CO2 Production Items & Bestsellers
The metal items that fiber lasers chase have organic counterparts on the CO2 side. Personalized wood, leather goods, acrylic signage, and tile portraits make up the CO2 production market.
Wedding & event market
- Custom wedding signs: 12×18" baltic birch + venue / date / monogram. $50-150 each. Repeat customer through wedding planners.
- Acrylic table numbers: frosted cast acrylic, sets of 10-25. $40-90 per set.
- Cake toppers: wood or acrylic, custom names/dates. $20-50.
- Wedding favor boxes: engraved baltic birch, mass production. $4-8 each, often bulk orders of 50-200.
- Save-the-date wood postcards: bulk runs of 75-150.
Personalized wood gifts
- Cutting boards: bamboo or maple, monogrammed/named. $30-90 retail.
- Charcuterie boards: premium ($60-180), low-volume / high-margin.
- Wood plaques / signs: bedroom signs, kid's room signs. $35-90.
- Pet portraits on wood: engraved photo of dog/cat on cherry/walnut. $80-180.
- Last-name farmhouse signs: 10×24" or larger. $80-200.
- Christmas ornaments (wood): Q4 dominant. $8-25 each, often family-set bulk.
Leather goods
- Leather wallets / cardholders: engraved with monogram or quote. $30-90.
- Leather keychains: bulk-friendly, $8-18 each.
- Leather bracelets: engraved with name/date. $15-45.
- Leather coasters / sets: $25-70 for 4-piece sets.
- Pet collars / leashes: name + phone engraved. $25-65.
Acrylic signage / displays
- Lit-edge LED signs: reverse-engraved cast acrylic + LED base. Retail: $80-300 depending on size.
- Restaurant table tents / menus: small business B2B work.
- Award plaques: engraved acrylic on wood base. Sports leagues, corporate awards.
- Office signs / room signs: recurring orders for offices, schools.
Slate & stone
- Slate cheese boards: engraved with names/dates. $25-65.
- Slate signs / house numbers: outdoor-friendly, $50-150.
- Memorial slate plaques: pet memorials, garden markers. $35-120.
Tile portraits (Norton white method)
- Portrait tiles: pet/family/wedding photo on 6×6" tile. $35-85.
- Memorial tiles: same as above with sympathy framing.
- Premium framed sets: paired with custom wood frame. $80-180.
Specialty / niche
- Custom rubber stamps: wedding monograms, business stamps. $30-80.
- Engraved cutting board game sets: chess/checkers boards with custom inlay. $80-300.
- Wood phone stands: $15-40, often impulse / gift-shop sales.
- Custom puzzles: engraved + cut wooden jigsaw puzzles. $40-120.
- Coasters (wood, slate, leather): 4-set or 6-set bundles, $25-80.
- Map art: personalized city/country maps engraved on wood. $80-300.
What CO2 should NOT make
- Anything with PVC / vinyl: toxic chlorine off-gas damages tube and lungs.
- Bare metal items: needs CerMark spray; fiber is faster and better.
- Clear acrylic photo engrave: looks ghostly/messy. Use frosted or colored cast.
- Large solid-fill engraves on dark wood: burns excessively, poor result.
Margin leaders
| Item | Time | Markup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas ornament (4-set) | 10 min | 10-15× | Q4 dominant |
| Wedding favor boxes (50-pack) | 2 hr | 8-12× | Repeat through planners |
| Slate cheese board | 8-12 min | 6-10× | Premium gift item |
| Leather keychain (bulk 25) | 35 min | 10-15× | Production-friendly |
| Norton tile portrait | 25 min | 5-8× | Highest emotional value |
| Lit-edge LED sign (medium) | 20 min | 4-6× | High retail price |
For pricing math (per-job vs per-hour, customer intake, scrap budget) see Pricing & Customer Intake. Same principles apply to CO2 work.