The Glowforge is a quality desktop laser that will cut and engrave many types of material, including acrylic. Whether you're just beginning to experiment with your machine, or you've been creating for years, the cutting chart below can serve as a handy reference when cutting acrylic on your Glowforge laser.
Acrylic is one of the best materials you can experiment with on your laser. It's inexpensive, and with thousands of combinations of thicknesses, colors, and sizes of acrylic to choose from, the creative possibilities are endless.
When using the settings below, keep in mind that dirty lenses and mirrors can decrease power, affecting the quality of your cuts. It's important to ensure they are kept extremely clean as part of your normal maintenance.
Material - All 1/16" (0.06") Thick Acrylic
CUT:
Speed: 180
Power: FULL
Pass: 1
Focus Height: 0.06 in
ENGRAVE:
Speed: 1000
Power: FULL
Lines: 270
Pass: 1
Focus Height: Auto
Material: All 1/8" (0.120") Thick Acrylic
CUT:
Speed: 160
Power: FULL
Pass: 1
Focus Height: 0.12 in
ENGRAVE:
Speed: 1000
Power: FULL
Lines Per: 270
Passes: 1
Focus Height: Auto
Material:All 3/16" (0.177") Thick Acrylic
CUT:
Speed: 135
Power: FULL
Pass: 1
Focus Height: 0.19 in
ENGRAVE:
Speed: 1000
Power: FULL
Lines: 270
Pass: 1
Focus Height: Auto
Material: All 1/4" (0.230") Thick Acrylic
CUT:
Speed: 110
Power: FULL
Pass: 1
Focus Height: 0.230 in
ENGRAVE:
Speed: 1000
Power: FULL
Lines: 270
Pass: 1
Focus Height: Auto
*Note: The settings above work for most cuts, however, if you are cutting smaller, more intricate designs (such as tight cut-out patterns or small text), the settings should be adjusted to cut slightly deeper so it's easier to remove the cut-out pieces.