Short answer
Acrylic cuts best with a CO2 laser, which cuts clear, colored, and cast acrylic cleanly. Most blue diode lasers can only cut dark or opaque acrylic, because clear acrylic is largely transparent to blue light. Whatever machine you use, the best settings come from testing on a scrap of the same sheet, since power, speed, thickness, and color all change the result.
All numbers below are rough starting points drawn from commonly shared guidance. Check your machine’s manual and test before cutting a final piece.
Cast vs extruded acrylic
The type of acrylic affects both cutting and engraving.
| Property | Cast acrylic | Extruded acrylic |
|---|---|---|
| How it is made | Liquid acrylic poured into molds and cured | Pushed through rollers as a continuous sheet |
| Engraving | Usually gives a frosted white look | Engraved areas can look clear or gummy |
| Cutting | Cuts cleanly; edges can be less glossy | Often gives smoother, more polished-looking edges |
| Cost | Generally higher | Generally lower |
A common rule: choose cast acrylic if engraving is the priority, and extruded if clean cut edges matter more. Suppliers sometimes do not label sheet clearly, so ask before buying.
What type of laser is best for cutting acrylic?
A CO2 laser is generally considered the best choice. It operates at a wavelength (around 10,600 nm) that acrylic absorbs strongly, so it cuts clear and colored sheets and can leave polished edges. Blue diode lasers (around 450 nm) pass through clear acrylic with little effect, so they are limited to dark or opaque colors unless the surface is masked or painted. Higher-power diode modules do better on thicker opaque sheet, but clear acrylic remains difficult.
| Feature | CO2 | Diode |
|---|---|---|
| Clear acrylic | Yes | Generally not, without workarounds |
| Dark or opaque acrylic | Yes | Yes, within power limits |
| Maintenance | Higher (tube, mirrors, cooling) | Lower |
| Cost | Generally higher | Generally lower |
Starting settings
CO2 lasers
Commonly shared guidance includes roughly 3 mm acrylic on a 40 to 50 W machine at full power and moderate-to-slow speed in one pass, and 6 mm acrylic on a 100 W machine at around 75% power at a slow speed. Treat these as a starting direction only. Speed units, power calibration, and lenses differ between machines.
Diode lasers
Typical shared examples for 3 mm black acrylic involve full power, slow feed rates, and multiple passes: more passes on a 10 W module, fewer on a 20 W module. Clear acrylic generally needs a workaround such as covering the surface with a dark mask or paint, and results may still be poor.
Process tips for any laser
- Run a small test shape first, such as a 10 mm square, before the real job.
- Keep the protective film or paper on when cutting, unless your guidance says otherwise. It can reduce smoke staining on the surface.
- Account for kerf, the width of material the beam removes (often around 0.1 to 0.2 mm), when designing parts that must fit together.
- Save settings for each color and thickness, since the same acrylic in a different color can behave differently.
Can the Creality Falcon A1 cut acrylic?
The Falcon A1 is a diode laser engraver. Diode lasers of its type can generally cut thin, dark or opaque acrylic with several passes but are not suited to clear acrylic. Exact thicknesses and speeds depend on the model variant and its optical output, so check Creality’s published specifications and test on scrap. If clear acrylic is important to you, a CO2 machine is the more dependable option.
Engraving acrylic
- Cast acrylic usually engraves to a clean frosted finish.
- Use lower power and higher speed than for cutting, to avoid melting.
- A slightly defocused beam can give wider frosted marks.
- Engraving from the back of clear acrylic is a common technique for signs, since the design reads through the front.
Air assist, focus, and support
- Air assist: Helps reduce flare-ups, remove melted debris, and keep edges clean. Excessive pressure can cause ripples, so adjust gradually.
- Focus: Set the focus at the surface or slightly into the material as recommended for your lens.
- Support: Use a honeycomb or pin bed so the beam does not reflect off a solid surface and mark the underside.
- Flatness: Warped sheet changes focus distance and gives inconsistent cuts.
Common mistakes
- Skipping test cuts. Settings vary by machine, color, and thickness.
- Trying to cut clear acrylic with a blue diode. The beam passes through, so little happens.
- Cutting too slowly or with too much power. This melts edges and can cause flames.
- No air assist or weak extraction. Smoke and debris build up and flare-ups become more likely.
- Leaving the machine unattended. Acrylic can ignite.
- Using the wrong sheet. Extruded sheet may not frost when engraved; cast may not give glossy cut edges.
- Ignoring kerf. Parts meant to slot together end up loose.
- Using unknown plastic. See the next section.
Materials you should never cut
Do not cut PVC or vinyl, or any material that contains chlorine, as these can release corrosive and toxic fumes. Avoid any plastic you cannot identify, and consult the material’s safety data sheet and your laser’s manual. Polycarbonate is also commonly listed as a poor choice because it tends to discolor and burn rather than cut cleanly. If in doubt, do not cut it.
Finishing edges
- Flame polishing: A quick pass with a small flame can smooth edges but can also bubble or warp the plastic if overdone, since acrylic softens well below flame temperatures (see acrylic heat resistance).
- Sanding and buffing: Work through progressively finer wet-sanding grits, then polish.
- Solvent polishing: Plastic-welding solvents can polish or join edges, but need good ventilation and careful handling, and solvents can craze stressed edges (see acrylic chemical resistance).
- Joining: Use cement made for acrylic rather than general glues, which can frost or crack the surface.
Safety
Use an enclosure with proper ventilation or extraction, wear eyewear rated for your laser’s wavelength, keep a fire extinguisher nearby, and stay with the machine while it runs.
Related reading
For wood-specific advice on power, speed, and test grids that apply to many materials, see our guide to laser settings for wood engraving. If you plan to use laser-cut acrylic for windows or panels in a model, see how to make models of buildings.