help: how to add colour with laser engraving

[Littlef]

42 minutes ago, studiocroco said:

that's correct.
I found several videos of the lasering but not what happens after. And that is why i am so curious.  It is lasered, but what after that?  

I reached out to the company but off course they wouldn't give me an answer...

My guess, for what it's worth, is that the laser is not what is coloring the leather.  I did a quick google, and found some industrial manufacturing lasers that can etch metal and glass with some sort of coloring process included, but I found no references to being able to do that to leather.  Nor have I ever heard of laser type machine being marketed with that ability.  I wind up in the same place.  I got nothing.

[studiocroco]

thanks for the research.
i also guess that the laser does nothing but engraving

So we will try some things with paint, spray, resist,...

[GatoGordo]

You can use gold leaf as shown in this video.

Use the laser to print the design, then fill the design with the glue, and finally apply the gold leaf.

[GatoGordo]

Here is a better video showing the laser engraving and the use of gold leaf.

 

This video is by a member of this forum. Perhaps he will step in and comment.

[Michael Sheldon]

Just for weird knowledge. There is a hack to do color with a laser and powder-coat resins, but not something I'd do on leather.

 

[Bert03241]

I've tried that too on wood really doesn't work that great

[Wizcrafts]

I'm pulling this out of my hat, which I'm not wearing right now. I do some hot foil embossing in my shop; just words and letters. The press embosses the leather before I add the colored foil. I usually give it two good presses first, then place the foil over the leather and press it for a second or so at 230 degrees. This transfers the gold, silver, brown, white, or black foil to the project. So, since laser engravers use heat to burn into leather, is it possible to dial down the power just enough so it can heat the foil to 230 degrees after you place it over the leather, in effect burning your design in, right through the embossing foil? It might require two passes. The first would have the power needed to burn the design into the leather. The second pass would be at reduced power to fuse the colored foil as an overlay. Thoughts?

[bigbird48]

something i'll have to try someday