When engraving on acrylic, you can achieve outstanding finishes; however, a recurring problem is captured cloudiness. To avoid this, you must be certain of the materials you’re using. Did you know there are different types of acrylic?

Common mistakes occur when using extruded acrylic, which is prone to warping, burning, or leaving residue during laser engraving. The best results come from cast acrylic. Engraving on cast acrylic produces a smooth, intricate, and detailed finish—doesn't that sound beautiful? It is designed to vaporise when heated, leaving you with a stunning frosted look.

But don't reject extruded acrylic entirely! Even though it is often considered a "budget" option, it simply requires different handling to achieve beautiful outcomes.

Remember these tips:

• For Cast Acrylic: Leave the protective layer on and work at higher temperatures.

• For Extruded Acrylic: Remove the protective layer and work at lower frequencies to avoid melting.

Tips for Preventing Acrylic Engraving Issues

Preventing Cloudiness and Residue (Hazing)

• Leave Protective Masking On: The paper or plastic film acts as a physical barrier. It catches vaporised residue, ensuring a clean, crisp surface is revealed once you peel the masking off.
• Residue Prevention Hack: Lightly coat the engraving area with a thin layer of dish soap mixed with water before firing the laser. The moisture helps trap residue, allowing it to be easily rinsed off afterwards.

Avoiding Burns in Combined Jobs

• Engraving and Cutting Order: If your design includes both engraving (raster) and cutting (vector), always engrave first and cut last. This ensures engraving residue doesn't settle on the freshly exposed edges of your cut piece.

Improving Quality and Preventing Burns

• Clean Optics: A dirty or misaligned lens and mirrors will cause the laser beam to disperse unevenly. This leads to poor quality, inconsistent results, and localised burning. Clean your optics regularly to maintain a sharp, focused beam.

Post-Engraving Clean-up

• Use Acrylic-Safe Cleaners: To remove light residue, use an acrylic-specific cleaner, mild dish soap, or Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) with a soft microfiber cloth.
• Caution: Avoid Acetone! Acetone and harsh solvents will chemically damage acrylic, causing "crazing" or stress fractures, particularly in extruded types.

Have fun and start customising on your acrylics!

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