Frequently Asked Questions
Laser Services
1. What is your office’s opening hours?
We are open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
2. Do you do laser services in low quantities?
Yes, we do!.
3. Do you do laser services in bulk quantities?
We serve customers that require laser cutting, marking and engraving for small to large quantities. If
you have a large quantities order, we will work out a quantity discount based on a case-to-case-basis.
4. How can I obtain a quote?
You can either send us an enquiry via our website https://finmarklaser.com/contact/ or directly email
to us at info@finmarklaser.com .
For us to quote a job, you will need to send us your ready vector files (*.cdr, *.ai, *.dxf or *.svg) and
details of the job (e.g. material type, thickness, quantity, type of font & size, and delivery time etc).
We quote by estimating the time it will take to complete your job including all the file setup and laser
cutting and engraving. Sometimes we need to work on your drawings and develop your idea further
so that it isready for the laser process. Then, you/we will need/advise to consider the type of materials
to laser on – the same design will take a different time to cut or engrave from material to material.
In a nutshell, we do need something to quote from and preferably to take a look at your item if you
require cutting or engraving on it. From the information you supply, we will be able to work out how
long your job will take in full scope, the setup cost and the material suitability and provide you with a
quotation. Typically, we can advise a quote back to you within a day if information is sufficient. See
more on our Service Guidelines for Laser Cutting and Engraving.
5. Can you give me a quote over the phone based on my description?
Unfortunately, we cannot give quotes over the phone for the reasons described in Q4 above. You will
need to send us more information at info@finmarklaser.com in order we can give a definite quote for
your consideration.
6. Is there a student rate?
Yes, we do offer a lower rate for students for their school projects. All you have to do is to show your
student pass upon arriving at our office for the lasering service.
7. What are your turnaround times for a service order?
This depends on our services schedule, and also the design, material, quantity and time require to be
worked on.
- A standard turnaround for most jobs is 1-3 working days for collection. Sometimes, even on the
spot is possible for straightforward jobs! service. - 1-2 working days for delivery. If require we can usually move quicker, so do get in touch with our
staff for your deadline requirement. - 4-7days for volume production jobs, we can discuss on your project needs and will always try our
best to meet your deadline requirements. - For rush jobs (within 24 hours), we will appreciate for jobs with artwork that vector drawings need
to be in a laser ready format, following our See more on our Service Guidelines for Laser Cutting
and Engraving correctly before sending your files over.
8. Can you draft a vector drawing for me?
Yes, we can provide simple vector drawing and vector tracing drawing service. Prices start from $45 onwards + GST. Let us know your design idea and we will advise whether it is possible to be done by us.
9. How large can you laser cut / engrave?
Our maximum bed size is 1000mm x 610mm.
10. In the event where the end job is not up to expectations, will I be compensated?
10.1. Finmark Laser Pte Ltd will exercise utmost care and precaution in processing each lasering jobs using our professional laser application knowledge.
10.2. Finmark Laser Pte Ltd will not be held responsible for any defects, loss or damage to the material or items, due to variations occurring in natural materials such as wood and manufactured materials such as metals and Acrylic etc, which have different composite contents and the material’s reactions during the lasering process.
10.3. We will not be held accountable for any inconsistencies in material or items that could result in inaccuracies with the cutting or engraving, although every effort will be taken to ensure the best results, and in many cases if possible, will offer to redo unsatisfactory work as a show of good faith. This does not constitute the Company accepting liability unless agreed in writing.
10.4. While every reasonable effort will be made, if we carry out the Customer’s instructions on their materials or items, and the results are not as expected, this does not constitute a mistake on the part of the Company, and the Company will not be liable for a refund of laser charges, or for the value/ replacement of the Customer’s materials or items.
10.5. In general, we do not offer compensation, as the parameters or requirements will have to be discussed and agreed before the machine operation commences. For service jobs that have special or additional requirements, such as design or unique materials used, we always recommend to carry out material testing with us before carrying out the actual job.
10.6. In case of any loss or damage lies with the Company due to a fault on the machine or incorrect lasering application, the Company can reimburse an equivalent of the service cost quoted for cutting and engraving of that material or item. Compensation shall be provided in the form of services and no cash will be given to customer and to be utilize within one month upon confirmation in writing by the Company.
11. What are the factors that affect the cost of laser service provided?
In general, the intricacy of design, design/editing of files, type of material used, area of laser application on material required, timeline (especially a rush job where we have to interrupt work in progress to get your job on the machine), dimensions of the material or items and quantity, will affects the cost for the laser application service.
12. I am looking to engage in laser services but unsure whether if the laser application is suitable for my design requirements or the supplied materials/items. How do we go about it?
We do work with client’s supplied materials or items. However, we need to assess the quality of the materials or items whether they are suitable for laser cutting or engraving. At times, we may also need to arrange for material testing to test for the laser application suitability and the quality results.
