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[Laser cut and engrave] PLA IR Color Engraving Swatch Guide (xTool F2 Portable) – Normal vs Color IR Explained — Project made with F2 machine for Laser cut and engrave.

PLA IR Color Engraving Swatch Guide (xTool F2 Portable) – Normal vs Color IR Explained

Atomm Exclusive

Instruction

Swatch

.xcs

Application scenario

Laser processing (5min)

Machine & module

xTool F2

5W, 15W

Compatible xTool Machine

F2 Ultra UV

F2 Ultra（Single）

F2 Ultra

Accessories

xTool F1 Pedal & Button Switch

Material used

3/64"(1mm) Black PLA

3835

Information

      This tutorial demonstrates how to create a complete IR engraving swatch on matte black PLA using the xTool F2 Portable. We compare Normal IR engraving with Color IR engraving to understand how power and speed affect engraving quality, surface finish, and color variation.

Through this swatch, you’ll learn how to identify the perfect settings for sharp engraving, warm color tones, and avoid melting or overburning PLA.

This guide is essential for anyone working with laser engraving on PLA for artistic designs, jewelry, or custom products.

🧠 Why This Swatch Matters

PLA (especially matte black PLA) behaves very differently under IR laser compared to metal.

You’re not adding color → you’re thermally modifying the surface
Color = result of heat + micro-surface change
Too much power = melt → glossy black (loss of detail)
Too little power = no visible change

👉 That’s why a swatch like this is critical before any real project

⚙️ Setup Overview
Machine:
- xTool F2 Portable
- 5W IR Laser

Material:
- Matte Black PLA sheet (very important — glossy behaves differently)

Grid Logic:
- X-axis (horizontal) → Power (10% → 100%)
- Y-axis (vertical) → Speed (100→ 2000)

plastic

plastic engraving

plastic engraving settings

lasereverythingcontest

Instruction

Step1: Step-by-Step Swatch Creation

Use the design to directly engrave swatch on PLA plastic. Once done you can refer to the comparison below.

Step2: NORMAL IR ENGRAVING (Baseline Behavior)

Preview

🔍 What You Observed (From Your Swatch)

Looking at your Normal IR swatch :

🔹 Top Left (Low Power + High Speed)

Very faint / almost invisible
Surface barely affected

👉 Too weak → no engraving

🔹 Middle Zone (Balanced Power + Speed)

Clean light gray / matte contrast
Best clarity of the “X” marks
No melting or gloss

👉 THIS is your sweet spot for engraving details

🔹 Bottom / Right Side (High Power or Slow Speed)

PLA starts to:
- Melt
- Turn glossy
- Lose definition
Some squares become dark + shiny

👉 Too much heat → material degradation

🧠 Key Insight (Normal IR)
Works like depth engraving
Produces:
Light gray
Off-white (Shades of Beige)
Slight brown tones (if overheated)(Copper→ Brown→Black)
👉 Best for:
Text
Line art
Fine details
Depth engraving look

Step3: COLOR IR ENGRAVING (Thermal Color Mode)

Preview

🔍 What’s Happening Physically

Color IR mode:

Uses controlled heat cycling / pulsing
Creates micro-texture variations
Changes how light reflects → gives perceived color shifts

🔎 Swatch Analysis

🔹 Left Side (Low Power)

Slight gray / faded tone
Minimal color variation

👉 Not enough heat to create surface texture

🔹 Mid Range (Magic Zone ⭐)

You start seeing:
- Warm beige
- Light brown
- Slight golden tones

👉 This is where color emerges

🔹 Right Side (Higher Power)

Rich browns → dark bronze tones
More contrast than normal IR
Some squares slightly glossy

👉 Strong thermal reaction = deeper tones

🔹 Bottom Row (Too Much Power)

Surface becomes:
- Glossy black
- Slightly melted

Color disappears → becomes dark

👉 Overburn kills color effect

Step4: Usage

⚡ KEY DIFFERENCE (VERY IMPORTANT)

Feature	Normal IR	Color IR
Purpose	Depth engraving	Surface color effect
Look	Gray / white contrast	Brown / golden tones
Heat Sensitivity	Moderate	Very high
Best Use	Text, line art	Portraits, artistic engraving
Risk	Overburn = blur	Overburn = lose color