How to Engrave and Clean a Tumbler

Mugs can be tricky to engrave, especially when the outside is blue. In this video, Braden Todd of Glassmith2 goes over how to make a great-looking engraving on a Polar Camel mug. Let’s break it down:

Step One: Engraving

Remove the lid of the mug and set that aside. Set up the x-axis on your laser to engrave the mug in between the two seams. Use a rotary attachment to place the mug onto the laser bed, with it justified all the way left. Use a level to make sure the mug is level. For this tutorial, Todd runs his Epilog 60w Helix laser at 400 DPI, 90% power, 45% speed.

Step Two: Cleaning

Black mugs typically do not leave any residue, whereas blue mugs are notoriously hard to engrave. As you laser through, there is always residual leftover that needs to be cleaned. To clean the residue off the mugs, you don’t want to spray and wipe away immediately. Instead, wait a few seconds and then give it a quick wipe. A cup you would have thought was ruined is now useable.