Laser cut acrylic can create many unique and distinctive products, such as jewelry, storage boxes, mobile phone stands, and more.
So how much do you know about laser cut acrylic?
You will learn about the process of cutting acrylic, the possible dangers, and the advantages of the process.
How much do you know?
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Types of acrylic for laser cutting/etching

Acrylic is a type of plastic that looks similar to glass by adding a special chemical composition. The acrylic material is completely transparent to the laser beam, and choosing suitable laser etching parameters is important. There are also many types of acrylic, a few of which are briefly listed below.

Clear acrylic

This is the most common type of acrylic, and its clear, unbreakable sheet characteristics make it suitable for many applications.

White acrylic

When you don't want to choose a clear acrylic sheet, you can select this white acrylic instead.

Colored acrylic

Transparent and white acrylic sheets can be a bit monotonous. Colorful acrylic sheets are more popular for children's toys. There are almost 30 colors of colored acrylic sheets on the market for sale. If you need to complete a beautiful and unique project, choosing colored acrylic sheets is a good decision.

Mirror acrylic

Mirror acrylic has a surface that reflects laser light and is suitable for high pressure environments. This is a relatively rare type of laser cut acrylic material. If you need to cut mirror acrylic, we recommend using a diode or RF laser tube.

Light diffused acrylic

This material is used for many exhibitions, large chambers of commerce, and concerts with illuminated lettering. The buck particles are combined with many diffuse films to give the acrylic a luminous appearance in a lighted environment.

How to laser cut acrylic

Prepare paint or art decals

If you need to laser cut a clear acrylic sheet. Then it is a good idea to prepare a spray gun, mix water and paint in a ratio of 3:1 and spray it evenly on the surface of the acrylic material.

Of course, you can also choose a brush or roller. Using them to apply the paint evenly on the acrylic is a bit more hands-on job for you.

The decals are easier to work with than the paint.

After masking off the areas, you need to laser cut/etch. We start the second step of cutting.

Preparing the image

Next, you must design or import the image you need in the design system. If you choose a gweike laser cutter, you can use the design system that comes with the machine. The interface is simple and easy to use, making it easier to design. It supports both on-net and offline use.

Of course, you are also recommended to use light burn, which has a much more comprehensive range of design functions, and it is easy to set the size and material of the image. And you can also preview the look of the image very well. If you would like to choose another design software, you can read the following: Best Laser Engraver Software.

Preparing to laser cut acrylic

Once ready, you can set the parameters to cut/etch the acrylic sheet. If your acrylic sheet is thin, it is recommended that you choose a low to medium power and a fast speed for cutting.

What are laser cut acrylic projects?

Laser engraved acrylic has a wide range of applications, and you can get creative inspiration from the list listed below. Or you can customize your creative work from the Laser cut acrylic projects below and sell it on the platform to make a profit.

Laser cut acrylic earrings

Using colored acrylic to make earrings is a very cool Laser cut acrylic project, and it would be very popular with the girls. If you want to start your own laser business, you can use your imagination to make acrylic rings, hair clips, and other accessories. Acrylic is a very light material; earrings don't hurt your ears even if you wear them all day. And acrylic is so inexpensive that it doesn't cost much to create hundreds or thousands of them.

You can also glue some crystals, diamonds, pearls, feathers, and other ornaments onto the clear acrylic surface to create a more ornate piece of jewelry. Trust me! Laser cut acrylic earrings are a good business.

Acrylic signage

Acrylic signage is popular with many exhibitions, companies, and advertising industries. These acrylic signs will bring you a different visual experience whenever the night comes. The simple colors of acrylic make the whole signage design more simple and upscale. Add some LED light strips to match the acrylic panels if you feel monotonous. Make a custom sign for yourself or your company! This laser cut acrylic idea is a hit.

Photo Lamp

Acrylic is mainly made of a special molecular structure that cleverly reflects light. And you can also find various colors of light using colored acrylic sheets. It is a good choice for setting up acrylic lights in a hallway, above a bed, or in a display cabinet at home. Using LED bulbs consumes very little power and has a long life. You can also control the brightness of the light by choosing different wattage bulbs. Bring this laser cutting acrylic idea to life and give it to your partner for Valentine's Day or a birthday. It's a very desirable gift!

Keychain

Even though smart locks are popular nowadays, we still need keys in many places, such as cars, basement doors, etc. It is so striking to have a laser cut key fob of your own. If you have children, you can attach a variety of key fobs to the zips of their school bags so that an ordinary school bag becomes extra cool.

If you have an older family member, you can engrave a keyring on their phone case with your contact details. If the older person is in danger, it will be easy for someone to contact you quickly.

Acrylic Brackets

While eating, we can watch a film for dinner. If the phone is placed on the table, we need to keep our heads down, which can damage our spine. If holding it with the other hand interferes with our meal, then the best way is to put it on a phone stand, which is both convenient and comfortable. We can use a laser cutter to make a DIY mobile phone holder.

You can use a laser cutter to create your stand for your phone, depending on your eating habits and height of vision. In the same way, you can laser cut acrylic to make many stands, such as computer and wine bottle display stands.

Acrylic Stamp

This is the last acrylic laser cut projects I would recommend today. These stamps were previously usually engraved on stone or wood, but now with the advent of technology, we can engrave them on acrylic as well. You can achieve custom patterns much more quickly.

Hazards when laser cutting acrylic

Fire

This is one of the least likely hazards but one of the most likely. If we are engraving or cutting acrylic, it is implausible that a fire will occur. However, if the exhaust system fails, a fire or even an explosion can easily happen when cutting acrylic. So we watch over the process of laser engraving acrylic. Once there is any difference, stop the machine in time to ensure the safety of you and the machine.

Poisoning

The acrylic we buy does not produce gases and fumes harmful to the body during the cutting process. However, if you purchase poor quality acrylic sheets, you may produce toxic fumes during the engraving or cutting process. If the cutting environment is well ventilated, it is generally not very harmful. However, if the engraving environment is poorly ventilated, it may cause poisoning.

So when laser cutting acrylic, we try to connect a fan. This will enable the fumes produced during the cutting process to be discharged outside in time.

How to remove dust when laser engraving acrylic

Cutting acrylic tends to produce a lot of smoke. Very few fumes may adhere to the reflector with the air blowing tube. You can also wipe the glass or focus mirror with a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. You can find the procedure in the following: Co₂ Laser Cutting Machine Maintenance.