Officially Educated… Financially Confused - Personalized Graduation Wood Bark Coaster | Depth Engraving Tutorial

Start by selecting a clean and smooth wood bark slice.
Lightly sand the surface while keeping the natural bark edge untouched to preserve the rustic appearance.

Import the black-and-white graduation design into XCS.

Resize the artwork to fit comfortably inside the circular coaster while leaving some space around the bark edge.

Add:

• Graduate name
• Graduation year

Use bold fonts for better readability during depth engraving.

Recommended:

• Cinzel Bold
• Playfair Bold
• Times New Roman Bold

The design was created with strong black-and-white contrast so the laser naturally produces layered depth across the artwork.

For best results:

• Keep mountains and trees medium depth
• Engrave the graduation cap slightly deeper
• Keep text bold and clean

This creates a premium carved appearance on the wood surface.

Run the engraving slowly to allow the darker regions to carve deeper into the wood grain.

The bark texture naturally enhances the shadows and depth effect.

Once engraving is complete:

• Remove debris using a soft brush
• Lightly wipe the surface
• Apply mineral oil to deepen the wood tones

This helps the engraving pop while making the bark edge look richer and warmer.

The final piece becomes a funny yet emotional graduation keepsake that feels handcrafted and highly personal.

The rustic bark edge combined with layered engraving gives the coaster a premium engraved look while keeping the design easy to customize for different graduates.