I have several diode lasers, including my Glowforge Spark™ and Glowforge Aura™, and the questions I get most often are about cutting acrylic. I’m glad people are asking this question because there are some limitations to cutting acrylic with a diode laser that you should know about before making the investment in a machine for yourself!

Let’s talk about diode lasers and why they are limited when it comes to the types and colors of acrylic they can cut.

Watch the Video

Hit play below to watch my video on cutting acrylic with a diode laser! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

What is Acrylic?

Acrylic is a popular material to cut using any type of laser. You can buy acrylic in sheets specifically designed for laser machining in every color you could possibly dream up. Acrylic can be opaque or translucent or somewhere in between. There are also patterned acrylics which can be a lot of fun to use as well.

Your machine will direct its laser beam at the acrylic and, depending on the speed and power, will evaporate the material to cut it.

Acrylic is one of my favorite materials as you can see in my Geometric Skulls and Stanley Cup Toppers.

What is a Diode Laser?

There are several types of lasers on the market, including diode, CO2, infrared, and fiber lasers. What makes diode lasers unique is their “spectrum.” Basically this refers to the color of light that a diode laser can cut. Diode lasers are on the visible light spectrum, somewhere in the “blue” wavelength.

The other lasers I mentioned are outside the visible spectrum, in infrared spectrum. These different spectrums dictate what types materials will work with the laser, as you’ll see.

Diode lasers are often marketed as Craft Lasers™. This means that they are less expensive and last longer than other types of lasers, making them perfect for beginners or those with a smaller budget as long as they know the limitations!

For this test, I’m using my Glowforge Spark. But even a higher-powered laser will still have the same issues!

What Acrylic Can You Cut with a Diode Laser?

First let’s talk about what doesn’t work and then we’ll go into what does!

Clear Acrylic

Because the wavelength of a diode laser is on that visible light spectrum, the laser beam goes right through clear materials, just like all other light does (this is what allows you to see right through the clear material). All it did was melt and kind of burn my clear acrylic.

You can’t cut clear clear acrylic with a diode laser. This also applies to other colored translucent acrylic and most frosted acrylic as well.

People say there are hacks but I have yet to see someone do it really successfully. You can crank up the power and use latex paint as a masking and maybe get the acrylic to melt a bit so you can maybe push the shape you’ve cut out of the material while it’s still hot (which means the edges will never look good). It’s really not a sustainable way to cut clear acrylic on a laser and it doesn’t work for most folks anyway.

Blue Acrylic

Blue acrylic reflect the light of the laser rather than absorbing it so it doesn’t create the necessary heat to evaporate the material. Cutting blue acrylic with a diode laser is most often a no-go, but not always!

Here is my attempt to cut a teal acrylic I’ve used on my CO2 laser. You can see that it melted the acrylic a bit, but it didn’t evaporate the material enough for it to cut nicely.

That being said, there are some blues that you can cut! I was, frankly, surprised when Glowforge released their teal Eco Thin acrylic that can easily be cut with a diode laser. My guess is that the quantity of pigments other than blue in the acrylic, so the material can absorb the laser rather than reflect it. See more about Glowforge’s Eco Thin acrylic below.

Mirrored Acrylic

Mirrored acrylic seems to have both of the above issues—with the laser passing through the clear part of the acrylic and reflecting off the mirrored backing. I have yet to find a mirrored acrylic I can cut with a diode laser. Instead it just creates a bit of a melted score line.

Opaque Acrylic

Other than those mentioned above, you can cut most 1/8″ and 1/6″ opaque acrylic in most diode lasers, especially darker colors like black, purple, green, red, and orange. These colors absorb the laser’s beam so it can actually evaporate the material.

Glowforge Proofgrade™ Materials

Glowforge makes a number of Proofgrade acrylics meant to be cut on a diode laser. These are in their Eco Thin acrylic line, which is 1/16″ thick. These have the settings dialed in for these materials in the Glowforge App and they are a great place to start if you’re new to using acrylic with your diode laser.

