Custom Engraved Baseball - Home Run Keepsake
Instruction
This photo captures an unforgettable moment after my son hit his very first home run! The ball in this picture was the one that he hit over the fence during a local tournament. I took this photo after he finished rounding the bases and celebrating with his team and it is a moment I never want either of us to forget.
To preserve this milestone in a meaningful way, I used my xTool S1 laser to engrave the photo directly onto the baseball. I included the words “First Home Run” along with the date and tournament name to give the keepsake context. Now, instead of the ball sitting in a drawer or box, it’s a personalized display piece that will bring back this proud moment every time we look at it.
I selected a clear, high-contrast photo of my son moments after his home run, prepared the image in xTool Creative Space, removed the background, and adjusted the contrast to ensure the best results when engraved on leather.
Using the xTool S1 and rotary attachment, I carefully aligned the ball and engraved the photo along with custom text.
This personalized craft not only highlights a major milestone but also transforms a treasured memory into a tangible keepsake that can be admired and remembered for years to come.
In order to create a keepsake for my son's first home run, I thought it would be nice to make a personalized keepsake for him. The baseball that I used was made of genuine leather and was the same baseball that he had hit over the fence. (It's important to ensure that the baseball is made of leather and does not contain PVC which can produce corrosive chlorine gas when lasered, potentially damaging the laser.) The image I used, is a photo I took of him with his bat after his game. I began by uploading the image into Creative space.
Next, I used the cutout feature to remove the background. I then used the “adjustments” tab in creative space to change the photo to greyscale and adjust the photo's brightness and contrast to ensure a clear image for engraving. I then added text to include the event and date to personalize further.
After connecting to your machine and the rotary attachment, ensure that the ball is centered. I had to preview the frame multiple times to ensure that the image I wanted to engrave was centered and in the proper location. After you have made sure that the design and baseball are in the location you would like, it is time to process. I used one pass with 10% power and 10 speed for the image to ensure the material didn't burn and the image was clear. For the lettering, I made sure the font was at least 12pt (any smaller and the lettering starts to blur) and 2 passes with 40% power and 100 speed.
After the machine has finished, remove the ball from the rotary attachment and gently wipe away any residue with a soft cloth.
I placed the ball inside one of his glove-shaped trophies to display his accomplishment for all to see.