Create a wood box out of different Trotec wood types

Learn how to easily design a box and how to cut and engrave it from solid wood, wood veneer and MDF. Personalise this box for your customers and provide them with a very special present or decorational item.


wood box laser engraved
What materials do you need?

Required material:

Machine used: Speedy 360, 80 Watt, 1,5" or 2" lens, honeycomb cutting table

This sample can be produced with any other machine of the Speedy Series.


create wood box
Step 1: Design a box

There are different box design websites on the Internet to create the graphic. In our example, we used  http://makeabox.io/. On this website, you can also enter the kerf and you no longer have to change this in the graphics program. Simply enter the dimensions and the kerf and download the file.

Import the file into your graphics programme.


Step 2: Adjusting the lid

Smooth the top side of your side walls in your graphics program. This is necessary that the lid fits on the box.

Then draw a rectangle with the outer diameter (red in image) of your box. This is the top of the lid. Draw another rectangle with the inner diameter of the box (blue in image). Later, these two parts are glued together to form the lid.


Step 3: Optional: Create a seperating cross

Create a rectangle that corresponds to the internal diagonal dimensions of your box. Make sure, the separating cross is 3 mm lower than the side walls as the lid will need this space.

Draw a slit of 3 mm in width into the middle of the rectangle. Duplicate this graphic.


Step 4: Send the graphics to the laser

Send each graphic for the wooden box to JobControl® separately, because a different parameter is used for the individual thicknesses.

Print Settings:

Process ModeResolutionCut lineHalftoneOthers
Standard 333dpi none Color or black/white Enhanced Geometries and Inner Geometries first

laser process wood panel
Step 5: Laser engraving and cutting

Put the wood panel that corresponds to the job into the laser. If you want to adjust engraving settings according to your desired intensity of engraving colour, use our greyscale matrix.

In our example we have used the following parameters:

Engraving Wood Veneer: P: 50 V: 100, 500 DPI/ PPI, Air Assist: on, optimized quality: on
Cutting 3mm Wood Veneer: P:100 V:0.9, 1000 Hz, Air Assist on
Engraving Solid Wood: P: 60 V: 100,  333 DPI/ PPI, Air Assist: on, optimized quality: on
Cutting 6mm Solid Wood: P:100 V:0.6, 1000 Hz, Air Assist on
Cutting 3mm MDF: P:100 V:1, 1000 Hz, Air Assist on

Focus and start the job.


assemble wood box
Step 6: Cleaning and assembling

For cleaning, use only a little water; a damp cloth with a drop of detergent is usually enough to remove dirt.

Usually, the box sticks together quite tightly. If you want to be on the very safe side, you can add adhesive bonding. Use a special wood glue for this purpose, also for sticking together the two parts of the lid. Thoroughly clean and then dry the sides to be bonded. Please ensure you don't use too much adhesive, it may ooze out and affect the result.