What is Sub-surface Laser Engraving or a 'Bubblegram'? Technology Explained

Let's find out how they put 3D images into glass objects. Known as a 'Bubblegram', vitrography or sub-surface laser engraving, this technology has been around for a very long time but remains quite niche in its applications.
Resources I used in research this video:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubblegram
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_e...
www.google.com.na/patents/US6...
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[@thom1218]

@4:03 - Sorry, wish you would have researched this more since it's quite interesting. The lasers in these machines HAVE to be pulsed, using a method called Q-switching to obtain high peak-power pulses that can couple their energy into otherwise transparent material. These pulses, incidentally, are in the megawatt range and over a very short time span, usually a number of nano seconds. These lasers use several IR diode lasers to "pump" a Nd:YAG laser crystal, which is frequency doubled from 1024nm to 532nm (green) in order to be able to pass into the glass target object. Interestingly, this laser technique is used in tattoo removal machines to penetrate skin and oblate sub dermal ink . CO2 lasers can do a continuous etch on glass because glass is opaque to the near IR long wavelength of CO2 lasers, and therefore they can only etch the surface. Also, because glass is opaque to CO2, more energy is transferred directly to the glass, rather than passing through it, which allows the CO2 laser to remain in CW operation (continuous wave, i.e. not Q-switched). So, the operators of these bubblegram machines do not have the option to do a "continuous blast". However, using fewer dots/bubblegram will shorten processing time and wear on the laser components. So in that sense you're right about fewer dots being more economical.

[@MakersMuse]

Thanks! Really glad you commented as this is the kind of information I was trying to find but just couldn't, there was nothing much out there. I can't edit the video, youtube killed annotations, but will pin your awesome details so people can get that extra bit of info.

[@danl.4743]

Maker's Muse KZbin killed annotation?

[@MakersMuse]

Yes, as a creator we can no longer 'annotate' videos like add notes or corrections. It's frustrating.

[@cabletie69]

Maker's Muse well that certainly saves you from having to make the effort. Perhaps this channel should be named thom1218?

[@mikepenske9943]

+cabletie69 - Are you trolling? I don't see what's wrong with pinning the comment for those who are interested...

[@Linguinestick6]

Used to watch your videos a lot when I first got into 3D printing around 2015, then didn't see your videos for a while. I wanted to know how the 3D images were in objects and found this video leading me back to your channel after a couple years.

[@davisdiercks]

I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR EXPLAINING THIS. My grandparents had one of these with a pair of hands in prayer and a cross, both in the middle of the glass cube and 3D (it was even on a fancy multicolored rotating pedestal) and it always baffled me how it was made. Now after who knows how many years I know how!! I feel so enlightened!!!

[@MakersMuse]

Welcome! I was exactly the same, I had no idea and no one I talked to did either lol

[@davisdiercks]

Yup, I shared this with my grandpa to let him know. He's a woodworker and I'm sure he'll find it interesting 😊

[@betholschowka8865]

We had one that was of Jesus on the cross. It was given to us along with a rotating, color-changing base. The effect led us to call it, rather blasphemously, "disco Jesus".

[@spikekent]

I'm always pondering how stuff is made/created, never quite satisfied with just seeing it. Thanks for another superb explanation Angus.

[@MakersMuse]

It was fun to research and get to the bottom of it.

[@RyunForsman]

Back in 1998 I worked for a company in Wisconsin that had one of these YAG laser machines, and I had the job of operating it. It was absolutely fascinating to watch that machine work! I can also attest to the fact that optically pure crystal is super crazy Fragile. The slightest touch to each other or a semi hard surface and they would ship. Keeping inventory was fun for sure.

[@MakersMuse]

I can imagine! Mine already has a few small scuffs :(

[@theHacksmith]

Whoa that's really cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@MakersMuse]

Thanks man!

[@PotatoesAssistant]

Hi buddy

[@ianthompson6043]

What!! You're everywhere lol

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

some of us get around

[@mrsomeoneguy8832]

Hi in 2020 congrats on 9.3 mil subs

[@davidmcdonald3314]

That's pretty cool Angus - and you've shone light into some aspects of the process I'd never heard of or given any thought to. Kudos

[@magellanicraincloud]

I've always been curious as to the specifics. Thanks Angus.

[@pakxo.]