Do free feel to get in touch to talk through your project scope or lasering needs with us. We will always try to provide our professional advise and expertise on how to achieve your design and lasering needs. Give us a call or simply email us at info@finmarklaser.com!
13. Do you provide materials for laser services?
We do provide a range of materials for laser services. We have in stock many common and regularly used materials such as acrylic, plywood, MDF hardboard, basswood, felt, PU leather and 2-ply/ 3-ply Trotec laminates or Traffolyte materials that are prefect for laser cutting and laser engraving.
Contact us to enquiry for stock availability. If we do not have it in stock, we can order in for you. For lesser requested materials types/thickness will need to special ordered from our suppliers (shipment charge will be factored into the material cost in the quotation). This special order will be factored into the overall turnaround time of your job when supplied with a quotation.
For more information on our full range of materials products, please refer to https://finmarklaser.com/demo/material/. If you need to see a physical sample of material, you can pop by our office to view and discuss.
14. Can I supply my own materials?
Yes, of course. Many customers send us their materials and items to be cut and engraved. Not everything is laser friendly though you will need to provide us details and photo of the materials you want to work with so that we can advise if it is possible for us to laser on.
If the material is not something we have come across before, we will need to test it on the machine so to establish the optimum cutting/ engraving settings. You will need to provide us with excess material for us to test.
The only material we cannot laser on is PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) and any other plastics that contain chlorides. This is because the thermal process produces hydrochloric acid and toxic fumes. For this reason, we cannot laser cut nor engrave on PVC in order to prevent corrosion of the laser system and to ensure the safety of our application technician. If you are supplying us with a plastic fabric material, you will need to make sure you furnish the necessary documentation to demonstrate the material properties and to verify it contains no PVC or any other Chlorides.
15. Do you provide metal cutting or fabrication services?
We provide metal cutting services. However, laser marking and engraving on metal and other materials are our in-demand application services.
16. Can I get a sample made up?
Yes, if you require to produce a volume order. We can provide a sample made from your design file for you to prove. We do charge for this as there is setup and laser time involved. Prices usually start from $15 + GST and above depending on the size of the sample, material cost and the laser time taken.
17. Do you provide collection of items and delivery of completed jobs to customers?
Yes, we do. It depends on the size, weight of items and area of delivery. Please inform our friendly staff your collection/delivery needs and they will advise you the logistic cost.
18. Can I drop into your office anytime to have something laser cut or engraved?
Preferably not, as we usually have our customers’ jobs scheduled already on the day. All jobs enquiries need to go through our quoting procedure and to confirm the acceptance of the quote given. Nevertheless, do give us a call to check with us whether we can accommodate your urgent request and our friendly staff will do their best to help.
19. Can I cut the job myself?
Unfortunately, no. We do not offer self-service. Our machines are only operated by our fully trained application technician.
20. What are the charges for machine rental?
We have ceased our machine rental service. However, we do provide on-site support for Company, School and Public events. Chat with us and Finmark Laser would love to provide service support and be part of your event celebration!
Our Laser Machinery
21. Do you sell laser application machines?
Yes, Finmark Laser offer both laser services and laser machineries. We are the authorized distributor of Trotec’s & Finmark’s laser processing systems and Sisma’s & Sunstone welding machines.
Finmark Laser is committed to after-sale service where we will provide machine and software training course to assist customers to integrate our machines at their premises and into their businesses.
22. What can your laser machines do for us?
Our flagship machines come with user-friendly interfaces, enabling users to proceed with any job through different types of file formats by connecting to the systems’ software. Our machines are well versed in laser cutting, engraving, marking and welding on an assortment of products and materials; producing quality and capability of intricate detailed cutting and engraving results.
23. What are the suitable graphics software and file formats for use with your machines?
Trotec Laser Machines:
You can use any graphics software that can print via the printer driver of the operating system with Trotec laser machines. Depending on your software, certain pre-settings are required to be able to work with the laser machine.
Vector-based graphics software for laser cutting: Using Trotec laser software, you can process both pixel-based (e.g. from Photoshop) and vector-based (e.g. from CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, AutoCAD, Rhino 3D and SolidWorks etc) graphics. Both formats are suitable for laser engraving and marking. For laser cutting, however, you always need vector-based graphics as the starting point. For more details about the compatibility of your graphics software, please contact us and we will be happy to assist with your enquiry.
The following are the supported file formats which you can use with our Trotec laser machines. Note that not all formats are applicable to all the full range of the machines.
