Baby Name Wall Art

I made this sign for my great-niece’s nursery. It is a simple and inexpensive project but makes a big impression. The final dimensions of our sign were 22” x 36” even though the xTool S1 only has a 12” x 20” working area.

Tools:

- xTool S1 40W Laser Engraver

Software:

- xTool Creative Space

Materials:

- 2’x4’ sheet of ¼” MDF (ripped into 12" x 24" pieces)

- Double-Sided Tape

- Paint

The key to the project is to ensure all pieces individually will fit inside the working area of your laser engraver.

Add a text object and type out the full name. You will need to pick a script-style font where the lowercase letters can be welded together (we used one called Weather Sunday). Use the spacing and leading font settings to get everything lined up and make sure the lowercase letters will weld correctly. Increase the size of your font to get the largest overall size while keeping each individual piece within the limits of your machine. I found it helpful to draw a rectangle to represent my work area.

Once you have determined the appropriate font size (ours was 700 pt.), add four separate text objects: one for each capital letter and one for the lowercase letters of each name. You will need to weld the lowercase letters together.

Layout your text objects to maximize your use of material. I was able to get all of mine with only three of my 12” pieces of MDF. Below are the settings that I used:

- Power: 100%

- Speed: 18 mm/sec with 2 passes

Paint the sign with the color and method of your choice. We decided to use light brown and only paint the face of the letters. We really liked the contrast between the dark brown edges from the laser cutting and the light brown surface.

Referencing the single text object we designed, install the sign by adhering it directly to the wall. We used clear double-sided mounting tape, but I think strips of Velcro would work better. I would also recommend beginning by placing a couple of strips of painter’s tape to help line everything up.