Michael Kleper: A Professor Emeritus Who Found a New Passion in Laser

by Winnie Li Posted in March 22, 2023

Michael Kleper is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester, New York. He served as a professor; teaching, researching, and consulting in the fields of digital printing and publishing, and media sciences for more than 40 years. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing, a newsletter started in print in 1974, that provides information and analysis on digital printing and publishing technology, as well as, more recently, reviews of innovations in laser engraving and cutting.

He has written numerous articles and books on topics related to digital imaging, display technologies, printing and publishing; and now laser engraving. He recently published a free guide, The Laser Engraver Buyer’s Guide, available at http://kleperreport.com/2023/02/17/the-laser-engraver-buyers-guide/.

In the summer of 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Michael Kleper was looking for a creative outlet4, to add to his hobbies. He was considering getting a new 3D printer when he happened upon the fledgling field of laser engraving/cutting technology. His professional background had been in the area of printing and publishing, that is, working with ways to apply ink on paper to communicate messages. Laser engraving, he considered, was a way to apply text, designs, and photos onto virtually any surface.

His research revealed a small number of active manufacturers. Many of the same names appeared repeatedly in Google searches, in YouTube videos, and in conversations with people familiar with the technology. He found that a recognized leader in the field was xTool.

What He also discovered was that there were no books available that dealt with the many questions he had about laser engraving.

Having written several books, and experiencing a period of time when travel and other activities were severely limited, Michael Kleper decided that he could write such a book, and he did. Focusing on Laser Engraving and Decorating: Affordable, Versatile, and Creative Marking, Engraving, and Cutting, published in July 2022, is available on amazon.com.

He has now been using xTool products for more than two years. In that time, he has seen the technology grow and mature significantly. The xTool product line has expanded to meet all of the needs required for efficient and productive use of laser engraving.

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