I did try to search on this thechnology but couldn't found any high quality video but now I do Thank you

[@Cryocide]

Thank you! This video is just complex enough to help us understand how it’s done, still simple enough for the average person to understand it, and even suggests that there’s a more complex process involved for those who want (or don’t want) to dig deeper.

[@LaserRanger15]

I've been in the industrial laser biz for many years. The sub-surface marking it pretty fun to watch, for sure and a nice effect. Once upon a time it was really special and you paid big bucks but now they sell the crystals at gas stations for $5.00. Good video.

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

That is seriously awesome! Really appreciate the effort you put into this. Keep up the good work!

[@RonFloyd]

Thanks Angus - I've always been curious about those. Thumbs WAY up!

[@TheMan4407]

Thank you! I was getting so sick of these "how laser engraving works" videos on youtube. You actually explained how it worked!

[@JustinDrentlaw]

Awesome video Angus! Very informative. Loved it.

[@Tyriama]

I have one of these from many years ago. Always been a cool piece that my mother keeps in addition to our pictures. Neat little things.

[@Tonicwine999]

Fascinating! Always wondered about how they did this. The idea I had in my head was completely wrong. Thanks :)

[@karenlovisa6078]

Thank you, learning is fun and when others take time to share knowledge it’s like a roller coaster..you rock..

[@RSpudieD]

A very well produced video that's awesome and informative!

[@savitriagnesiamurti8683]

thanks for sharing this. My son wanted to know how our travel souvenir was made. We ended up watching this video together. 🙏🏻

[@georl1]

Just had one made of my mom and dad in a heart shaped glass. It cost over $250 to make but is gorgeous and will last a lifetime. Thanks for the info on how they're made.

[@user-zd5it4yr9b]

where did you get it made?

[@joeljames2829]

Awesome vid! Especially for curious ppl:)

[@Foebane72]

I've seen a few of these in the past, and I figured it was lasers, but it's still beautiful to look at them with these 3D etchings inside solid glass/crystal/plastic.

[@BrotherEmmet]

FINALLY! Thanks Angus for explaining!

[@signaturelaserdesigns7556]

Fascinating, thanks for explaining this type of laser engraving. I wondered how it was done.

[@thehappyextruder7178]

Awesome like with everything as costs go down we might see more of these in residential settings. Great explanation of the tech process !

[@jenpenn22]

This guy is adorable. Thanks for the great explanation, these always fascinated me.

[@josephwisniewski3673]

Good video. I already knew how this works, and you explained it very well without getting too deep.

[@Engineerboy100]

Nice explanation thanks for taking the time to share, great job on the video too!

[@frankpeck1448]

Thank you, for demystifying a curiosity of mine, for years!

[@nickij12]

I've been wondering about this for years! I've seen the really see videos that barely give an explanation where I'd still be thinking "but how?" So thank you for giving a good explanation

[@technicpiledriver7732]

Im allways happy to watch your videos

[@MakeTechCreate]

Great explanation! Thanks for the video.

[@matthewbryan2353]

Love the video, I saw this the US around 25 years ago and loved it. I then started a business with no idea what I was getting into but loved the learning experience and traveled the world sleeping in airports to find the equipment to do this. I now have a laser machine in my garage that I’m wanting to get running again and try find some better low cost modern 3D face scanning technology as this was a real drawback in until 15 years ago when I gave it away. That said I love this kind of technology and have moved onto CNC router and have just ordered a 5 axis water jet cutter.

[@fannytorres1781]

Thank you so much for explaining it!!

[@emiliofernandezlavado279]

Amazingly interesting and useful! Thank you!

[@bhaskarrijal]

always wondered! thanks for this one

[@DylanTaylor]

Thats really cool! I had no idea lasers were around that long. I remember seeing those cubes when I was a kid

[@danthor45]

You just solved the biggest mysteri in my life. Thanks

[@mikemike7001]

Pretty neat. Would also love to see some videos on affordable "hobbyist grade" laser engravers.

[@MakersMuse]

There's a few low cost kits, but I've been cautious on using them because they have zero safety considerations. Touch a hotend you'll get a burn, shine a laser in your eye you're blind for life... Don't really want to promote that kind of thing to be honest.

[@mikemike7001]

A nozzle burn I can take. Blindness definitely not. I've read a little about the Muse - the laser device not the Aussie ;) - but that's not what you and I might call "affordable". I was hoping someone made a less-expensive unit with all the proper safety interlocks. Maybe someday.

