Kickstarting Your Laser Series: Etchpop's Kickstart to Success!

Crowdfunding your ideas and projects is becoming more popular with the rise of sites  such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo.  This series of posts will feature campaigns that have used Trotec lasers in some incredibly successful projects.

Chester Lindgrin and Marshal Tipton wanted to modernize the process of woodblock printing, so they came up with an idea to create custom woodblocks with customer’s artwork with a laser. “We took wood blocks and used the laser to engrave the blocks to do the printing.  We set up a business where you can go to the website and upload your design.  We then engrave the wood block and send it back to you for you to print with.  This bypassed the hand carving step and used modern technology to do this type of printing.” says Chester. 

 

In 2012, they started their Kickstarter campaign to help fund their laser and startup. “The Trotec engraves waaaay faster than everyone else’s.  I had heard about them and am a tool snob, and knew that they were on the higher end.  I went to an NBM show and saw the engraving speeds of the Trotec laser and I was sold.” 

Their Kickstarter campaign was successful, more than doubling their original goal.  This also allowed them to create MC LaserLabs. “Our whole plan was to become a laser shop, but used the Kickstarter as a jumping off point.”