A laser cutter machine cutting paper.
Laser cutters and engravers are the most popular machines in Fab Labs and makerspaces, and for good reason. They provide two functions in one tool: 1) cutting through material and 2) engraving/etching into material; when combined, this machine can accomplish a lot of different tasks and projects.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Two functions in one tool (cut + etch) | Burns material, fire hazard |
| Fast project times (< 1 hour) | Burns material, fumes need to be extracted |
| Design workflow is easy for beginners | Expensive |
| Machine operations are simple | |
| Can work with a lot of different materials |
There are now a variety of options for schools, makerspaces, Fab Labs, and individuals looking to purchase a laser cutter system. The price can vary dramatically from $1,000 for a low-end hobbyist machine and up to $50,000 for a large-scale professional machine. Before you consider purchasing a machine, explore your local community to see if there is already a Fab Lab or makerspace that provides access to these machines.
| Industrial / Professional | Hobbyist / Education |
|---|---|
| Universal | Glowforge |
| Epilog | xTool |
| Trotec | |
| BOSS | |
| Thunder Laser |
There are three important settings that you will need to be comfortable adjusting with any laser cutter:
| POWER | 0 - 100% | Directly proportional/related to the cut depth. |
|---|---|---|
| SPEED | 0 - 100% | Inversely proportional/related to the cut depth. The slower the machine moves, the deeper the cut. In general, avoid setting the machine below 3%. If you need to cut more material, try doing multiple passes. |
| PPI | 10 - 1000 PPI | Pulses per inch, or the cut density of the laser. If you are trying to perforate a line, set low (10), otherwise set to 300 - 500. |
<aside> ⚠️ Haystack does not allow all of these materials to be cut on its machines. This is just a general list of materials that can be cut on a laser cutter.
</aside>
| Engrave | Cut | N/A |
|---|---|---|
| Wood + Plywood | ||
| Paper | ||
| Fabric | ||
| Ceramic | ||
| Glass | ||
| Linoleum | ||
| Rubber | ||
| Anodized Aluminum | ||
| CerMark | Wood + Plywood (¼” max) | |
| Paper | ||
| Cardstock, Matboard | ||
| Cardboard | ||
| Fabric | ||
| Leather | ||
| Acrylic | Most metals (steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum, etc.) | |
| Vinyl + PVC | ||
| ABS |
Size constraints depend on the machine, but generally laser cutters are somewhere around 24” x 12” in size and can cut materials up to 1/2”.
There are some materials we cannot engrave, but in general, many materials can be engraved.
Lasers can engrave a lot of detail into the material, unlike the vinyl cutter or CNC Router. This makes it well-suited
For engraving, black & white “silhouette” engraves best for contrasts.