Other Diode Acrylic Materials

I also love shopping at Houston Acrylic, which has an entire section devoted to acrylics they have tested in a diode laser. There are a ton of beautiful colors beyond the standard colors so you can customize your projects. The listings give you the manual settings to use with each material.

I had a pinks, a coral, a yellow, and a light blue—and they all cut beautifully on my Glowforge Spark using the settings provided by Houston Acrylic. Note that I did have some charring. I just didn’t take the time to clean it up with a baby wipe.

Test, Test, Test

Once you understand what might work, the key is is to test, test, test. For example, I have found that some reds are more difficult than others because they have a higher amount of blue pigment. Yellows have worked for me but I see a lot of other people have difficulty when cutting yellow.

Always do test cuts with your acrylic before starting your real project so you can make sure you are using a setting that will work!

Masking

In most cases, you will want to mask your acrylic when cutting it with a diode laser (or any laser, really!). Glowforge Proofgrade materials and many other materials come pre-masked with a paper masking. Keep this on while cutting your material to ensure you don’t have charring on your final project.

Learn more about Laser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects!

What About Engraving Acrylic with a Diode Laser?

You CAN engrave acrylic with a diode laser, however I think it’s best to stick to those diode-approved colors. You can use a tempera paint hack to engrave clear acrylic, however I don’t think the results are the best. It takes a long time to layer the paint for your project and overall, it just doesn’t feel like a sustainable way to engrave acrylic with a diode laser.

If you really want to get into cutting any color of acrylic, start to save up your money for a CO2 laser! I have the Glowforge Pro and I absolutely love it for cutting acrylic. It cuts every color and it’s really fast. It is the better choice if acrylic is going to be your primary material.

I hope you found this tutorial on how to cut acrylic with a diode laser helpful! While there are some limitations to cutting acrylic, a diode laser like the Glowforge Spark or Glowforge Aura is a great choice if you are new to the laser crafting world and you just want to give laser crafting a try without breaking the bank!

Print

CUTTING ACRYLIC WITH A DIODE LASER

If you have a diode laser you may be wondering about your machine's capabilities when it comes to acrylic. Here's everything you need to know about cutting acrylic with a diode laser.

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Glowforge Spark™ or
• Glowforge Aura™ or any other diode laser

Ingredients

• Glowforge Proofgrade™ Acrylic or
• Houston Acrylic

Instructions

• What is Acrylic?

  Acrylic is a popular material to cut using any type of laser. You can buy acrylic in sheets specifically designed for laser machining in every color you could possibly dream up. Acrylic can be opaque or translucent or somewhere in between. There are also patterned acrylics which can be a lot of fun to use as well.

  Your machine will direct its laser beam at the acrylic and, depending on the speed and power, will evaporate the material to cut it.
  
• What is a Diode Laser?

  There are several types of lasers on the market, including diode, CO2, infrared, and fiber lasers. What makes diode lasers unique is their "spectrum." Basically this refers to the color of light that a diode laser can cut. Diode lasers are on the visible light spectrum, somewhere in the "blue" wavelength.

  The other lasers mentioned are outside the visible spectrum, in infrared spectrum. These different spectrums dictate what types materials will work with the laser, as you'll see.

  Diode lasers are often marketed as Craft Lasers™. This means that they are less expensive and last longer than other types of lasers, making them perfect for beginners or those with a smaller budget as long as they know the limitations!

  For this test, a Glowforge Spark is being used. But even a higher-powered laser will still have the same issues!
  
• What Acrylic Can You Cut with a Diode Laser?

  First let's talk about what doesn't work and then we'll go into what does!

  Clear Acrylic

  Because the wavelength of a diode laser is on that visible light spectrum, the laser beam goes right through clear materials, just like all other light does (this is what allows you to see right through the clear material). All it did was melt and kind of burn my clear acrylic.

  You can't cut clear clear acrylic with a diode laser. This also applies to other colored translucent acrylic and most frosted acrylic as well.

