Laser Cutting Basics
Here are 18 helpful tips here to help you in your creating:
Practice makes perfect!
An easy way to improve your designs is to draw the same thing a few times at different variations. Not only does this warm up your creative side, but it allows you to create options and even improve your previous designs.Work to scale!
Designing at the size you would like your physical product is crucial. Shrinking down your designs can contort the design and ruin the detail!Think about the hole!
If you’re designing a product like earrings that require a hole, you will need to ensure a space for a hanging hole and some space for allowance. 2mm holes with 2mm space allowance is recommended.Will it Hang?
If your earrings are hanging, consider the weight distribution of the design and how it will naturally drop. Modifying the hole placement will change the way the design will hang.Too small for a hole?
Loops are the alternative to hanging hole when the design is too small. They are an added 6mm circle with a 2mm hole.Avoid sharp points!
When designing wearable pieces like earrings and brooches, rounded/ soft edges are the safest options. Acrylics shapes that are cut to points are quite sharp, so sanding the design post cut or rounding out the digital file is recommended.Thicc designs only!
Ensure that your shapes and design are on the thicker side, as thin shapes may break when they are handled or fall apart when taken out of the laser machine. A width of 2mm is recommended. You can measure the width using the line tool on a computer.Print at home!
Printing out your design at home to scale is the easiest way to see the design in your hand. This allows you to proof detail sizes, seeing if parts need to be thinner or thicker!Engraving must be thicc!
Although laser cutters are able to engrave very fine lines, sometimes they may not show up on the material properly. A minimum line width of 0.2mm or 0.5mm if inverted is recommended. If you plan to fill in your engraving with acrylic paint pens, thicker engraving lines make this way easier. You can also measure this with the line tool on the computer.Ensure all cut lines are joined
If there are gaps in your lines, the laser won’t cut!Beware of intricate shapes
If your shapes are too small, they may need to be pushed out by a small object like a pin. If you have lots of these shapes that need to be pushed out manually, it can take a while! We also do not recommend mirror acrylic as it is the hardest to push out.Save time, share cut lines
Combing shapes to share a cut line make the laser’s job easier. Not only that, but your file will cut quicker, costing less for you!Delete duplicate cut lines
Laser cutting machines will cut any red lines in your file, like duplicate cut lines or those hidden by a clipping mask. Duplicate lines often cost double the price and can burn piece from the excess heat. Be wary of double cut line in your file as they appear thicker and bolder.Work at 100% opacity
In order to ensure the software recognises cut lines, make the opacity 100%..Swap ins-and-outs
By swapping pieces from similar designs of different colours, you are minimising waste! For example, cutting shapes like flowers in two different colours and then swapping the centres.Print your laser file to proof it
Printing your file will clearly showcase any sizing issues or accidental overlapping cut lines.Order material samples
Sample material swatches are the best way to decide what material to use. Plainer materials (like solid acrylic) work best with complex shapes and fancier materials (like chunky glitter) look best for simpler shapes.Prototype!
If you aren’t 100% sure on your design, make sure to create a prototype using cheaper material. White, clear and black acrylic make great samples!