Can you cut and etch colored acrylic with a diode laser?

I ordered a variety pack of acrylic with 6 colored sheets of 3mm acrylic. I wanted to see if we could cut through it and etch on it. Each color is going to react differently to the blue laser. We will find what works and write that down somewhere. ;-)

I have tried doing this with clear and white acrylic and found it just doesn't work well at all. I did not show any of that work in this video. The diode laser beam goes right through the clear acrylic and no burning happens unless you put something on there first that will absorb the laser power and start the melting. This allows us to at least etch on the clear. I used the same method I use with glass and started to get some parameters that work.

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I have had a few people ask for the cut parameters I used so I am adding them here:

Cut through
2.50mm Black - 120 mm/min @ 80% power w/ 1 pass
2.75mm Orange - 120 mm/min @ 70% power w/ 3 passes
3.00mm Green - 120 mm/min @70% power w/ 3 passes
3.00mm Red - 120 mm/min @70% power w/ 3 passes
3.00mm Yellow - 100 mm/min @ 75% power w/ 3 passes
3.30mm Pink - 100 mm/min @ 80% power w/ 4 passes

Etching (without air assist)
Black - 2,400 mm/min @ 10% power
Blue - 1,000 mm/min @ 70% power
Green - 2,400 mm/min @ 20% power
Orange - 2,400 mm/min @ 30% power
Pink - 1,200 mm/min @ 60% power
Red - 2,800 mm/min @ 25% power
Yellow - 2,000 mm/min @ 40% power

[thTek]

The best on its type, professional, very objective, real life experience, GREAT !!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[clementinedenel]

thank you for your video and your test, very useful !

[trishawilloughby]

What were your setting for the different colors

[patrickhenderson]

Can you etch into acrylic that is multi-layer (black outside, and white inside)?

[kaylaherndon]

If i put a mask over the acrylic do you think it would work better?

[AlanDayley]

Thanks for this great report! What laser cutter are you using? What power is it?

[chubbyboy]

Have you tried engraving plastics? Like rowmark?

[WePlayGames]

I am brand new to laser cutting, literally bought the laser master 3 a few days ago, I had no idea you could not cut acrylic or that it has issues cutting acrylic due to the melting. I wanted to cut semi-translucent acrylic, such as those fluorescent colors you see of ten on acrylic sheets. I am wondering if the issue is that the light passes through the acrylic, would putting something dark under the acrylic help?? like a sheet of black paper or some wood painted in black??

[TAGSlays]

Are you going to share your settings? Or?

[cahorton]

Do you mind sharing which variety pack you got? Thanks!

[mellisamulligan]

I cannot cut orange with a 20W laser. Any suggestions on settings?

[haidarbuilds]

Hi, My Red Acrylic Cutting keeps ringing the fire alarm