  People say there are hacks but I have yet to see someone do it really successfully. You can crank up the power and use latex paint as a masking and maybe get the acrylic to melt a bit so you can maybe push the shape you've cut out of the material while it's still hot (which means the edges will never look good). It's really not a sustainable way to cut clear acrylic on a laser and it doesn't work for most folks anyway.
  
• Blue Acrylic

  Blue acrylic reflect the light of the laser rather than absorbing it so it doesn't create the necessary heat to evaporate the material. Cutting blue acrylic with a diode laser is most often a no-go, but not always!

  This image shows an attempt to cut a teal acrylic using a CO2 laser. You can see that it melted the acrylic a bit, but it didn't evaporate the material enough for it to cut nicely.
  
• That being said, there are some blues that you can cut! Glowforge released a teal Eco Thin acrylic that can easily be cut with a diode laser. The quantity of pigments used other than blue in the acrylic, helps the material absorb the laser rather than reflect it. See more about Glowforge's Eco Thin acrylic below.
  
• Mirrored Acrylic

  Mirrored acrylic seems to have both of the above issues—with the laser passing through the clear part of the acrylic and reflecting off the mirrored backing. Instead it just creates a bit of a melted score line.
  
• Opaque Acrylic

  Other than those mentioned above, you can cut most 1/8" and 1/6" opaque acrylic in most diode lasers, especially darker colors like black, purple, green, red, and orange. These colors absorb the laser's beam so it can actually evaporate the material.
• Glowforge Proofgrade™ Materials

  Glowforge makes a number of Proofgrade acrylics meant to be cut on a diode laser. These are in their Eco Thin acrylic line, which is 1/16" thick. These have the settings dialed in for these materials in the Glowforge App and they are a great place to start if you're new to using acrylic with your diode laser.
  
• Other Diode Acrylic Materials

  Houston Acrylic, has an entire section devoted to acrylics they have tested in a diode laser. There are a ton of beautiful colors beyond the standard colors so you can customize your projects. The listings give you the manual settings to use with each material.
  
• Test, Test, Test

  Once you understand what might work, the key is is to test, test, test. For example, some reds are more difficult than others because they have a higher amount of blue pigment. Yellows have worked, a lot of other people have difficulty when cutting yellow.

  Always do test cuts with your acrylic before starting your real project so you can make sure you are using a setting that will work!
• Masking

  In most cases, you will want to mask your acrylic when cutting it with a diode laser (or any laser, really!). Glowforge Proofgrade materials and many other materials come pre-masked with a paper masking. Keep this on while cutting your material to ensure you don't have charring on your final project.

  Learn more about Laser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects!
  
• What About Engraving Acrylic with a Diode Laser?

  You CAN engrave acrylic with a diode laser, however it's best to stick to those diode-approved colors. You can use a tempera paint hack to engrave clear acrylic, but the results are not the best. It takes a long time to layer the paint for your project and overall, it just doesn't feel like a sustainable way to engrave acrylic with a diode laser.

  If you really want to get into cutting any color of acrylic, start to save up your money for a CO2 laser! The Glowforge Pro for cutting acrylic, cuts every color and it's really fast. It is the better choice if acrylic is going to be your primary material.
  

The post How to Cut Acrylic with a Diode Laser appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

When I’m teaching about using a laser, I most often talk about two types of materials—wood and acrylic. But today we’re going to learn how to engrave slate with laser! You can make all sorts of cute custom coasters, photos, and cheese boards using this method and they make great products to sell as well.

For this project, I am using my Glowforge Spark™. Glowforge Spark is a diode laser, which means that it’s smaller and less powerful than a larger CO2 laser like the Glowforge Pro™ or Glowforge Plus™. But it also means that it’s significantly less expensive for the everyday crafter and it allows you to get started in the laser crafting world without breaking the bank. Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Glowforge Spark to learn more about this Craft Laser™!

Note that it is impossible to cut slate with a laser, even a more powerful CO2 laser. Your best option for cutting slate is…a tile saw!

Engraving slate may seem like an advanced tutorial, but it’s actually super easy! I’m going to show you two different projects today. How to engrave a design and then how to engrave a photo (which requires a simple extra step).

