Leather engraving

[Bob Kline]

Lasering a dark image on light leather is no problem but has anyone figured a way to laser a light image on dark leather i.e color fill, die, masking, etc? Or is this an invention needing to happen?
Bob

[Tim Bateson]

Bob, if you do a Google search I, I recall last year one of our members displayed some pictures of some very nice leather work she color filled.

Update.... I tried a Google Search & could not find it, but I know it's here some where. grrrr Does anyone remember that thread? It was I believe a Western theme notebook or something like that?

[Dave Johnson29]

has anyone figured a way to laser a light image on dark leather

Hi Bob,

You could try masking tape, burning it, paint fill then remove the masking tape. Never tried it though.

[Steven Wallace]

It also depends on who the leather was finished, dyed. Most commercially dyed black leather is done with a salt process so it is a through and through dye. No chance that you will change the color there. However, I did engrave a monogram on a leather portfolio and the difference in textures gave a nice finish and look. I am guessing that if you finished, dyed the leather yourself, you could then laser off the surface such that you could get it back to a lighter shade. Again, I have not tried this so I am just supposing this idea might work.

[Dmitriy Kumets]

Are you trying to engrave a raster photo or a vector image?

For vector images, I've used thick armor/saddle leather and hit it with 5% speed/100% power to go about halfway through the material. After that some were color filled, others airbrushed by hand.

[Bill Cunningham]

It also depends on who the leather was finished, dyed. Most commercially dyed black leather is done with a salt process so it is a through and through dye. No chance that you will change the color there. However, I did engrave a monogram on a leather portfolio and the difference in textures gave a nice finish and look. I am guessing that if you finished, dyed the leather yourself, you could then laser off the surface such that you could get it back to a lighter shade. Again, I have not tried this so I am just supposing this idea might work.

I've had black leather wallets turn everything from gray (normal color for black) to bright white (that was weird) and every off white/gray shade between, but have never had 'black' leather engrave black or even dark, yet..