Can You Make Money with a Budget Galvo Laser Engraver? Real-World Examples 2026

2026-03-31T09:49:43-04:00

You've probably seen all the videos of people making thousands of dollars a month with laser engraving. But you might be wondering: can you actually make money with a budget galvo laser engraver, or do you need to spend thousands on an industrial machine to be profitable?

Good news: you can absolutely make good money with an entry-level budget galvo like the Tyvok P2, and many people are already doing it. In fact, for many starting out, a budget galvo is actually a better investment than an expensive machine because you can pay it off much faster.

In this article, we'll break down real-world profitable business ideas that work with budget galvo lasers, how much you can expect to make, and why a $500 galvo can be the perfect starting point for a laser engraving business.

Why a Budget Galvo is Perfect for Starting a Business

Before we get into the specific business ideas, let's talk about why a budget galvo like the Tyvok P2 10W is actually ideal when you're just starting a laser business:

1. Low initial investment = Faster payback

A quality budget galvo costs you under $500. That means you only need to complete about 10-20 jobs to pay off the entire machine. Compare that to a $5,000+ industrial galvo – you need 100+ jobs just to break even.

When you're starting out, this is huge. You can start making a profit much faster, and you don't have to go into debt to get started.

2. Faster engraving = More jobs per day

Because a galvo laser is 15-24x faster than a traditional gantry laser, you can do more jobs in the same amount of time. A job that takes a gantry 10 minutes takes your galvo less than 30 seconds.

That means you can fit more orders into your day, which directly translates to more revenue.

3. Portability for event work

Most budget galvos (including the Tyvok P2) are compact and lightweight enough to take with you to events. That means you can do on-demand engraving at craft fairs, farmers markets, festivals, and corporate events – where you can make $500-$1,500 in a single weekend.

4. Perfect for small items, which are high-margin

Budget galvos typically have a 100mm x 100mm engraving area, which is exactly what you need for most profitable small items: keychains, pet tags, jewelry, wedding favors, corporate gifts. These items have excellent margins (often 70-80% profit) and are in constant demand.

Real-World Profitable Business Ideas for Budget Galvos

Here are the most popular (and profitable) ways people are making money with budget galvo lasers right now:

Business Idea #1: On-Demand Event Engraving

This is one of the easiest ways to start making money immediately with a budget galvo. You set up a booth at a craft fair, market, festival, or corporate event, and engrave items that customers bring in – or sell blank items that you engrave on the spot.

What you can engrave at events:

Keychains ($10-$20 each, 80% margin)

Pet tags ($15-$25 each)

Wine glasses ($20-$30 each)

Tumblers and water bottles ($25-$40 each)

Jewelry and pendants ($20-$50 each)

Wedding party gifts

How much you can make:

A good weekend at a well-attended event: $500-$1,500 in revenue

Your costs are just the blank items and booth fee – profit is usually 60-70%

One good event can pay off your entire budget galvo machine

Why a budget galvo works here:

It's portable enough to bring with you

Fast engraving means you can serve more customers (no long lines)

Low investment means even if your first event isn't amazing, you still make money

Check out our article: 5 Reasons Why a Budget Galvo Is Perfect for On-Demand Event Laser Engraving to learn more.

Business Idea #2: Bulk Wedding Favors and Corporate Gifts

This is high-volume work that's perfect for galvo lasers because you can crank through dozens (or hundreds) of items very quickly. Wedding planners and companies are always looking for people who can do bulk engraving at reasonable prices.

Typical bulk orders:

100 wedding favor keychains or bottle openers

50 corporate gifts for employees or clients

200 custom pet tags for a vet clinic

75 event giveaways for a conference

Pricing example:

100 small keychains with simple logo: $300-$500 total

Material cost: ~$50-$80

Time to engrave: About 30-45 minutes with your galvo

Profit: $250-$420 for less than an hour of actual engraving

That's pretty good hourly pay, isn't it?

Why a budget galvo works here:

Speed is everything for bulk work – galvos crush this

You don't need a huge engraving area for small favors

The low machine cost means almost all of the revenue goes straight to profit

Business Idea #3: Custom Pet Tags

Pet tags are always in demand, and they're perfectly sized for a 100mm x 100mm galvo engraving area. You can sell them:

On Etsy or Shopify

To local vet clinics and pet stores

At pet events and adoption shows

Through your own website

Pricing:

Custom engraved pet tags: $15-$25 each

Cost of blank tag: $2-$4

Engraving time: 30-60 seconds per tag

Profit per tag: $13-$21

Even if you only sell 5 tags a day, that's $65-$105 profit per day – which is $1,950-$3,150 profit per month. That pays for your machine many times over.

Business Idea #4: Keychains and Small Accessories

Custom keychains are another staple product for budget galvo owners. They're cheap to buy in bulk, quick to engrave, and people buy them for all occasions:

Groomsmen and bridesmaid gifts

Birthday and Christmas presents

Company logos for businesses

Souvenirs for tourists

Family names and quotes

Margins are excellent:

Blank bulk keychain: $1-$3

Sell for: $10-$15

Profit per keychain: $9-$12

30 keychains per week = $270-$360 profit weekly

Business Idea #5: Photo Engraving on Wood, Leather, and Metal

Galvo lasers are perfect for photo engraving because they're so much faster than gantry lasers. Photo engravings are very popular for gifts:

Family photos on wood frames

Pet portraits on leather keychains or coasters

Wedding photos on acrylic or metal

Pricing example:

4x4 photo engraved on wood: $30-$40

Material cost: $3-$5

Engraving time: 1-2 minutes

Profit: $27-$35 per photo

Because your galvo is so fast, you can easily do 10-15 photos in an hour. That's $270-$525 per hour of work. That's pretty amazing for an entry-level machine.