Watch the Video

Want to see how I engrave slate in action? Hit the play button below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Supplies

• Laser machine (I am using my Glowforge Spark)
• Round slate coasters
• Square slate coasters
• Acrylic easel stands (for display)

Instructions for Engraving a Design

Place the slate in the center of the bed of your laser. Make it as straight as possible if you’re using a square or rectangle. Your Glowforge will take a photo of the bed of your laser with the slate, which you’ll be able to see in the Glowforge App.

Because this material is thick, we want to set our focus. This will help our engraving to look crisp and not blurry. Go to the three dots at the top of the Glowforge App and click Set Focus.

Your Glowforge will make some noise as it sets the focus. Then you’re ready to add your image. Upload the image you want to use and resize it on top of your slate. For these designs, I liked keeping the design itself inside the boundaries of the rough edges of the slate.

Then we’ll need to set a manual setting for slate because it’s not a Glowforge Proofgrade material. For these mandala designs, I found Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 to work really well. I set my Lines Per Inch to 270. You may need to do some tests to see what works best for your laser and image.

That’s it! Click Print and your image will be processed. This has an engrave time of an hour and ten minutes. This is one of the tradeoffs between a larger CO2 laser (like the Glowforge Pro) and a smaller diode Craft Laser. A Craft Laser is much slower than a larger CO2 machine.

Press the blinking button and your Glowforge will engrave your slate!

Gorgeous!

Instructions for Engraving a Photo

Engraving a photo is basically the same as engraving a design with one extra step—you need to invert the photo first. Because the color inside the slate is lighter than the top layer of the slate, you’ll end up with what looks like an inverted image if you just engrave a regular image. You can see that here with this image of my boys.

Not exactly what we want! To invert a photo, you can use a site like Free Photo Inverter. Just upload your photo, click invert, and download your inverted photo. You’ll see that it actually looks similar to the photo above!

Then you’ll upload the inverted photo to the Glowforge App and proceed as we did above. I did some more testing with the image of my boys as babies and never found a setting that I really liked. I think this is because there are too many medium grays in my image. You can’t tell, but they are wearing yellow onesies, they have peachy skin, and the blanket they are on is light blue. All medium grays when converted to grayscale.

So I tried a different photo with more contrast, this one of my boys this year (they’re eight now!). This photo has a lot more contrast. I used the settings Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 with my lines per inch set to 405. And I got a much better result!

Like with most crafts, you may need to do some testing to get the best results. Luckily, these slate coasters aren’t expensive so you have some room to play around and see what settings are best for your photo!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial showing how to engrave slate with a laser! If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting, just leave me a comment below!

Print

ENGRAVING SLATE WITH A LASER

Your laser can work with so many more materials than just wood and acrylic! Learn all the tips and tricks to engrave slate with a laser and get a free set of engraving files for your laser!

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Laser Machine (Glowforge Spark)
• Acrylic easel stands (for display)

Ingredients

• Round slate coasters
• Square slate coasters
• Free Mandala File #L12

Instructions

• For this project, the Glowforge Spark™ is being used. Glowforge Spark is a diode laser, which means that it's smaller and less powerful than a larger CO2 laser like the Glowforge Pro™ or Glowforge Plus™. But it also means that it's significantly less expensive for the everyday crafter and it allows you to get started in the laser crafting world without breaking the bank. Check out this Beginner’s Guide to Glowforge Spark to learn more about this Craft Laser™!

  Note that it is impossible to cut slate with a laser, even a more powerful CO2 laser. Your best option for cutting slate is…a tile saw!

  These instructions will show you two different projects. First, how to engrave a design and then how to engrave a photo (which requires a simple extra step).
  
• Instructions for Engraving a Design

  Place the slate in the center of the bed of your laser. Make it as straight as possible if you're using a square or rectangle. Your Glowforge will take a photo of the bed of your laser with the slate, which you'll be able to see in the Glowforge App.
  
• Because this material is thick, you will want to set the focus. This will help the engraving to look crisp and not blurry. Go to the three dots at the top of the Glowforge App and click Set Focus.
  
