Acrylic signage material, cast and extruded
CAST AND EXTRUDED  for General Room Signage 
Since lasers were first used for engraving, acrylic has been a favorite. Combining the beauty of glass with the durability of plastic makes it a viable option for many applications including awards, executive desk items, signage, display cases, and frames. Acrylic is manufactured in a wide range of colors, shapes and products. Acrylic can also be cut using a laser. With a 20 watt system you can cut up to 1/8" thick or thinner pieces. ¼" pieces will cut through with a 60 watt system and for ½" consider 100 watts of power. Popular applications for cut acrylic include letters and a variety of shapes. Remove original factory masking from the engraving surface. Leave the masking on the non-engraved surface to prevent accidental scratches. Engrave through original masking. Engraving too deep will lose detail. For vector cutting the best results, remove the original masking on both sides. Re-mask with transfer tape. Moisten both sides with water from a spray bottle. Elevate the material at least 1/8" off of the engraving table.

There are two types of acrylic available, cast and extruded. Cast acrylic turns white or frosted and extruded remains clear when engraved. Use extruded acrylic for paint filled engraving and cast for regular engraving. Cast engraves better without masking. Lightly engrave the surface to frost it with a low power setting such as the first setting listed above. If deep engraving is desired, it is necessary to mask the acrylic with transfer tape to prevent the smoke from damaging the clear surface of the acrylic. However, another problem with deep acrylic engraving is that the intense heat creates a white, crusty, deposit that accumulates along the edges of the area that was just engraved and is impossible to remove without causing damage.

Engraving lightly and without masking seems to be the better all around alternative.

If only cutting acrylic, extruded works better and is less expensive than cast. The cut edges of extruded acrylic will appear to be more highly polished and clearer than cast acrylic when laser cut. When cutting acrylic, it might be necessary to remove both sides of the original masking and re-mask with transfer tape if cutting through the original masking produces flaming. The original masking is coated with wax and will not absorb water. If cutting through very thick acrylic, re-mask both sides with transfer tape and dampen the masking on both sides of the acrylic with water from a spray bottle. Elevate the acrylic off the table at least 1/8 inch, re-focus, then proceed to cut. Elevating the acrylic will allow the beam to completely pass through the material which allows the smoke and heat to escape from underneath. If cutting directly on the engraving table, the trapped heat might cause the bottom edge of the cut to pit and distort. Re-masking and dampening with water will act as a heat sink to pull the laser heat away from the cutting area resulting in less distortion or heat effected zones (HAZ). When dampening, be sure not to leave puddles of water. Puddles of water will reduce cutting depth significantly. For the best results when combining engraving and cutting on the same piece, first engrave lightly and unmasked. Then mask with transfer tape, dampen, elevate, re-focus, and cut as a second step.

Paint filling the engraved area is possible by first masking the acrylic or leave on the original masking then engraving through the masking. Before removing the masking, brush or spray on some acrylic based or water based paint right on to the masking. When the paint is dry, remove the masking and the paint will remain in the recessed area of the engraving. Remember to use extruded acrylic when paint filling and cast acrylic when simply engraving.

Acrylic colored signs are also made using clear acrylic and painted.