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** Our laser cutters can etch certain metals; they cannot cut metal.
Questionable Materials - Consult with Tech Desk Staff for approval
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The links below go to the Laser Cutting Shapes website, which is a laser cutting service. These links are only to give context and examples of projects.
| Suggested Setting – | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Material | Depth | Cut (Vector) | Score/Etch (Vector except when noted) | Quality & Safety Notes | ||||
| Speed | Power | Frequency | DPI | Speed | Power | |||
| Acrylic (Plexiglas is a brand of this) | 3/32" (2.4 mm) | Vector cutting table (cross-hatched) must be used. A general rule of thumb for cutting acrylic is to relatively slow speed and high power; this produces a more flame-polished edge. There are two types of acrylic: cast is better for engraving (it creates a frosted look when engraved) and extruded acrylic produces a much better flame polished edge. | ||||||
| 1/8" (3 mm) | 12 | 100 | 100 | 300 | 100 | 40 | ||
| 1/4" (6 mm) | 6 | 100 | 100 | 300 | 100 | 60 | Note from manual: Adjusting the standard focus distance so it is closer to the lens by about .080” (2 mm) will produce better edge quality when cutting 1/4” (6mm) acrylic and thicker. Two passes can be used for cutting thicker materials. | |
| 3/8" (9.5 mm) | 3 | 100 | 100 | 500 | 100 | 55 | ||
| Alumamark | Engraving | NO | NO | NO | 300 | 100 | 20 | Engrave only. Alumamark settings PDF. |
| Engraving | NO | NO | NO | 500 | 100 | 10 | ||
| Anodized Aluminum | Photos/Clipart | NO | NO | NO | 400 | 100 | 35 | Engrave only. This material is reflective, so avoid using full power. Use low power and high speed for crisp edges. |
| Photos/Clipart | NO | NO | NO | 500 | 100 | 30 | ||
| Text | NO | NO | NO | 500 | 100 | 40 | ||
| Basswood | 1/16" (1.5 mm) | Charred edges, orange tinting without protective paper masking. | ||||||
| 1/8" (3 mm) | 45 | 90 | 50 | |||||
| 3/16" (4.5 mm) | 35 | 100 | 50 | |||||
| Brass (Painted) | Painted solid brass | NO | NO | NO | 300 | 100 | 25 | Engrave only. Must be painted. Not magnetic. Ask for assistance from the Tech Desk when etching this material. Use low power and high speed. Blue paints are more difficult to remove. If the finished product has a shadow, use alcohol or lacquer thinner to clean the edges. This material can be tricky: if it's polished before being painted, you'll see a polished finished product. If the brass isn't polished before being painted, the result will be dull. |
| Painted brass-coated steel | NO | NO | NO | 500 | 100 | 15 | Engrave only. Must be painted. Magnetic. Ask for assistance from the Tech Desk when etching this material. Use low power and high speed. Blue paints are more difficult to remove. If the finished product has a shadow, use alcohol or lacquer thinner to clean the edges. This material is steel that has been coated with brass, that brass layer is polished, then a layer of lacquer is applied, then the paint is applied. When you etch it, you're exposing the polished brass that is protected from oxidation by the lacquer coating. This material is preferred over painted solid brass. | |
| Bristol | 2 ply | |||||||
| 4 ply | ||||||||
| Chip | 1 ply | 100 | 25 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 8 | |
| 2 ply | 100 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 15 | ||
| 4 ply | 45 | 90 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 50 | ||
| Cork | 1/8" (3 mm) | NO | NO | NO | 300 | 100 | 30 | Engrave only. |
| 1/4" (6 mm) | NO | NO | NO | 50 | 100 | 30 | ||
| Corrugated cardboard | 1/8" (3 mm) | 100 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 10 | |
| 1/4" (6 mm) | 60 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 20 | ||
| Felt | 1/8" (3 mm) | 50 | 100 | 40 | Natural fibers will have charred edges and a strong smell. | |||
| Fleece | NO | NO | NO | 200 | 100 | 15 | Engrave only. Jarvis dithering pattern and using 80% grayscale for black is recommended. | |
| Glass | NO | NO | NO | 300 | 35 | 100 | Engrave only. Be sure that your material isn't actually leaded crystal. Jarvis dithering pattern and using 80% grayscale for black is recommended. Frosting is the result of etching this material. To dissipate heat from the engraving process, use either a wet sheet of newspaper/paper towel or a thin coat of dish soap. | |
| Leather | 1/8" (3 mm) | 60 | 100 | 50 | 300 | 100 | 20 | |
| 500 | 100 | 25 | ||||||
| Marble | Photo Engraving | NO | NO | NO | 300 | 100 | 35 | Engrave only. |
| Text Engraving | NO | NO | NO | 500 | 100 | 45 | ||
| Mat Board (Crescent is a brand of this) | 30 | 40 | 50 | |||||
| Museum Board (Strathmore is a brand of this) | 1 ply | 100 | 27.5 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 6 | |
| 4 ply | 5 | 25 | 50 | Will have some char on edges. | ||||
| Plastic*** | Various | NO | NO | NO | 300 | 100 | 20 | Ask for approval from the Tech Desk when etching this material. |
| 2-Layer Laser Engraveable 1/16" (1.5 mm) | 10 | 40 | 100 | 300 | 100 | 40 | ||
| 500 | 100 | 25 | ||||||
| Plywood | 1/4" (6mm) max | 12 | 100 | 10 | 10 | 80 | 50 | Recent incidents of fire indicate that this material requires caution and additional supervision if cutting is attempted. Additionally, glue and air pockets may prevent complete cut-through in some areas. MDF is recommended instead of plywood. |
| Stainless Steel with Cermark Coating | NO | NO | NO | 500 | 45 | 100 | Engrave only. Must be coated with Cermark metal marking spray. | |
| Twill | 90 | 80 | 25 | NO | NO | NO | ||
| Wood | Thin Veneer | 50 | 80 | 10 | 500 | 70 | 100 | Note from manual: When cutting wood, multiple passes may allow cutting of thicker materials. Using Color Mapping you can adjust the focus point between passes down to the center point of the cut for the best results. Always use the additional Sweep Air Assist when cutting. |
| 1/8" (3 mm) | 25 | 100 | 10 | 300 | 60 | 100 | ||
| 1/4" (6mm) | 13 | 100 | 10 | 500 | 65 | 100 | ||
| 3/8" (9.5 mm) | 7 | 100 | 10 | 500 | 30 | 100 | ||
| 1/2" (12 mm) | 4 | 100 | 10 | |||||
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