• The Glowforge will make some noise as it sets the focus. Then you're ready to add your image. Upload the image you want to use and resize it on top of your slate. For these designs, the design was kept inside the boundaries of the rough edges of the slate.
  
• Next, you will need to set a manual setting for slate because it's not a Glowforge Proofgrade material. For these mandala designs, Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 work really well and the Lines Per Inch to was set to 270. You may need to do some tests to see what works best for your laser and image.
  
• That's it! Click Print and your image will be processed. This has an engrave time of an hour and ten minutes. This is one of the tradeoffs between a larger CO2 laser (like the Glowforge Pro) and a smaller diode Craft Laser. A Craft Laser is much slower than a larger CO2 machine.
  
• Press the blinking button and your Glowforge will engrave your slate! Gorgeous!
  
• Instructions for Engraving a Photo

  Engraving a photo is basically the same as engraving a design with one extra step—you need to invert the photo first. Because the color inside the slate is lighter than the top layer of the slate, you'll end up with what looks like an inverted image if you just engrave a regular image.
  
• Not exactly what we want! To invert a photo, you can use a site like Free Photo Inverter. Just upload your photo, click invert, and download your inverted photo. You'll see that it actually looks similar to the photo above!
  
• Next, upload the inverted photo to the Glowforge App and proceed as you did in the steps above. More testing with the image of these two boys as babies and a setting was never found that looked good and this is because there are too many medium grays in the image. You can't tell, but they are wearing yellow onesies, they have peachy skin, and the blanket they are on is light blue. All medium grays when converted to grayscale.
  
• A different photo was used with more contrast. The settings used were Speed: 90, Power 8, Pass 1 with the lines per inch set to 405. This is a much better result!

  Like with most crafts, you may need to do some testing to get the best results. Luckily, these slate coasters aren't expensive so you have some room to play around and see what settings are best for your photo!
  

The post How to Engrave Slate with a Laser appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Last year, Glowforge® launched their newest laser Glowforge Aura™. This Craft Laser™ was designed as a more affordable laser for a wider crafting audience. You can read my Review of Glowforge Aura for all the details.

But Glowforge wasn’t done! They are now launching another crafting laser called Glowforge Spark! Glowforge Spark is basically a smaller version of Glowforge Aura at an even lower price point, making it accessible to even more crafters.

In this post, I’m going to share all the details about this small laser machine, including how to use it, how it differs from Glowforge Aura, tips and tricks, and the pros and cons of buying. That way you can make the right choice for your budget and needs!

Watch the Video

Watch my YouTube video where I go into everything in this post! Just click play below, or keep reading for a full tutorial.

What is Glowforge Spark?

Glowforge Spark is a compact laser cutting machine designed to be an entry-level laser for everyday crafters. This machine is a great bridge into laser crafting if you’re an electronic cutting machine (Cricut, Silhouette, etc.) crafter.

Note: Glowforge calls anything you make with your machine a “print,” which may be a bit confusing to new users since there is no actual printing with a printer involved. Just be aware that you’ll see that term used quite a bit.

Because Glowforge Spark uses a laser instead of a blade, you will never experience the drag of a blade, meaning that your printing should always be precise and you can cut and engrave fine details. You can also cut much thicker materials that are impossible to cut with a blade.

AND you can also cut some of the material you can cut on your electronic cutter, like laser-safe iron-on alternatives (Glowforge has their own), cardstock, and fabric.

Who is Glowforge Spark For?

Before we get into all of the specs, let’s talk about who this Craft Laser is for.

• If you are new to the laser crafting world and you want to make small projects, this laser is for you.
• If you are a Cricut or Silhouette crafter and you want to increase the projects you can make, this laser is for you.
• If you don’t have a lot of space but you want to be able to make laser projects, this laser is for you.
• If you don’t have a large budget but you want to try out laser crafting, this laser is for you.
• If you want to start a small business, this laser is probably NOT for you, mostly based on the speed and bed size, as you’ll see.

What Can You Make with Glowforge Spark?

