This post contains affiliate links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
- Best Overall
- Glowforge Plus Ultimate Hobby 3D Laser Printer
- Class 1 40-watt laser
- Works on many materials
- Good carving capacity
- CHECK AVAILABILITY
- Premium Choice
- ZMorph VX Multi-Tool Full Set 3D Printer
- Works on ceramic
- LCD touchscreen interface
- Functions as a 3D printer
- CHECK AVAILABILITY
- Great Value
- Cricut Explore Air 2 Mint DIY Cutting Machine
- Available in 7 colors
- Works on 100+ papers
- 2-week trial membership
- CHECK AVAILABILITY
Are you looking for a high quality, durable, and versatile laser printer engraver that meets your demands and requirements, so you can happily craft customized products that everyone will surely enjoy?
Take a look at our latest review of the 10 best laser print engravers this 2021, as well as the detailed buyer’s guide we’ve provided just for you, filled with helpful FAQs, tips, and tricks to guide you in buying an engraver that is perfect for you.
Our Favorite Laser Printer Engraver
Here is a list of our top 10 favorites when it comes to laser printer engravers that will do an excellent job in carving a variety of metal, non-metal, and organic materials:
Glowforge Plus Ultimate Hobby 3D Laser Printer
For the ultimate hobby, this Glowforge Plus is an Amazon’s Choice product that lets you create meaningful gifts, unique products, and personalized trinkets for you, your friends and family, or for selling.
This automatic 3D laser printer has an autofocus capability, including material detection and automatic print settings. It’s quick and easy to use- simply pick a file, photo, or drawing, add the material, and hit print.
It’s also quick and easy to set up, and comes with a free app for easy usage (note: you’ll need an internet connection). Carve up to 1300 lines per inch on a variety of materials, from metal to chocolate. This surely is one user friendly printer made of proof grade materials!
- Class 1 40-watt laser with a human hair width precision
- Free software compatible with a Mac or Android PC, phone, and tablet
- Works on wood, leather, paper, fabric, acrylic, glass, metal, cardboard, and chocolate
- Carving capacity of up to 1/2″ deep, 11″ tall, and 19.5″ wide
ZMorph VX Multi-Tool Full Set 3D Printer
Our second pick is one of the most versatile and practical multi-tool printers that fits right on your desktop. This is not only a handy object making machine, but a problem solver as well. It’s got an intuitive color LCD touchscreen interface, and an auto calibration feature, making it easy to use.
The full set version of this laser cutter includes a plastic extruder, dual material, CNC pro, and laser pro toolheads, and a thick paste extruder that you can use for chocolates, frosting, ceramics, and more.
So, if you want an all around performance printer, look no further, because this one functions as a 3D printer, CNC router, and laser engraver, all in one package!
- Available in as a stand alone printing set or as a full set
- Works on ceramic, chocolate, frosting, etc
- LCD touchscreen interface and auto calibration
- 1.75mm filament with a 50 to 400 micron layer resolution
- Functions as a 3D printer, laser engraver, and CNC router
Cricut Explore Air 2 Mint DIY Cutting Machine
This next one is a personal DIY laser cutting machine by Cricut, which gives you a flawless cut on more than a hundred types of materials, including vinyl, faux leather, cardstock, adhesive foils, specialty papers, and many more.
Are you considering to do additional leatherwork to create unique pieces? Then check my ranking of the best leather sewing machines.
With the Cricut explore air 2, you can make all sorts of crafty projects, from customized stickers and labels, personalized home decors, apparels, and so on. It comes with a fine point blade and housing, an adhesive cutting mat, a fine point pen, and free access to the Design Space software.
You can get this in an assortment of lovely pastel colors, such as cool and calming mint. Use this machine to cut, write, and score two times faster on 100+ different materials anytime, anywhere.
