Acrylic is the most popular material to engrave using a laser system. It engraves and cuts very easily, comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and can be relatively inexpensive. Acrylic comes in two forms, cast and extruded.
Cast acrylic is used for almost all
engraving purposes. This is because the frost produced provides a nice
white contrast against the clear material.
Extruded acrylic remains clear when engraved but does not produce an
adequate contrast. However, extruded acrylic is ideal if you are going
to vector cut only. Extruded acrylic is less expensive than cast and
also has a lower melting point. The lower melting point produces an edge
that looks flame finished when cut.
