What are the design guidelines for fiber laser-engraved products?

Written by

Lena Murphy

Fiber laser engraving creates precise, permanent designs on products. It’s a high-contrast on/off process—each pixel in your design is either engraved or left unengraved (no shading in between). The results depend on the material, print area, and design complexity.

A circle necklace with fiber laser-engraved name.

For CO2 laser engraving, see the design guidelines: What are the design guidelines for CO2 laser-engraved products?

Tip

The golden rule: For the most predictable results, use a black-only design on a transparent background. Assume all pixels—regardless of color (including white)—will be engraved; only transparent areas are skipped.

File requirements & specifications

Formats: PNG or SVG.
Artwork: solid black on a transparent background (no colors or grayscale).
SVG text: convert to outlines/curves to avoid font substitution.
Minimum line thickness: 0.2 mm (0.008 in).
Minimum text height: 1.5 mm (0.06 in).
For small items (e.g., pendants, charms, tags), use simple, bold shapes—very fine details may be lost.

Design dos

Keep designs simple and bold, especially for small print areas.
Respect the minimum line and text sizes.
For SVG text, outline fonts before saving.

Design don’ts

Don’t include a white or colored background.
Don’t use color or grayscale pixels, shadows, glows, or other soft effects.
Avoid fine details below the minimum specifications.