File Type | File Extensions |
Vector | *.cdc *.ai *.svg |
BitMap / Rasher | *.cpt *.ps *.bmp *.jpg *.tiff *.gif *.png |
Compund | *.pdf *.eps |
Office | *doc *.docx *.xls *.xlsx |
CAD & 3D Design | *.dxt *.dwg *.3dm |
Finmark Laser Marking Machines (FL Series):
The machine came with a simple and useful software where users can design their graphics freely. Common types of images are supported (e.g. *.jpg, *.tif) and vector file formats are supported (e.g. *.ai, *.dxf) too.
In order to achieve excellent quality engraving result for graphics designs, it is highly recommended to use vectorised file instead of image file. The software also has the excellent features collections of the various types of fonts and latest QR codes formats e.g. ECC200. The marking results from our FL series has proven to achieve the current stringent industry standards and quality marking of products’ serial numbers, company branding logo and names.
24. What is the recommended minimum computer requirements to integrate with your laser machines?
Windows 7 / 8 / 10 or Window XP/Vista, GHz processor or faster, 4GB RAM or greater, 80GB hard drive or larger, preferably a separate graphics card, 2 free USB interfaces, DVD-ROM drive and Adobe Reader 9.0 or later.
The above is just a recommended minimum for reference. With the advances in information technology, the hardware and software competencies will be updated regularly. Also, by using a more powerful computer, the graphics are generated and displayed faster and the computing times and the data transfer to the laser are reduced.
25. We are on a budget, are there options for my budget requirement?
Don’t hesitate to speak with one of our sales personnel, and we will recommend the best machine that fit your requirements on both application and budget-wise.
26. We are looking for machines but are unsure if the laser application is suitable for us. How do we go about looking for a right machine that fit our business’s needs?
Are you new to the laser application or unsure, but want to find out how our machines are suitable for you and to cater for your business’s needs? No worries! Just call us and speak with one of our sales personnel. He / She will meet up with you to understand your business’s needs and to arrange for an appointment with us for laser application testing to discover the benefits and quality of our machines.
27. What materials are suitable for laser cutting and engraving on your machines?
Depending on nature of the laser job, materials applicable to our machines comprises of acrylic, bristolboard, cardboard, fabric, felt, leather, metals, MDF, paper, plastic types, velvet, glass, foam and wood. Sometimes, we also get enquiry to laser cut on special materials such as Teflon and medicine drug.
28. What is the purpose and how to determine the laser power (in watts) of a machine?
A machine can fit a choice of different laser power based on user requirement. The higher laser power a machine has, the stronger the results possible for laser cutting, engraving and laser welding, which in a way heightens the versatility of the machine’s capabilities. Materials is a possible factor to determine the laser power required in the machine too.
29. Are your machines customisable to our needs?
Yes! Based on your business’s requirements, we do provide different configurations from the laser type, laser power, laser tubes, lenses, exhaust fumes, to protection covers, laser goggles, exhaust filters and rotary clamping devices. For special request such as machine automation to integrate into your current manufacturing operations to achieve seamless production line and increase productivity. Call us to chat with one of our sales personnel for further discussions.
30. Any licenses needed for these machines?
All licenses are to be applied from the National Environment Agency (NEA) who are administering it. You will require N2 license for ownership, and N3 license for operating a laser machine. For more information, please refer to NEA’s website at:
- https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/radiation-safety/licensing-and-fees/guidelines-for-licence application
- http://medicine.nus.edu.sg/medi/doc/safety/Flow%20Chart%20for%20obtaining%20Laser%20Li cense_Feb_2019.pdf
Events/Collaborations
31. Do you organize/participate in any events?
We participate in both local and overseas exhibition events. We also provide on-site support for Company, School and Public events. Chat with us and Finmark Laser would love to provide service support and be part of your event celebration!
32. Is Finmark Laser open for collaboration?
We are open for discussion on potential collaborations that will help to promote the innovation, creativity and advantages of laser technology across to all industries.
Payments
33. What are the payment methods for services?
We accept PayNow, Bank Transfer and Cash upon collection of completed job. Cheque payments are accepted for service job $1000 and above for corporate invoicing and to be issued upon collection of completed job.
For payment by bank transfer, the details are as follows:
Account name : Finmark Laser Pte Ltd Bank Code : 7375
Account No : 310-306-087-5 (SGD) Branch : 004
For payment by PayNow, the details are as follows:
UEN : 201621724H
Co. Name : Finmark Laser Pte Ltd
34. What are the payment methods for machines?
We accept payments via cheque or bank transfer. Deposit is required upon confirmation of orders before we proceed to place your order with our factory and arrange for delivery schedule. The balance payment shall be made to Finmark Laser Pte Ltd within 7-14 days (depending on terms & conditions as agreed) upon delivery, installation and training provided.
For payment by bank transfer, the details are as follows:
Account name : Finmark Laser Pte Ltd Bank Code : 7375
Account No : 310-306-087-5 (SGD) Branch : 004