You can make a wide range of projects using the Glowforge Spark, with files from the Glowforge Catalog, files you design yourself, or files purchased or downloaded elsewhere. Here are just a few ideas:

• Earrings and other jewelry
• Ornaments and other holiday decor
• Apparel transfers
• 3D projects
• Engraved pencils
• Photograph frames
• Keychains
• Magnets
• Trays, boxes, and other organization projects
• Wedding decor
• Models and miniatures
• And so much more!

I’ll talk about the materials you can use to make these projects later in this post!

Machine Cost

For a limited pre-release, Glowforge Spark is just $599! This is about half of what Glowforge Aura costs, which is a huge savings and in the budget of many more crafters.

Once the pre-release ends on April 5, Glowforge Spark will retail for $699. This is still an incredible value if you’re looking at dipping your toes into laser crafting.

What is the Glowforge Personal Filter?

In addition to your Glowforge machine, you can get a Glowforge Personal Filter™ so you don’t have to vent out of a window.

The filter pulls all of the fumes and smoke created by the machine into the filter instead of letting it out into your craft space. You can also vent your Glowforge Spark out of a window if you’d like (I actually do this with my Glowforge Pro). Just make sure you are able to seal around the filter so the fumes aren’t coming back through the window.

The air filter is WiFi connected to the Spark, which means it turns on automatically when the machine starts cutting and turns off when the project is over. I love this particular feature because filtering a laser cutter is not exactly quiet, and I love that the filter shuts off after the cut instead of continuing to run.

While it’s an extra expense, I really like the filter. It means I don’t have to keep my Glowforge Spark by a window and I think it does a great job of keeping the smoke smell down while I’m running the machine.

The personal filter is $399.

Diode Lasers

Glowforge Spark is a diode laser, vs. a CO2 laser like Glowforge Plus or Glowforge Pro. You can read more about the difference in my Glowforge Aura post, but I’ll give you a quick overview here because it may help make a buying decision easier.

Diode lasers:

• Are economical and lower priced, making them perfect for hobbyists and everyday crafters.
• Have a longer lifespan than CO2 lasers
• Are less powerful than CO2 lasers. Glowforge Spark is a 6W laser whereas my Glowforge Pro is a 45W laser.
• Can be significantly slower than CO2 lasers and may require more passes at slower speeds to cut and engrave certain materials.
• May be less precise than a CO2 laser, though I found Glowforge Spark to be accurate enough for every project I’ve done so far.
• Cut a variety of opaque acrylic colors, but aren’t able to cut clear, translucent, white, or most variations of blue. If you want to cut primarily acrylic, I suggest saving up for a CO2 laser or taking advantage of the monthly financing Glowforge offers on the Glowforge Plus and Pro.

Glowforge Spark Set Up

The box is packed really well, but still use caution when opening it.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

• Glowforge Spark
• A box with the metal crumb tray and a piece of basswood to practice on
• The vent pipe
• The power cord

Carefully remove the laser head from the foam packaging (be careful, it’s attached to the back of the machine with a ribbon cable) and it will snap into place onto the rails with a magnet. Add the crumb tray to the bottom and you’re ready to go! Set up really is that easy.

Head to setup.glowforge.com for all of the instructions for getting your machine up and running!

Size and Dimensions

The Spark was actually smaller and lighter than I expected! My Glowforge Pro is really heavy, but I was easily able to lift and place the Spark on my table—it weighs around 11 pounds.

It’s about 21.25″ wide and 17.75″ inches deep, but you will need some extra space in the back for the vent pipe (at least 6″). It’s about 5″ tall, but you will also need another 15″ or so above the machine to open the lid and place your materials.

Anatomy of the Machine

Now let’s look at the actual machine itself. The simple white enclosure has an empty bed where you’ll place your materials.

In the bed there’s a silver crumb tray. This removable tray both adds air circulation underneath the material while cutting and allows the small pieces from your project (the “crumbs”) to fall through. You can lift up the tray and remove the crumbs using a handheld vacuum.

The lid is tinted orange like a welder’s helmet, so you won’t damage your eyes when looking at the laser cutting and engraving.

