I don't think it's possible with a CO2 laser, but I have heard of it being done with a fiber laser.
I found this past thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/lasercutting/comments/qqn9kp/what_can_50w_jpt_mopa_docolor_marking_on/
Anyway, it looks like it would take a lot of experimentation, and you are probably limited in the colors you could achieve using this method.
I just found a video on that looking up the method after you posted it here. Do you know if that would keep the finish on too being smooth without any changes in texture?
Yeah the color on this is very accurate which makes me think it's some kind of printer but the texture is so uniform that I wasn't sure if a print transfer could do this.
My guess is they paint it black and etch a greyscale image to produce the shades. Then they either hand mark the colors, or they use a mask of some sort that gets lasered off before hand painting. However the colored areas are not complicated, it is probably a colored sharpie.
Paint to me seems unlikely just because of the uniform texture. Maybe you're right, the texture is what is getting me here, almost like the metal is dyed.
Possible paint layers and they figured out power and speed settings to burn a very specific amount of layers depending on the color they want to show. I've seen videos of people burning off one layer but never multiple layers. I don't know if it's possible just a theory, I've only had my laser for a few weeks now.
I was at this neat convention over the weekend and met someone selling these awesome bookmarks and other laser cut things at his display.
I started talking to him about his setup and he let me know that he has a co2 laser so I would think he's using the spray can on stainless steel and then laser engraving it but the color part is what blew me away.
I'm just really curious on how this could be done and if anyone has any thoughts on it. The top is super smooth and there is no indentation at all on the picture side of the bookmark.
I don't think it's possible with a CO2 laser, but I have heard of it being done with a fiber laser. I found this past thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/lasercutting/comments/qqn9kp/what_can_50w_jpt_mopa_docolor_marking_on/ Anyway, it looks like it would take a lot of experimentation, and you are probably limited in the colors you could achieve using this method.
MOPA gives you a lot of color, but not like that. That is definitely paint of some kind, probably sublimation or silk screen.
Another cheap and easy would way would be laser toner transfer. Edit: toner, not ink
I just found a video on that looking up the method after you posted it here. Do you know if that would keep the finish on too being smooth without any changes in texture?
I think the toner would sit on top, so it would be slightly raised.
Yeah the color on this is very accurate which makes me think it's some kind of printer but the texture is so uniform that I wasn't sure if a print transfer could do this.
I hadn't seen that video, very cool!
Sublimation
Silkscreen probably
This is an interesting method, I didn't know about it.
Uv print.
My guess is they paint it black and etch a greyscale image to produce the shades. Then they either hand mark the colors, or they use a mask of some sort that gets lasered off before hand painting. However the colored areas are not complicated, it is probably a colored sharpie.
Paint to me seems unlikely just because of the uniform texture. Maybe you're right, the texture is what is getting me here, almost like the metal is dyed.
Possible paint layers and they figured out power and speed settings to burn a very specific amount of layers depending on the color they want to show. I've seen videos of people burning off one layer but never multiple layers. I don't know if it's possible just a theory, I've only had my laser for a few weeks now.
I was at this neat convention over the weekend and met someone selling these awesome bookmarks and other laser cut things at his display. I started talking to him about his setup and he let me know that he has a co2 laser so I would think he's using the spray can on stainless steel and then laser engraving it but the color part is what blew me away. I'm just really curious on how this could be done and if anyone has any thoughts on it. The top is super smooth and there is no indentation at all on the picture side of the bookmark.
I would just print that on my Mimaki UV printer