- Available in 7 color options (mint, rose, twilight, lilac, cherry blossom, blue, black)
- Works on 100+ types of paper, fabric, and other materials
- Free design software compatible with a computer, tablet, and mobile phone
- Free 2-week trial membership to Cricut Access (for new subscribers only)
Quilu 1500mw Upgraded Laser Engraver Printer
Up next is a 1500mW micro laser engraving machine that works for both image engraving and deep engraving, as well as DIY crafts and industrial processing. It’s stable and durable, and has a high resolution.
What you’re getting here is a high quality laser printer with an adjustable laser head, an LED power switch, and an acrylic filter board with magnetic suction that prevents laser damage to your eyes.
If you want an awesome engraving equipment, this one features a high power and 550*550 pixel high resolution, so you can create unique images, beautiful gradients, and cool 3D items to your heart’s content.
- Can be connected to a PC via bluetooth or USB cable
- Free advanced smart app compatible with a smartphone and tablet
- Built-in 6000mAh lithium battery with a 4A output
- Acrylic magnetic filter to protect your eyes from laser damage
- Large 42 x 42 x 78 mm carving worktable
Orion Motor Tech Co2 Laser Engraving Machine
If you are looking for a Co2 engraver, we are happy to share with you that Orion Motor tech released an upgraded version of their old one, which is so much better! It now comes with an upgraded control panel, including upgraded rotary adjusting knobs, enabling you to easily see and control multiple settings.
This machine comes with a level board and a clamp, so you can work with ease, whether on normal or irregularly shaped objects. It’s also newly equipped with a red dot pointer that indicates engraving spots and paths.
You’re also getting a built in smoke exhaust fan and a pre-installed integrated cooling fan for a better performance and operation with less noise. Coupled with four detachable wheels at the bottom, this is one portable machine that lets you live up to your potential.
- 40-watt laser with upgraded specs and control panel
- Double duty operating surface for level and irregular objects
- Compatible with CorelDraw and CorelLaser
- Compatible with most printers, cutting machines, and file types
- Red dot pointer and detachable wheels
Top Direct 3000mw Mini Laser Engraver Printer
Do you want a small and lightweight engraver printer with a fine workmanship? The Top Direct mini laser engraver printer may be the perfect choice for you. It’s got a 7.5 by 7.5 cm engraving range, and multi positioning holes so you can make various objects and DIY logos.
This home laser printer is an amazing DIY desktop tool that lets you make perfectly customized decorations and trinkets. It’s a triangular shaped black piece of equipment with a high precision circuit board, and a smoke exhaust cooling fan.
It’s also easy to assemble, and works with a number of Windows devices, although it currently isn’t 100% compatible with Mac and iOS products. Each order comes with a power adapter, USB disk and cable, and more.
- Works on wood, bamboo, plastic, rubber, leather, paper, and other flammable non-metal or glass materials
- Compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10
- 75 by 75 by 1mm carving area and depth
- Can be used continuously for a maximum of 20 minutes each session
Triumph 30w Fiber Laser Marking Deep Engraver
This is perhaps the most expensive marking machine on this list, but that’s mostly because it comes with its own computer pre-installed with a software that is compatible with a variety of softwares such as CorelDraw, Autocad, and Photoshop.
Triumph’s fiber laser marking engraver is a durable and long lasting laser that lasts for as long as 100,000 hours, and even comes with free maintenance. It’s a great tool for etching metal, polymer, jewelry, and more. In fact, you’ll also be getting a rotary attachment so you can work on cylinder engraving as much as you want.
If you want a high peak power, an excellent beam quality, a good touch interface, a powerful control system, and more, this will surely do the job and beyond. Whether you want to work on gold, silver, aluminum, copper, or other metals, do it with the Triumph fiber laser engraver.
- 110 x 110mm engraving area with a spare lens
- Comes with a rotary attachment for cylinder engraving
- Comes with free goggles for eye protection while working
- Long lasting laser with free maintenance
- Full set up includes a computer and pre-installed software
BobsCNC E3 CNC Router Engraving Kit
Here is another CNC engraver that does an amazing job and more. It’s a complete router kit with a large 450 x 390mm cutting area and an 85mm engraving depth, making it a great pen engraving tool.
