Recommended Cut Settings & Guidelines for CO2 Lasers

But where do you start?

The short answer is: there’s no one-size-fits-all setting. Laser cutting (especially with acrylic) has a lot of nuance.

We’ve pulled together a list of starter settings crowdsourced from the amazing Acrylic Obsessed Facebook Group to give you a solid jumping-off point. These are not set in stone, but they’ll help you get your feet wet.

A few tips as you test:

1. If your material isn’t cutting all the way through (and your focus is correct), try increasing your power and lowering your speed. Adjust in increments of 5. 
2. If your cuts are burning or melting, go the opposite direction: lower your power and increase your speed.

A Few Other Things Worth Noting

Diode Laser? Check out more info here-

5/32" Chunky Party Line: PG Medium Black with 2 passes. These are not suited for super detailed cuts.

1/8" Pattern Sheets & Printed Two Tone: Cut on PG Medium, selecting either Clear, Black, or White to match the base you are cutting. Engrave on 1000 Speed and 40 Power. If your print has a paper masking, that side should be facing your honeycomb tray (pattern side up). If you have printing on both sides, raise your acrylic off the bed using scrap material.

1/4" Thick Acrylic: Recommended settings: 5 / 60 / 60 (Omtech Polar)