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PLA IR Color Engraving Swatch Guide (xTool F2 Portable) – Normal vs Color IR Explained
Instruction
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)
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)
🔍 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)
🔍 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 |
Step5: SWEET SPOT
Based on your actual result:
✅ Best Range (Color IR)
- Power: ~40% – 70%
- Speed: Medium (not too slow)
👉 Gives:
- Clean detail
- Visible color variation
- No melting
✅ Best Range (Normal IR)
- Power: ~30% – 60%
- Speed: Medium–high
👉 Gives:
- Sharp engraving
- Matte contrast
Step6: Practical Use Cases
Use Normal IR for:
- Logos
- Text engraving
- Sharp designs
Use Color IR for:
- Portraits
- Artistic designs
- Jewelry-style PLA engraving
Step7: 🚨 Pro Tips
- Matte PLA works best → glossy = inconsistent results
- Always clean before engraving
- Avoid slow speeds at high power → instant melt
- Use multi-pass instead of high power for deeper tones
- Combine both modes:
- Base with Color IR
- Detail with Normal IR
👉 This combo is next-level output