In the lid there is an 8MP camera. This camera takes a photo of your material, allowing you to easily line up your materials and images before printing your project.

The laser module sits on metal bars that span the width of the machine, and is attached to the machine by a silver ribbon cable. These metal bars move the module back and forth while it’s completing your project.

On the outside, there is a single button on the top, which you’ll press to start the machine. Note there is no power button on Glowforge Spark. You just plug the machine in and it turns on. After a period of inactivity, the machine will go to sleep.

Then on the back is the vent, which is where you’ll connect the vent pipe. Remember, you’ll need to vent your Spark out a window or into the personal filter.

Glowforge Spark Material Sizes

Materials can be up to 8.5″ deep (from the front of the machine to the back) and 11.5″ wide. Glowforge is releasing a new line of 8″ x 12″ materials specifically for this machine.

Materials can be up to 1/4″ thick when using the crumb tray, or up to 3/4″ thick if using it with the crumb tray removed (for engraving only).

Other standard material sizes are a bit odd. The smaller 6″ x 12″ fits pretty well and you can shift the material left and right to start your cuts in the corner.

The 12″ x 12″ can fit, and you can shift it around in the bed but it’s impossible to cut the corners on a 12″ x 12″. piece. But you can cut a 12″ x 12″ piece in half using a straight line, so you can easily cut the material down to be able to use all of it.

How Loud is the Spark?

Glowforge Spark does makes some sound while running, but it’s not bad at all. The filter is louder, pulling all of the fumes and soot into the bin. It’s nice that the air filter turns off automatically when your project is finished, so it’s not running when you don’t need it.

Glowforge Spark Materials

Proofgrade Materials

When Glowforge launched the Glowforge Aura, they came out with new Proofgrade materials that work really well with these lower wattage lasers. Proofgrade materials have been tested with the machine and have presets within the Glowforge App. They are particularly great for beginners or for users that don’t want to spend time figuring out their settings manually.

Here’s what I received and I’ve tested:

• Light walnut, basswood, cherry, and maple plywood
• Medium walnut and basswood plywood
• Walnut, cherry, and maple veneer
• Thin acrylic in red, green, teal, purple, and black
• Glowforge heat transfer vinyl alternative in a variety of colors
• Thin natural leather

All of these materials cut really nicely with the settings in the Glowforge App.

While you can work with the 6″ x 12″ and 12″ x 12″ material sizes, Glowforge is also releasing a 8″ x 12″ material size that will work perfectly in this machine.

You can also cut your 12″ x 12″ materials in half from left to right to create two 6″ x 12″ pieces to maximize material use!

Non-Proofgrade Materials

Of course you may want to use other non-Proofgrade materials in your Spark, and this will require some testing. Usually I’ll pick the closest Proofgrade material and do a bunch of test cuts to try and figure out if I can cut the non-Proofgrade material.

So you can definitely test materials as long as they are laser-safe (see below). If your cut isn’t going all the way through or your engraving isn’t as deep as you’d like, use more power and/or a slower speed. Then track all of your progress in a notebook or spreadsheet.

If you’re going to use non-proofgrade materials, know that it will require testing. My suggestion is using a simple shape to test, like 1″ stars. Start with the recommended cut settings and go from there. Then once you have that dialed in, try your more complex project.

Users are testing new materials all the time—I suggest checking out the Glowforge Community forums if your curious about cutting and engraving results! I have found them incredibly helpful as I’ve gotten started to find perfect settings and help troubleshooting. People in the forums are always willing to provide fast answers to your questions!

Then, when you find settings that work, write them down. That way you won’t have to spend so much time and materials testing when you use the same material in the future.

Materials it Won’t Cut

IMPORTANT: Because you can cut Glowforge’s heat transfer vinyl alternative in the Spark, you may think you’d be able to cut other types of HTV or vinyl as well. But do NOT use these types of products unless they come from Glowforge or are specifically marked as “laser safe.” Glowforge products are vinyl-free, but anything with vinyl will ruin your Glowforge and cause toxic fumes.

