designed the base specifically to house the Kitronik 1927-3561-ND LED board, aligning the LEDs directly beneath the bottom edge of the 1/4" clear acrylic.
When you power it on, the light channels up through the clear acrylic and catches the laser-cut edges of the 1/8” red mirrored inlays. Because we pressed the clear dropouts back into the centers of the letters, the light refracts beautifully throughout the entire logo, making that 3D contrast absolutely pop.
Prototyping physical displays with the xTool P3 requires a bit of trial and error to lock in those kerf settings, but once you dial in that perfect friction fit, the results are incredibly satisfying.
As cool as it looks, be aware of one danger. If using any cleaners that contain alcohol, the acrylic under pressure may crack, like shown below. In some cases you can use this to your advantage, if you wan that look, but something I want you to be aware of.
If you decide to build your own edge-lit display, or if you have any questions about tweaking the xTool Studio settings for your specific materials, drop a comment below. I’d love to see what you create!
Below are the project downloads and STL for the 3D printed base.
LED Tech Forum Sign.xs (31.4 KB)
LED Tech Forum Sign (Red letters).xs (31.2 KB)
Kitronik 3561 sign base.stl (61.5 KB)