#IkeaHackers - Laser Etched Pet Memorial Mirror Tutorial

Memorial plaques can be expensive but we all want to remember our beloved pets. With the help of a Trotec laser turn a simple Ikea mirror into a beautiful keepsake by the process of laser etching.

We used the Honefoss mirror from Ikea, which comes in a pack of 10 for just £15.



Import your chosen picture in CorelDraw.
Remove the background from the image.
This can be achieved using CorelDraw. Use the edit bitmap tool>image>cut out lab to access CorelPaint.

Use the outline tool to draw a rough line around your pet then using the fill tool to select the part of the image you want to keep and preview the image.

Clean up the image using the 'add' and 'remove' detail tools to restore elements of the image which may have accidentally been removed or to delete any background which still remains in the image.

Save the image and return to CorelDraw
Invert the image to give the appearance of a negative.
Effects>transform>invert



Send the image to JobContol using the 'print' function.

We used a Trotec Laser Speedy 400 flexx to laser etch the mirror.



Laser etch the mirror from the back to acheive the best results end with a smooth finish.

Recommended settings - 500 dpi 30% speed 100% power on an 80 watt Speedy 400 flexx.

The final result, a laser etched mirror keepsake for your pet. Simply replace the laser settings at the bottom of the image with a personalised message.

Visit www.troteclaser.co.uk for more free laser tutorials.