[OP]
Member
Can someone tell me the correct way to laser Arcylic. I have a 30 watt machineand used 80% power and 100% speed without the masking paper. It doesn't look to bad but you can see around the text that it discolored the material and the text is not a very bright white color. Are my setting even close or should have I engraved through the masking paper.
Thanks again for the help.
George
Moderator
You mean rastering? If so, I'd say your power is way too high. Doesn't take much power at all to mark acrylic. Probably more in the 20-30% on power. Just guessing.
Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers
Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.
Member
I am fairly new to this but I have done a lot of acrylic with my 30 watt machine and I use 100 power and 50 speed and I have not lasered threw a sheet yet just right on the acrylic and had great results.
Jason
Moderator
Your machine will vary. Take a scrap and experiment, in fact what I used to do is engrave the settings on it for future reference. My 45 watt does best at 95% speed, 60% power at 400 DPI on clear.
Sammamish, WA
Epilog Legend 24TT 45W, had a sign business for 17 years, now just doing laser work on the side.
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Member
Hi George,Originally Posted by George McGinnis
Power and speed may be OK, but I would try less power first.
What sort of acrylic is it? Extruded or cast? It makes a big difference. Extruded does not engrave well.
Dave J
Forums: Where all too often, logic is the first casualty.
Member
First - are you sure it is acrylic.
Second - cast acrylic will give a nice frosty white appearance
extruded acrylic not so good
Member
Cast Acrylic has been the best so far. I personally engrave on Cast Acrylic with 95% Speed and 43% Power (I have a 40 Watt machine) with maximum 500 DPI depending on what i engrave and the outcome has been perfect so far.
The best way of doing it is to experiment on scrap pieces.
LaserPro Spirit GE 40 W, Rotary attachment, honey comb cutting table, Micro Flame Polisher, Windows7, Corel X6, Photoshop CS4, Photograv
Member
Yeah good idea to make a standardized test file which you can use to quickly gauge your settings. Materials differ and coming up with a new test for every material is a PiTA. Then save your test samples in an orgainzed file. It pays to be scientific about it.
Epilog 35 W 12x24
Adobe Illustrator
Dell PC
Moderator
After you determine your sttings engrave the piece from the back. It just looks better that way and every pro shop I know of follows that practice.
Mike Null
St. Louis Laser, Inc.
Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
Gravograph IS400
Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
Dye Sublimation
CorelDraw X5, X7
[OP]
Member
I bought the acrylic from JDS as part of a floating acrylic plaque set. I was engraving on the backside using 600dpi with the masking paper taken off. Maybe I should have decreased the dpi.
Thanks George
Moderator
Decrease the DPI and the power.
Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers
Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.
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