It’s time to briefly talk about acrylic engraving, not to be confused with acrylic etching, which is something else entirely. Engraving, like cutting, requires opaque acrylic. Opaque as well as darker colors. White and blue are also pretty spot on. Sorry, it’s physics for you.
What can you do with clear acrylic anyway? Like wood, it can be carved flat, carved deeply, etched without masking material, and naturally cut. However, unlike wood, engraving on acrylic does not result in a jet black or dark brown finish, but the same color as acrylic or an off-white version. Think of it like a frosted glass effect.
Acrylic Laser Engraving Settings
What speed/power should I use? If you’re a regular member of the official D1 group on Facebook, you should already know the answer. Run a performance speed test and choose the combination that fits your vision and project needs. Run the
Cut Test to determine which combination cuts the material the fastest and cleanest. Both types are available in the Files section of your uploaded group. Read the associated article for each test file and you’ll see a video on how to use the test in the first comment.
At the base level, the faster the speed, the shallower the depth. In the case of power, it is the opposite, the greater the power, the deeper the sound. This will give you an idea of what to expect in your test results.
Paper or Paperless
Acrylic sheet is usually with a protective cover on both sides. Usually paper, however now and again plastic. Some people leave it on and later select the rest of the project. Anything the laser touches must be vaporized, making this a viable option, but it’s annoying to peck and you may not want the melted bits to come out of the finer details. For this reason, we usually remove the paper instead of just cutting it.
Air Assist vs No Air Assist Like the
paper/no paper issue, using Air Assist is often a matter of personal preference and project needs. When working with wood, a low power setting for air assist is ideal to prevent smoke and particle build-up from the cone-shaped auxiliary nozzle and laser lens. High air volume or pressure during engraving will have a fading effect on the engraving and usually produces unsatisfactory results. acrylic reacts differently to air assist when cutting. Instead of a faster, more efficient cut, you get a slower cut. But it is now no longer all bad. If you look closely at cut acrylic, air-assisted cuts tend to be cleaner, with less warping and blistering around them. When carving, Air Assist is especially whitish. If there is no air support, the color will be close to the original color, but the material may warp or swell.
Engraving Photos on Acrylic
Can you engrave photos on opaque acrylic with a laser engraver? Of course you can, but without using a masking material like tempera paint. The light touch of the laser that makes the surface whitish looks great in the photo. In some respects, opaque acrylic is easier to work with than wood because its properties are very durable and its surface is very smooth. This removes much of the frustration when working with organic materials.
Mixed Media
Just because we’re talking about engraving on acrylic doesn’t mean you have to rely on acrylic’s natural look. But on the contrary. Suitable for multi-layer painting such as ceramic tiles and canvas. Laserfoil pairs particularly well with the smooth surface of acrylic, which is ideal for bonding. Powder coating mediums work similarly to mica because acrylic can be carved like wood and is a bit tacky when exposed to laser light. For all of the above combinations, the same techniques used for wood apply to acrylic, just the power and speed change.
Summary
Of course you can do a lot more with acrylic than just cutting out earring shapes. It is not particularly difficult to process, and in some ways it is easier to process than wood. The key to successful acrylic engraving is found at the top of the Settings section.A small test gives a wealth of information that can be used in various projects. Pure acrylic, acrylic and one or more other mediums, surface colours, depths, etc. Don’t restrict your creativity or product line. Explore, experiment and evolve yourself and your business.Pleasant Plastic offers end-to-end product design, engineering, tooling and acrylic processing. We are the best acrylic products designer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Our services include acrylic engraving/etching, acrylic painting and design in Dubai, and acrylic laser engraving or cutting in Dubai. We pride ourselves not only on the efficiency of our work, but also on the timely delivery of our customers’ orders. You will find that Pleasant Plastic is famous in Dubai for acrylic bending. Please be in touch with us for extra information.