Business Idea #6: Jewelry Engraving

Custom engraved jewelry is always in high demand, especially for:

Engagement and wedding gifts

Anniversary presents

Mothers Day and Valentines Day

Memorial jewelry

Most jewelry pieces are small – exactly what your 100mm x 100mm galvo is designed for.

Profit example:

Blank stainless steel necklace: $5-$10

Sell for: $40-$60

Engraving time: 1-2 minutes

Profit: $35-$50 per piece

Business Idea #7: Add Laser Engraving to an Existing Business

If you already have a business, adding a budget galvo can give you a whole new revenue stream:

Sign shops: Add custom engraving to existing products

Woodworkers: Engrave logos and text on your products

Furniture makers: Personalize furniture for customers

Print shops: Offer laser engraving as another service

T-shirt shops: Add engraved acrylic keychains or mugs

Wedding planners: Offer custom engraving for favors in-house

The great thing here is you already have customers – you just add a new high-margin service that you can offer them. And since the machine only costs $500, it's an easy investment to justify.

How Much Can You Actually Make with a Budget Galvo?

Of course, your results depend on how much time you put in, how you price, and how you market. But here's what's realistic for most people:

Part-time (10-15 hours per week):

$500-$1,500 per month profit after costs

Many people do this on the side to extra income

Full-time (40+ hours per week):

$3,000-$8,000+ per month revenue

$2,000-$5,000+ per month profit after material costs

Plenty of full-time laser engravers make this with just one budget galvo

That's not "get rich quick" – that's solid, realistic income from a small business that you can start on a shoestring budget.

Example: How One Owner Paid Off Their Tyvok P2 in One Weekend

We spoke to a Tyvok P2 owner who took their machine to a local craft fair on a Saturday and Sunday. Here's exactly what happened:

Machine cost: $499

Booth fee: $75

Blanks (keychains, pet tags, tumblers): $120

Total invested before the event: $694

Total revenue over the weekend: $1,240

Profit after all costs: $546

They paid off the entire machine and still walked away with $50+ profit from the first event. After that, almost everything they make is pure profit.

That's the beauty of starting with a budget galvo – the payback is very fast.

Tips for Maximizing Profit with Your Budget Galvo

If you want to make the most money possible with your entry-level galvo, follow these tips:

1. Focus on small items with high margins

Don't try to compete on big, low-margin projects when you're starting. Stick to small items (keychains, pet tags, jewelry, wedding favors) where the material cost is low and the selling price is good.

2. Leverage speed to do more jobs

Your galvo is much faster than a gantry. Price accordingly – you can do more jobs per day, so you can even be competitive on price and make more per hour.

3. Offer bulk pricing to get big orders

If a customer orders 100 items, give them a good bulk price. You'll make more total profit because you're filling your machine time with paid work.

4. Sell online and offline

Combine Etsy/Shopify sales with local events and local business orders. This gives you multiple streams of revenue so you're not dependent on just one.

5. Keep your overhead low

When you're starting out, you don't need a fancy workshop. Your budget galvo fits on a dining room table or small workbench. Keep your overhead low so more money goes to profit.

Common Questions About Making Money with Budget Galvos

Q: Do I need a larger engraving area to make money?

A: For 90% of the profitable small item ideas we listed above, 100mm x 100mm is perfect. If you later find you need a larger area, you can always upgrade the lens on the Tyvok P2. You don't need it when you're starting out.

Q: Can a 10W budget galvo really engrave all the materials I need?

A: Yes – 10W actual optical power like the Tyvok P2 has can engrave all common materials: wood, acrylic, leather, glass, coated metal, stone, and more. That's everything you need for 99% of commercial jobs.

Q: Is it too competitive to start now?

A: There's certainly competition, but there's also massive demand. More people are buying personalized products every year. The market is huge, and there's room for new small businesses. Plus, with a low investment like this, you don't need a huge piece of the market to be profitable.

Q: How fast can I start making money?

A: If you already have an Etsy shop or can get into a local event, you can start making money in your first week with a budget galvo. That's one of the best things about this business model – low barrier to entry.

Is a Budget Galvo Right for Your Business?

If any of these sound like you, a budget galvo like the Tyvok P2 10W is probably a great fit:

You're new to laser engraving and want to start small

You want to add engraving to an existing business

You want to do on-demand event engraving

You want to sell personalized products online

You don't want to invest thousands before you know if you'll love it

The bottom line is: yes, you absolutely can make money with a budget galvo laser engraver. Thousands of people are already doing it, and there's no reason you can't too.

The key is to start small, focus on high-margin small items, get your machine paid off quickly, and then grow from there. A $500 galvo can easily turn into a $2,000+ per month side income – and that's nothing to sneeze at.

Ready to Get Started?

If you're ready to start your laser engraving business with an affordable entry-level galvo, check out our full review of the Tyvok P2 10W Galvo Laser Engraver and see why it's our top pick for beginners in 2026.

You can also compare all the top budget options in our Best Budget Galvo Laser Engraver in 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget guide to help you make the right choice for your needs.