This is one great entry level machine that works amazing on wood, metal, and a variety of soft materials. While it’s not as precise as other engravers on this list, it offers good support for lots of engraving projects, and works particularly amazing as a wood burner.
It’s easy to assemble (it comes with all the parts, components, and tools you’ll need, and a detailed instruction manual), easy to use, and lasts long. If you are a beginner engraver that’s just starting out, this should work well for you.
- Best for wood burning and pen engraving
- Entry level machine that is easy to assemble and use
- 450 x 390mm cutting area and 85mm engraving depth
- Works on wood, metal, and soft materials
Ten-High Co2 Laser Engraving Machine
One of the most durable and multipurpose Co2 engravers is the Ten-high, which is an amazing product that is suitable for most organic and non-metal materials. It comes in three different design types, and four wattage options.
It’s compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10, on both 32 and 64 bit systems, and comes with a plug-in CorelLaser and Seal Design software laser DRW that’s compatible with CorelDraw. And, it also has a USB interface that’s quick and easy to install.
This engraver is designed with a pre-installed rotary axis interface and rotary axis switch, an effective smoke ventilation fan, and an accessory exhaust pipe. Plus, there’s an air assist and safety water valve, an accurate red light positioning system, and a built-in one button control electric lift platform. A great deal, all in all!
- 40-watt laser with a 300 by 400mm engraving area
- Available in 40W, 50W, 60W, and 80W laser variants
- Comes in two colors (grey and orange-white)
- Available in an upgrade type, offline version, and a simple type rotary axis
- Works on acrylic, plywood, leather, glass, cloth, bamboo, paper, and more
Orion Motor Tech 100w Co2 Laser Cutting Machine
Finally, we’ve got here a high wattage Co2 laser cutter engraver with a DSP control system and a USB interface. This machine has a 100w laser tube with an ultra large 20 by 28 inch working area, giving you plenty of room and high laser power to work on your projects.
If you want to work on engraving wood, plastics, crystal, leather, marble, ceramics, and more, this is a great and versatile machine that can do the job perfectly. With a high resolution standard optics and visible red dot pointer, you don’t even need any additional lens packages.
Live up to your full potential with this engraver with a powerful laser tube, a touch operation panel, and a feeding device that can realize the complex cyclical model of working, feeding, and working.
- 100-watt laser with DSP control system and USB interface
- Works on wood, bamboo, Plexiglas, crystal, leather, rubber, marble, ceramics, tile, mylar, delrin, melamine, paper, pressboard, matte board and more non-metal materials
- Visible red dot pointer and high resolution standard optics
- Large 20 x 28 inch working area
Laser printer engraver – FAQs and tips
Laser engraving machines are great and versatile devices that can cut and etch a variety of materials like wood, leather, acrylic, paper, plastics, metal, and even food. Before you buy one, however, it’s important that you take certain things into consideration, so you end up with the right product that meets your needs.
Laser types explained
When talking about laser types, this mainly focuses on the laser source that is being utilized. The three most common laser types are Co2 lasers, fiber lasers, and vanadate lasers. Here is how each one differs from the other:
Co2 lasers
From its name alone, carbon dioxide lasers are gas powered lasers, where the gas is stimulated electrically to mark non-metallic materials and plastics, including wood, acrylic, paper, glass, leather, textiles, foils, and stone.
Since these are efficient and have a good beam quality, Co2 lasers are the most popular laser types that you’ll often come across.
Fiber lasers
On the other hand, fiber lasers are solid state lasers which work by amplifying the seed laser inside glass fibers pumped with energy diodes. Hence, they produce a much smaller and more intense laser beam that is perfect for metal engraving, as well as plastics.
