How to Engrave on a Transparent Glass Cup with Ray5 mini/miniS

Engraving transparent glass requires a few additional preparation steps to help the laser mark the surface effectively. With the LONGER Ray5 Mini or Ray5 MiniS, a rotary attachment, and LightBurn, you can create clean engravings on glass cups by following the correct setup and engraving process.

Step 1: Prepare the Glass Surface

Apply colored paper to the area you want to engrave, or use a marker to color the engraving area. This helps the laser interact with the transparent glass surface during engraving.

Step 2: Secure the Glass Cup

Mount the glass cup on the rotary roller or rotary chuck. Use a level to make sure the cup is positioned horizontally. For detailed setup instructions, refer to the user guide for your rotary attachment.

Step 3: Adjust the Laser Focus

Use the focusing tool to set the correct laser focus before engraving.

Step 4: Connect to LightBurn

Open LightBurn and connect it to your Ray5 Mini or Ray5 MiniS.

Step 5: Configure the Rotary Settings

Click on “Rotation Settings,” select “Rotary,” enable “Enable Rotary” and “Mirror Output to Rotary,” set 119 mm per rotation, and input the object diameter according to the actual diameter of the item, then click “OK.”

Step 6: Prepare the Design

Import your engraving design into LightBurn, or create a new design directly in the software.

Step 7: Set the Engraving Parameters

Set the engraving parameters (engraving speed and line spacing vary depending on the laser wattage: for 2.5W/3.5W lasers, use 500 mm/min with 0.05 mm spacing; for 5.5W/10W lasers, use 1000 mm/min with 0.1 mm spacing). You can adjust the engraving speed slightly to achieve the best results.

Step 8: Check the Engraving Position

Set Start From to Current Position in the lower-right corner of LightBurn. Click Frame to preview the engraving area and confirm that the laser is aligned correctly.

If adjustment is needed, move the laser using the Move panel in LightBurn. Avoid moving the laser head by hand, as this may cause the displayed position to differ from the actual position and could trigger a soft limit alarm.

Once everything is aligned, click Start to begin engraving.

Step 9: Clean the Finished Glass

After engraving, remove the glass, scrape off the excess colored paper with a spatula, and then clean it with alcohol. The glass engraving is now complete.

Video Tutorial: Engraving a Clear Glass Cup with the Ray5 Mini

Conclusion

With proper surface preparation, correct rotary settings, and suitable engraving parameters, the LONGER Ray5 Mini and Ray5 MiniS can produce clean engravings on transparent glass cups. Taking a few minutes to check the focus and alignment before starting can help improve engraving quality and achieve more consistent results.