[@tomgray971]

Like Trinus or Mooz?

[@telespallabob7136]

Just for the record: Fablab genova made an 80W CO2 open source laser cutter implementing all safety interlocks like commercial machines usually have. The total cost was around 2000€ for a 1250x780mm work area. They did a great job. You can see the machine in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/lauUaJyjjrGpfa8

[@sissywekesa4084]

We appreciate this info. My sis and I are ready in using one.

[@richardnelson581]

Years ago I did a job for Polaroid ,were we laser cut acrylic polarizers for an Arab sheik jet . When you rotated the polarizer it was a variable light filter ,we focused the laser and scribed the polarizer to say Polaroid . It lite up the word when it went opaque .

[@fatoumatadiarra8993]

Thank you for your video🙏 I was wondering the same question and I confirm this is the only video that I found with real explanation.thank you for your informations.

[@HariWiguna]

I've always wondered about how they did that. Thx Angus!

[@stefanarhart7153]

Thanks for the explanation. Bougth a pegasus in glass today because I was curious. Now I know.

[@stevesloan6775]

2019 and still stuff-all good laser sub surface engraving videos! On-ya for this! 🇦🇺🍀😎🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@fuadmaayeh8813]

Thank you for posting this video

[@RJMaker]

Very Cool, Thanks for the video.

[@MoesFingers]

Uh sir your production quality is on point.

[@BoomBrush]

My grandma had one of these for the longest time with the image of a fairy. Very interesting to learn how it was made!

[@rodolfoadrianquinones5090]

Thank you for this video.

[@PAPO1990]

I always figured it was lasers, but my assumption was multiple beams converging on a point, I had always underestimated what a difference focus makes

[@MakersMuse]

Apparently that is an alternate technology used for specific plastics but I couldn't find ANY info on it so decided to omit it instead of spreading false information. If you dig anything up let me know!

[@PAPO1990]

really? ha, here was me thinking I'd guessed entirely wrong :P But yeah, never saw or knew anything, just a guess I'd made many years ago, and until now had seen nothing about how it's actually done.

[@MrModTwelveFoot]

Yup, I'd always assumed it was two converging beams. This is just as cool though.

[@JamesRousseaux]

Thanks for explaining.

[@ElectricBillAlbright]

Very interesting. Its amazing how the focal point is so precise that no melting or etching takes place as its entering the glass crystal. When I was going through school at ITT tech we learned a little about lasers and optoelectronics. We made holograms on pieces of clear glass like window glass. It was a pretty simple basic procedure using a beam splitter and a helium-neon (HeNe) laser in a sandbox. Beam was split to provide your object beam and the incidence beam. The best thing we used for an object to make a hologram out of was an old television tube. The detail in the holographic image was awesome. The one thing that is really odd and sometimes hard to explain is, if you break that glass every single piece of broken glass will have the entire image on it. This is because the image is a frequency of light imbeded into the glass each piece has that frequency of light in it containing the entire image, might be very small on some pieces but its all there! 👍 I've worked with the older type (rear projection) television sets as a technician repairing them. Some TVs made by Philips/Magnavox used an optical coupling fluid between the CRT and lens. This was ethylene glycol the same chemical used for automobile coolant except it didn't have any color dye added. This fluid is considered optically transparent. It has a particular diffraction index. This index is taken into consideration for how the lenses are cut or made. The refraction index is that effect you get when you put a pole into a swimming pool and it looks like the pole is bent where it enters the water. Different fluids have more or less of that effect than other fliuds. They used that phenomenon to obtain the focus on the mirror/screen. They also used it as a cooling fluid for the CRTs to transfer heat away, being those little picture tubes (CRTs) were driven pretty hard in order to get decent brightness of the picture. Optoelectronics is an amazing technology. Just FYI, the term "laser" is an acronym for; Light Amplification by Stimulated Electron Radiation. 💯👍

[@user-xs9vq1xt3e]

thank you for the video, I liked it

[@cwitmer]

Thanks for sharing, I wanted to know this for a long time and guessed two laserbeams were used to get one high intensity intersection point. Fun how the right material, focal length and a lot of mathematics in preprocessing can do the trick.

[@SeanWMODonnell]

Oh thank God. I needed this.

