oFear... Acrylic

Cut settings for acrylic depend on thickness, type-cast or extruded, denseness of designs, or clearness. For example, if you are cutting 1/16” mirror acrylic cut fast, like 200-speed full power (Glowforge). If you are cutting 1/8” dense glitter acrylic cut slow, like 140-speed full power. To find the perfect cut settings for each piece, cut small shapes at different speeds and write them down in your notes. Here is an example of a test cut file. (Cut Comparison Pdf)

Engraving and Scoring

Acrylic can be engraved and scored on either side. If it is translucent, clear, or mirror acrylic engraving from the back (turn the acrylic over, reverse the image on the dashboard, and engrave) will make it look more polished and cleaner.

Click

For the other kinds of acrylic, engrave and score from the front. If you leave the masking on during the engraving, it can be filled with paint before you take the masking off to keep the acrylic clean.

If you defocus the laser’s lens, some acrylic engraves will have a nicer look. This is done by manually setting the focus. For example, when I engrave ⅛” acrylic, I set the focus at .3” instead of .12”, for an even and smoother engrave.

So, what can you use laser-cut acrylic for? The possibilities are as wide as your imagination, so pick up a sheet and start creating your ideas!

Kris Mayberry is an owner of Craft Closet and loves helping with laser material questions You can reach her at info@craftcloset com, Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube or by following the links on her Linktree site