Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 42

Thread: Maple Veneer Business Cards-What do you think!!?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Nova Scotia, Canada
    Posts
    102

    Maple Veneer Business Cards-What do you think!!?

    hey all,

    this is the first, official product i make on my new laser. what do you guys think? i would really appreciate your opinion about them, as i only made 15 now, and i am willing to change the design if you guys have better ideas.

    the only thing i hate about it, is that the veneer is so thin, when i vector cut, it will sort of show through on the other side. the speed was 500 and the power was 10% (the lowest it will accept). i find if i go any faster than 500 it just doesnt seem to go any faster .

    the way i actually placed these in the laser is that i got a piece of acrylic, placed double faced tape (as you can see in the picture) then gently pushed them down (because they do warp).

    photo 3.jpgphoto 4.jpgphoto 5.jpgphoto 1.jpgphoto 2.jpg

    (They do look better in person)

    looking forward to your suggestions/opinions/thoughts!!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    1,484
    I like the wooden cards, but I don't think I would vector them.
    (except to cut them apart)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Nova Scotia, Canada
    Posts
    102
    your right Chuck, the only problem is that its a bit too bland just to raster them. i will try my next batch with just rastering.

    thanks!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    1,484
    how about creating a drop shadow behind the letters, but make the letters white?

  5. #5
    I have to be blunt, I don't like them as they are now.

    When people think lasers they think precision and perfection those cards don't reflect that. The scorch marks look unprofessional and if someone handed me that card I would think my product would come out the same and they wouldn't get my business.

    I do however think that you are on the right path. I think making your own business cards is a good way to demonstrate your abilities. So maybe play with the settings more? Or maybe a different material? I also think the design is good, but you should add your title (ie, owner, manager, etc.) to the card, people like to know who they are dealing with.

    Just my 2 cents
    Shenhui G460 80W RECI
    LIAOCHENG RAY FINE RF-6040-90W RECI
    Corel X5 Technical Suite, Windows 7

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Glenrothes, Scotland
    Posts
    31
    Mohammed
    These are my business cards. I make them from solid wood cut down and sanded to 2mm thick. There is no warping as it is all kiln dried. I can only raster with my laser so I have to cut them out first. Saying that I can engrave 2 at a time and they take about 9 seconds each to do.Arial Business card.jpg

  7. FWIW, here's mine. It almost always gets favorable comments. They don't photograph all that well, and this one seems to have a dirt smudge on it, sorry.

    What I've done with it, and I explain to potential clients, is shown by example the 3 lasering methods the machine is capable of, raster engraving, vector engraving, and vector cutting. I use the 2 ply maple from cards of wood.

    HTH
    Attached Images Attached Images

  8. #8
    Generally, I don't care for wood business cards. Especially those which are unfinished as they get dirty very quickly and are less impressive than people think.

    Mohammed--I would raster only and with more power. Before that i would put a finish of clear lacquer or acrylic on them. I would also kern the letters as they are too close together.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Fennimore, Wi
    Posts
    189
    i would also rediesign a little to show off what the laser will do. one thing i did is instead of engraving my bus name, i placed it in a black rectangle, made the name white, so the box gets engrave and the name stand out. add something that is vector cut like soto has. also never hurts ro have some very small text(nothing important) to show how detailed it can get. a simple photo is always nice as well. i like the design on the back you have. play with it, you can always change the design as you want. in 2 yrs i have changed mine several times.
    bus cards are the first thing i made when i got my engraver, just to make something, i have never went back to paper bus cards. people love them and although more expensive, each card goes along way because people who get one will show it to others. i always have people approach me and tell me someone show them my card and how much they loved it.
    only problem i have had is some people are afraid to take one when i have them set out at a display. they think they are too nice to be given away, alomost have to force them to take one sometimes. i have even been asked how much they cost. good problem to have.
    FYI, i use alder strips that are prefinished, clean up very easy and i personally like the contrast alder has compared to maple. cherrry works nice but they darken over time which can make them hard to read. i also will have leather cut to size and mix them in with the wood, as well as different colored aluminum. give people the choice of which one they want.
    Chad Fitzgerald
    Hickory Grove Cabinetry
    Custom Woodworking/Laser Engraving
    Laser Pro Spirit 40W
    ShopSabre RC4 CNC
    55x49 cut area
    with 3 1/4 PC Router, 10" Z

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Fennimore, Wi
    Posts
    189
    here are a few example of one i have done. they also work well for fridge magnets

    bus cards group.jpg
    Chad Fitzgerald
    Hickory Grove Cabinetry
    Custom Woodworking/Laser Engraving
    Laser Pro Spirit 40W
    ShopSabre RC4 CNC
    55x49 cut area
    with 3 1/4 PC Router, 10" Z

  11. #11
    Where do you get your veneer or thin wood? I think wood business cards are a great way to stand out, people love them. I just have trouble finding domestic sources for veneer/thin wood.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    salem, or
    Posts
    110
    I use 1/64 micro birch ply for my wood cards. You can find it at a good hobby shop or even Michael's carries it. But do use rounded corners as the square corners are sharpe and do make it easier for the card to split.

  13. #13
    Chad, the Hickory Grove Cabinetry card is a very good looking card. It shows good quality rastering and also shows that you can vector cut. The finish is also well done.

    Mohammed, I know the Lee Valley cards are cheap but I have not had good luck trying to use them for laser cards. They are irregular and will crack easily if bent, and it is hard to get contrast. It tends to look washed out. I prefer using three-ply plywood like you can get at Michael's - 3/64" or 1/32". (Personally I would not go thicker than that.) The plywood can be bent quite a bit without cracking and it is stable. You can vector cut the outline with rounded corners. Of course it is much more expensive than the Lee Valley veneer. I don't really do these for myself, just experimented with making them. Maybe you can find a cheaper source for thin plywood. The advantage of the plywood is that you will get really good contrast as the adhesive in the plywood tends to attenuate the beam and cause more charring for a blacker image. Vectoring the outside of the characters does make them blacker, but it is never uniform so I would not recommend it.

    You could probably spray these with a light coat of polyurethane if you wished to keep smudges off when handled.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Sun City West AZ
    Posts
    132
    Thanks for the question. I have "stolen" a few ideas form all those who answered. Thanks again.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Nova Scotia, Canada
    Posts
    102
    Quote Originally Posted by Walt Langhans View Post
    The scorch marks look unprofessional and if someone handed me that card I would think my product would come out the same and they wouldn't get my business.
    Walt, thank you for being 'blunt', thats exactly what im looking for. creative criticism.

    do you know of a way to get rid of the scorch marks? i have tried to use the lowest speed/power possible to prevent cutting, and to prevent scorching. but i still get both!

    thanks,

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •