Laser Engraving Leatherette – Tips, ideas, & free files!

If you’re looking for tips and tutorials on laser engraving leatherette, you’re in the right place! This post will teach you how to use a diode laser to get things right when laser cutting OR engraving leatherette. When you’re done, check out my tips for engraving on wood with a laser. This post contains affiliate links. I received the xTool F1 Ultra shown in this post free of charge for review, and this post is NOT part of my obligation to that company.

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Of all the things I’ve engraved, leatherette is a favorite. It gives a luxurious vibe and allows you to craft some really nice gifts and easy sales items.

In this post, I’ll be teaching you everything you need to know about laser engraving leatherette! At the end of this post, I share with you the files I used in this project (which I created specially for it) – including the Super Mom Vibes SVG, the floral pattern on the bracelet, and the files for the cord taco and leather band bracelet.

To teach you about laser engraving leatherette, I used my F1 Ultra. You can read my review of the F1 Ultra here. This post will show settings for that machine; however, many of my settings were xTool defaults – which means you can just use their default settings for YOUR machine if you’re an xTool user.

And finally, you can also read my full comparison of xTool F1 vs. the Ultra here.

Laser Engraving leatherette – two types!

There are two main textures of leatherette that I’ll show you here: standard faux leather and suede.

Laser engraving textured leatherette blanks

To show you how to engrave on faux leather, I used laser engraving blanks. The main difference between that and using yardage of faux leather is that blanks will usually have an under-layer that is a specific color. When you engrave it, you’re removing the top coat to reveal a specific color – in this case silver.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The main advantage is extremely predictable and replicable results. That makes it perfect for fulfilling bulk orders with consistent outcomes.

The downside is that it can almost look like you took a marker to it! It doesn’t give you the more authentic “stained leather” look.

There are so many leatherette blanks out there – just keep your eyes open for which color you’re engraving to with those, and choose accordingly!

Laser engraving faux suede sheets

The other material I’m approaching is faux suede sheets. As you can see, you can engrave a subtle texture that’ll remove the top suede layer to reveal what’s underneath.

Sometimes that’s a bit unexpected – and that’s why you always want to test!

On this faux suede that I used, I got a subtle yellow look. I actually really like it – though I’d envisioned a slightly darker brown. Playing around with settings and trying test grids will get you the results you really want when laser engraving leatherette, and it’s always advisable to do that.

If you’re engraving a decorative pattern, subtle color-on-color results look really fabulous. If you’re engraving a name, quote, or specific imagery, you may want something darker. Play around!

Laser cutting leatherette

While this post does focus on engraving, I did create actual projects to show you too. And once I was at it I figured – why not address a common issue I see in laser groups – how to get rid of the char marks! This is especially pronounced when you have a specific texture you want to highlight.

Troubleshooting char marks

The going advice for avoiding char marks is always going to be to mask it. That is, you’ll want to cover your piece with masking tape so that any soot caused by the engraving falls on the tape.

In the image below, the bracelet on the right was masked. The cord taco on the left wasn’t.

Masking is always a good idea when you want professional, polished results. While some materials can be scrubbed clean, this leatherette is much more porous and post-processing didn’t really rid me of char marks.

The issue you may run into is with the engraved texture. That throws a curveball into the masking process. You need to engrave, remove it, and only then mask. So you can’t cut the pattern to fit only where you’re cutting, as you’re moving the material in between.

The best solutions would be:

1. Either engrave a full pattern into your whole sheet. I don’t like doing this as I may end up wasting material.
2. Or, engrave with overlap and be very careful with your masking that you’re noting where the engraving is.

Masking does, however, eliminate the char marks, leaving only slight darkening on the cut lines (which actually looks fabulous).