[@timberry7832]

I enjoyed your video and I want to learn more. Keep going. Best wishes

[@FreedomsLife1776]

Quite remarkable; thanks for making this. My office just got a congratulatory cylinder sub-surface etched and I was very curious how it was made!!!

[@canaan5337]

I have always wondered how that worked ever since I saw one of those things it's bothered me for years I'm glad someone finally made a video about this

[@helene6379]

Cool, thanks. Realy intresting.

[@willyherrera5069]

Love it same here looking around how is made Thanks homeboy

[@Rulzan]

Very interesting,thanks for sharing. subscribed.

[@randiwaxman879]

Thank you for answering my question

[@mathteacher2694]

Thanks,you answered one of my oldest questions.

[@BGPhilbin]

+Makers Muse - Thanks for the video. I've had one of these items since my 1999 trip to Russia, where the technology was pioneered. It was remarkably inexpensive for the time (turns out using US cash in Russia at the time got you a bit more for your money). They were very proud of the precision with which they were able to make these little pieces of art and the quality of crystal they were able to obtain for it. Exports to the US that I found were extremely expensive and of lower quality (though I have no idea why that was the case, other than possibly saving money on the lasers, possibly). It was almost a decade before I started to see any version of these show up in the US and it's always been a conversation piece. Nice to see that my explanation of their creation was pretty accurate - thanks, again!

[@myoriginalname]

Never seen this before tbh but it looks cool and it's interesting to see how it's made.

[@CortezEspartaco2]

I've always wondered about this. I never would have guessed that the images are composed of tiny fractures. My guess was that the image was somehow constructed out of a flexible fiberglass fabric and then had molten glass poured over it into a rectangular mold, but couldn't figure out how they would avoid air bubbles. Also, I for one think that "bubblegram" is a fantastic name.

[@evilutionltd]

I learnt something! I was sure that an X and Y laser crossed at the point where the bubble was formed.

[@vanessavk3336]

Great video ! the internal engraving .

[@AcrimoniousMirth]

It works exactly how I assumed it would. Gonna thank myself from the past for studying effectively.

[@maxxsmaxx1901]

Thank you for the info. I have been wondering for a long time how it must be done.

[@sublimationman]

It's interesting. Some 20+ years ago I saw one of these in operation in Las Vegas. The guy realized I was into the tech side and he explained it all pretty much like you did. He also mentioned there was another technology at the time that used 2 lasers at 90degree from each other and where they collided it put a bubble. He said that he had done a lot of research before buying though and the other system was more money and much harder to calibrate (both lasers at a needle point size must hit each other exactly) and that they would get out of alignment very easy which would either end up with no image or one that looks fuzzy. That other company is probably long gone now.

[@JAYTEEAU]

That's awesome. Cheers

[@linux2420]

I always thought that there were multiple lazers, and that they would intersect in one spot to make that spot essentially have the power of 2 or 3 lazers on it. Would've never thought this is how they do it, great video!

[@BryceSchroeder]

I used to think this too! I wonder if we just both thought of that when we saw the objects, or if that was a misexplanation that was in the wild at some point, or if there are actually machines that do it that way.

[@elfenmagix8173]

Being in NYC, I see a lot of these being sold in the streets with various items etched inside. But lo' & behold! there are some that are made acrylic (most of these are), but the image inside was etched onto a thin sheet of acrylic and then put into a mold where liquid acrylic is poured in and allowed to harden. This creates a "cube" (or any other shape) with the image inside. Most of the times it is hard to detect but if you turn it to the side, the image flattens and almost disappears, signifying that it is a 2D image and not a 3D image in the "cube." Some times, there are flaws where you can see the acrylic paper seams about suspended in acrylic before it hardened.

[@bretttaylor4840]

Thank you so much! I tried to get more info about this back in the summer and there was absolutely nothing.

[@angerock49]

Very interesting!

[@jeremeymiller3406]

Would like to see an update with how they implement the HD quality and how they are able to do multiple do do multiple images now giving it a live action effect pretty cool I always was curious about this myself think this is a going to be a good anniversary gift idea

[@BelviGER]

I have one of those that is like 15 years old. They 3d scanned my dad and me and then custom made it while we looked on. It blew my mind of several layers. It was the first ever 3d scan I saw, the bubblegram itself was amazing technology and then they used a lego plate as a bed to put the glas on because apparently lego plates have ridiculous tolerances

[@KC-mw9gj]

Great video thank you

[@tin2001]

I only looked this up about 2 weeks ago! My previous boss had one on her desk for years, and I picked it up while visiting recently, and decided I really needed to know how it was done so I could find out if I could do them myself :p

[@jorelmendoza8842]

Neat! We have one of these and engraved is my dad. I remember he mentioned about lasers and I was curious but was too lazy to search up

[@georggross1232]

I was always intrigued by that by that technology since I bought a glass block with London iconic and historical buildings for my grandpa as a present for only 20 pounds, which seemed cheap but totally good quality.

