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Best Acrylic for Laser-Cut Cake Toppers: Thickness, Finish & Type
Best Acrylic for Laser-Cut Cake Toppers: Thickness, Finish & Type
CMBACRYLIC Buying Guide
Buying Guide · Cake Toppers
Best Acrylic for Laser-Cut Cake Toppers
Which thickness, which finish, and how to keep acrylic off the cake, in one place.
Quick answer: The best acrylic for laser-cut cake toppers is 1/8" (3mm) mirror acrylic in gold, silver or rose gold. Step up to 3/16" when you want a more substantial topper, and use glitter or metallic sheets for a softer look. Acrylic is not rated food safe, so keep it from touching the cake.
A cake topper has to stand up straight, read clearly from across the room, and photograph well. The right sheet handles all three. Here is how to choose thickness and finish before you buy.
Thickness
What Thickness Is Best for Cake Toppers?
1/8" (3mm)
The standard cake topper thickness. Stiff enough to stand in the cake, light enough not to sink, and it has the widest choice of colors and finishes.
3/16"
Noticeably more substantial than 1/8". A good pick for larger toppers or when you want the piece to have more presence.
Tip: Thin script letters and long stakes are the weak points. Keep connecting strokes and stakes wide enough to hold their shape. If a design keeps breaking, thicken the lines before you thicken the sheet.
Finishes
The Most Popular Finishes for Cake Toppers
Mirror
The classic topper look. Gold, silver and rose gold are the favorites, with many more colors available. Leave the masking on the mirror face until the topper is finished so it does not scratch.
Glitter
Sparkle cast into the sheet, so it shows on cut edges and won't rub off. On most glitter sheets the glitter runs through, so both sides sparkle.
Metallic shimmer
A soft metallic sheen with no mirror glare. Looks like satin gold or brushed metal and photographs without reflections.
Gloss solids
Bold, bright color for birthday and theme cakes. Easy to match to party colors.
Not sure which finish fits? Compare them side by side in our Acrylic Finish Guide.
Food contact
Keep the Acrylic Off the Cake
Acrylic should not be sold as food safe. Treat mirror acrylic and any UV printed acrylic as decorative only. Most makers slide the topper stake into a food-safe straw before it goes in the cake, or wrap the stake in food-safe film. These steps reduce contact. They do not make acrylic food safe, so label your toppers as decorative.
More detail: Is Acrylic Food Safe?
Laser type
Will It Cut on My Laser?
Every finish above cuts on a CO2 laser like a Glowforge. Mirror acrylic is not recommended for diode lasers. If you have a diode, choose glitter or metallic sheets from our Diode Laser collection, which lists sheets customers have cut on diode machines, and cut a sample chip first. Settings are on our recommended cut settings page.
To engrave mirror acrylic, work on the back (non-mirror) side so the design reads through the front. Sheet sizes have a +/- 1/4" tolerance, so leave a small margin when you lay out a full sheet of toppers.
Need toppers printed or cut for you? Custom printing and custom cutting are handled by our sister company, Print & Cut Co.
Quick answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What thickness acrylic is best for cake toppers?
1/8" (3mm) is the standard. Use 3/16" when you want a more substantial topper.
Is it safe to put an acrylic cake topper in a cake?
Acrylic is not rated food safe, and mirror and UV printed acrylic should be treated as decorative only. Put the stake in a food-safe straw or wrap it in food-safe film so the acrylic does not touch the cake.
Can I cut mirror acrylic cake toppers on a diode laser?
Mirror acrylic is not recommended for diode lasers. Try glitter or metallic sheets from our Diode Laser collection and cut a sample chip first.
Ready to make cake toppers
Shop mirror acrylic sheets
Gold, silver, rose gold and more, in 1/8" sheets.
Shop mirror sheets →