More tips and tricks

There are other things to keep in mind when cutting leatherette – and also when engraving it. Here are a few additional tips:

1. The most important thing is to know your material! If you are not cutting laser-specific materials, look for PU leather. Never laser cut or engrave PVC as it releases toxic gases. Your best bet is to buy materials marked for laser crafting.
2. When possible, tape your material in place, especially if cutting from smaller pieces. Since it’s a very lightweight material, any blowing on the part of your fan or ventilation method can make it shift.
3. It can cause quite the fumes, so ventilate properly! I HIGHLY recommend xTool’s SafetyPro AP2 Air purifier – it turns on automatically to the right levels based on what you’re cutting, and it’s very effective.
4. Make sure that if your machine isn’t fully enclosed, you wear protective goggles. I run into this when working with larger pieces of material.
5. Test grids are your best friend! If you need very specific results, do a test grid. Leatherette varies so widely by brand, type that you can’t really rely on other people’s settings fully.

Cool Ideas for laser engraving leatherette

To complement these tips, I figured I’d share some favorite leatherette items that you can craft and engrave!

Favorite blanks to customize

Customizing blanks is a great way to build or scale a craft or customization business. You can create in bulk and take larger orders, as the bulk of your time will be setup!

Here are some ideas for laser engraving leatherette blanks:

• Hat patches like the one pictured here are SUPER popular
• Notebooks and journals with PU covers are an upscale pick
• Customize PU fashion blanks like handbags, totes, wallets…
• Bookmarks – especially magnetic and corner bookmarks!
• Keychains – leatherette keychains are quite upscale, but go a step further and laser engrave airtag holder keychains!

Cool things to cut, engrave, and craft

Instead of just customizing existing blanks, try cutting your own. This approach is better if you’re selling as more of an artisan rather than just doing customization work. It’s also the perfect approach for hobby crafters (like me!).

1. Cord tacos – those are little taco-shaped (or similar) wraps that go around cords to contain them.
2. Bracelets and wristbands – you’ll get the files for these two in your download.
3. Wristlets/key rings – these are longer straps that connect at the end back-to-back instead of overlapping (like a bracelet). Attach a keyring at the end to hold keys!
4. Earrings – these are still quite popular – be creative with your shapes.
5. Bows – leatherette bows are SO cute and I’ve made so many for my daughter! The ability to engrave your own designs onto them gives you a leg up on the competition!
6. Wallets – if you’re more proficient at crafting, try cutting and engraving custom wallets!

If you’re looking for more laser tips, read my guide to which colors acrylic can a diode laser cut and then check out these super fun wood and acrylic earrings!

How to Laser Engrave Leatherette – step by step

You’ll need

• A Diode laser (such as the xTool F1 Ultra)
• Safety protective goggles
• Leatherette patches or faux Suede fabric
• If cutting: masking tape
• For finishing the cord tacos and bracelet: stud rivets

Step by step tutorial

Laser engraving leatherette patches (or blanks)

1. Place your leatherette patch on the bed of the laser. (You don’t need the cutting panel for this one). Line up the blue and red lights to focus your laser.

2. Take a snapshot of your background and upload your design. Resize it to fit and “frame” to make sure it’s right.

3. Set your settings. Mine is a 20 watt diode laser at power 70%, speed 1500 mm/s, 1 pass, 120 lines per cm.

4. Hit process and watch it work (through protective gear!)

Laser engraving and cutting faux suede cord tacos and bracelets

1. Upload your designs and separate them into appropriate layers. You can cut the engraving pattern down to go over your cut layers only, but you’ll need to be more careful to get it right while cutting, since you’ll need to remove your engraved suedette to mask it.

Place your design.

2. Focus your laser on the leather. You DO want it on the cutting panel now.

3. Set the ENGRAVE layer as “output” and uncheck output on the CUT layers. To engrave, I used 60% power, 1750 speed, 1 pass, 300 lines per cm.

4. Hit process. When it’s done, remove your design from the machine.

5. To ensure I can see where my design is, I cut out the piece that I engraved to the end of the engraving (I made sure it was larger than the space I need.)

6. Mask it on the engraved side.

7. Set your cut layer to output and disable the engrave one. Settings on this one are power 70, speed 100, 2 passes.

8. Since it’s such a small piece, I recommend taping it down on the base. Make sure you’re still focused and frame your design.

9. Cut your design.

10. Remove the masking tape carefully, attach a clasp and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed learning everything you need to know before laser engraving leatherette!

Download your free SVG files for laser engraving leatherette

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