[@3DPrintingNerd]

So, you're saying I should engrave glass in my Muse?

[@MakersMuse]

Yes!!! You need less power than you might think, so do some small tests first - and a solid image will work better than greyscale. Dithering is the best way to get gradients :)

[@ElectraFlarefire]

Angus: Have you tried focusing a normal CO2 laser below the surface? Maybe with dithering or such? I know getting a full '3d' look would be tricky without the software and machine, but being able to do 2-3 layers could be fun to try on some 10mm thick glass.

[@nottingham82]

You need very little power ;) I can do it with a 2.5 watt diode laser.

[@Mitch3D]

I'm actually very curious why we can't just use a CO2 or diode laser to sub-surface laser engrave dithered point clouds if you are controlling the Z-height of the lens to focus it.

[@legomasterdan1]

glass is opaque to a CO2 laser.

[@Hirudin]

Huuuaaaa! You got me with the sponsor stuff. LOL!

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

Wow really simple actually.

[@cat52]

Back in 2003 I had a 3D cube done of me in Las Vegas at the MGM Grande, he's right it wasn't cheap. But it turned out cool as hell.

[@lancejones9320]

Thank you for making this. I had one made in Germany in 2006. It didn't cost that much and I still cherish it. Always have been curious about how they did it.

[@optimumimage360videobooth4]

Lance Jones , what company made it ?

[@lancejones9320]

I wish I could remember. I'm in the military. They had a both in the post exchange in Grafenwöhr or Vilseck. I am a year away from retiring. I've always had a dream to do that for a retirement job.

[@doc_ineeda_win5834]

lol finally a good video on how its done lol did the same search till found yours

[@northrocks]

Been wondering abt this for years.

[@jjcc8379]

I already knew this involved lasers, but the specifics are amazing. I have a been collecting the infamous "monument" cubes from every tourist destination i've been for a decade :P Some are more amazing than others, indeed, some point densities are amazing and others are just meh ... but nonetheless, love them. Great video!

[@jasondanforth3140]

Thank you. Just received one of these from my company and was wondering how you go about that. I remember hearing someone somewhere was using a Z-axis focused laser system to generate points in mid air as a display. Heard it was also hot and very energy intensive.

[@travissmith7471]

Thanks for sharing...

[@JimmyGunawanX]

Thanks for this informative video, I had the same question for a while! Is there places in Sydney to see this kind of process that open for public? It the dots = 3D point cloud?

[@chrisharris7390]

I used to do this for a living in Las Vegas, the best lasers were the German "Vitro" lasers, not the ones from China. The laser uses a multi-faceted head to engrave hundreds of thousands of "points" inside the glass, to do that the image is converted or created as a cloud of dots. The laser is actually multiple beams that focus at a specific point to create a fracture, meaning that you can even stick your hand in the beam but the laser does not burn until you are at the exact XYZ of the beam that you have told it to burn at. One day a customer came in as part of a convention and fell in love with it -- turns out he was a big timer with Walmart and before you know it the back room where I worked was filled to the ceiling with boxes of glass for me to make displays -- displays for every Wal-Mart in the country. From what I understand they are still pressing "print" on the display files I created to this very day, even though I haven't been at that company for nearly a decade. So if you walk into a big box store and see one of these it might actually be one of my files from 2006 :) Oh and they do last forever, if you can avoid an accident that breaks the glass there is absolutely no fading whatsoever. I still have quite a few decade-plus works that look as good as the day they were made.

[@jmarsh3347]

Good video, i was curious how this was done, thanks. Does the block have to be annealed or tempered in any way, to relieve internal stresses?

[@Ntorial]

I always curious. How its made. Thanks for making this video

[@rsstnnr76]

You found something not on youtube? Impressive.

[@honawikeepa5813]

I did some of the Scaffolding on Westfield Bondi Junction. Did Darling Harbour to and Chifley Tower.