Fiber lasers are flexible, long lasting, and essentially maintenance free. You can use them to perform markings and engravings, as well as annealing.
Crystal lasers
Finally, we have crystal or vanadate lasers, which are also solid state lasers, but utilizes crystals rather than glass fibers. These work somewhat better than fiber lasers, but are more prone to wear and tear, and can be costly to maintain.
That said, these are great for marking coated and bare metals, as well as plastics, and even ceramic cups.
Engraving areas
The engraving area is essentially the size of the machine bed, or the portion of it that is accessible to the laser engraver itself. This will determine how big of an object you can fit into the machine, and how much surface area you can work on at any given time.
For this, you’ll want a big engraving area, so you can easily work on large objects, even if the detailing work itself is small and needs accuracy and precision, like when carving jewelry. It will also allow you to cut multiple pieces at once.
It’s also nice if you can find a machine with an engraving area that is movable, or comes with clamps and fixtures that can help you etch irregularly sized objects.
What is a laser cutter?
In its most basic sense, a laser cutter (or sometimes called lazer) is a machine that uses a laser beam in order to cut into materials, creating various patterns and designs. This laser beam can come from a variety of sources like we’ve mentioned earlier, and has the capability to melt, burn, or vaporize a material.
Nowadays, laser cutters are common not only for industrial use, but also for personal home use, especially since it’s quickly becoming more and more affordable, not to mention portable and lightweight.
Different laser cutters operate in slightly different ways, are suitable on specific materials, and have unique and interesting features that are designed to make your job easier, such as built in computers and softwares.
How to use a laser cutter?
A laser cutter typically has three core components that enable it to operate. These include a laser resonator, which is an airtight glass tube that emits the laser beams, a cutting head that focuses and magnifies the laser beam to make it stronger, and a nozzle distance that dictates the laser beam’s focal point.
Again, how it actually works depends on what kind of laser you have. But in general, you first need to prepare and finalize the design you have in mind and upload it onto the machine, then securely place the engraving material onto the machine bed.
After that, you can configure the machine to the right settings (this includes adjusting the power, speed, and frequency), before letting the machine do its job.
What materials can be printed?
This really just depends on what kind of laser printer you have. If it’s a cheap, home-use engraver, you’ll be able to use it on most types of paper, board, fabrics, and other soft materials. A higher performance laser will work on plastics, wood, silicon, ceramics, and other non-metals, so if you have a small business, this may be ideal for you.
Industrial grade engraving machines are the ones that can cut through metals. There are also specialized ones that are great for crystals and other precious elements, making them highly suitable for working with jewelry.
Software
It’s also important to look at the machine’s software, to see how easy, compatible, and versatile it would be to use. After all, the software is how you’ll create, upload, and store your design. At the very least, it’s how the design will be processed by the machine for engraving.
A decent software should be compatible with a variety of file types, design softwares, and operating systems. You’ll want a great software that works with programs like CorelDraw and Photoshop, and will launch on your Mac or Android computer, laptop, tablet, and phone.
Size
Finally, it’s also a must to check what the size of a laser engraver is. For one thing, it generally affects the size of the engraving area you’ll get. But other than that, the size is proportionate to how heavy or portable it is, and how much space it will take.
A home laser printer should be around the size of a normal paper printer, so you should have no problem fitting it on top of your work table or shelf. There are also some lasers that are stand alone, or are fitted with wheels. These are big and bulky, but they’ll accommodate larger objects for you to engrave.
Final thoughts
Owning a laser print engraver translates to a fun and creativity filled time making all sorts of personalized items for you and your loved ones to enjoy, or for you to start a small business with.
Just remember, before you purchase one, make sure to look at what type of laser it has, how big the machine itself and the engraving area are, what materials you can use it on, what software it’s compatible with, how easy it is to use and maintain, and so on.
This is to ensure that you’ll end up with a laser engraver that’s perfect for you, making it a smart investment rather than a waste of your hard earned dollars.