Additionally, like I mentioned above, Glowforge Spark can cut a variety of opaque acrylic colors, but aren’t able to cut clear, translucent, white, or most variations of blue. If you want to cut primarily acrylic, I suggest saving up for a CO2 laser or taking advantage of the monthly financing Glowforge offers on the Glowforge Plus and Pro.

Masking Your Materials

A mask is basically a layer of sticky material (often wide rolls of masking tape) that helps prevent burn or char marks on your projects. Glowforge Proofgrade materials come pre-masked, which is a time saver. I also have a full tutorial on how to mask your laser materials.

Because the diode laser has so much less power, there may be materials that do not require masking. Again, it’s something you can test!

How is Glowforge Spark different than Glowforge Aura

The two machines are definitely more alike than they are different! Let’s talk about the two biggest differences.

Size

The first is the size of the materials you can use. Instead of 12″ x 12″ materials, you can cut 8.5″ x 11″. This does limit the size of some projects you can make, but overall it’s still a good size for a wide variety of projects, especially for beginners.

The overall size of the Glowforge Spark is a but smaller as well, with Glowforge Aura being 21″ deep and the Spark being 17.75″ deep. The Spark may fit on some shelves or narrow countertops better.

Passthrough

Glowforge Aura has a Passthrough, allowing you to make projects that are wider than the bed of the machine. Glowforge Spark, however, doesn’t have this Passthrough. You are limited to the size of the bed. Again, it’s still a good size for many projects.

There are some other small differences in the overall look of the machine, but those two are the big ones!

Pros and Cons for Glowforge Spark

There’s been a lot in this post, so I thought I’d talk about some of the pros and cons of Glowforge Spark so you can weigh whether or not this is a good purchase for you.

I hope you found this overview of the Glowforge Spark helpful! If this seems like a machine you’d like to own, make sure to grab it while it’s on presale through April 5, 2024 so you can save $100 off the retail price!

The post The Beginner’s Guide to Glowforge Spark appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

When I first started laser cutting, I remember reading about masking my laser materials but I wasn’t really sure what that was or what it entailed. In my last few years as a laser owner, I’ve learned a lot about masking and today I’m sharing all of my tips and tricks for masking your laser projects!

Masking is an important step that can help keep your laser projects cleaner as well as prevent “flashback” marks, as you’ll see. Masking is one of the key things you can do to make better laser projects!

If you’re new to laser crafting, you also may want to check out my post Laser Linetypes: Basic Overview of Cut, Score, and Engrave to learn more about how to get started with your laser!

Watch the Video

Want to see laser masking in action? Check out my YouTube video by hitting play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

What is a Laser Mask?

A laser mask is a piece of sticky backed material that you’ll apply to your material (wood, acrylic, etc.) before you cut, score, or engrave with your laser. Think of it as a large piece of masking tape—which is basically what it is!

When your laser cuts, scores, or engraves, it creates soot and char marks as it’s working. Your laser can also leave “flashback” marks on the bottom of your material, as the laser bounces back up from the bottom plate of the laser while it cuts.

If you don’t mask your projects, you will end up with charring or flashback marks on your actual material, which is unsightly and can leave soot on your hands as you handle them.

If you do mask your projects, the marks end up on the masking, which you’ll remove after your project finishes in the laser. Then you’re left with a perfectly clean surface!

Do I Need a Laser Mask?

For most projects, I would say yes you need to mask. It’s better to mask and know you’ll have a clean project than to not mask and regret it.

If you are using a diode laser like a Glowforge Aura or xTool M1, there may be some projects where you find that masking is not necessary because the laser is just not that powerful. For example, I didn’t mask my Laser Cut Wood Ornaments and I had just a bit of charring as you can see below. You can use a magic eraser or a bit of alcohol on wood or some mild cleanser like Dawn on acrylic to remove minor charring but you may still be left with a bit.

You may also be painting your project after you’re cutting and then masking might not be as important to you.

It’s really up to you—I didn’t mind on this project I did for my kiddos, but if I was selling these ornaments, I would definitely mask them.

Masking Sizes

Masking comes in a variety of sizes. I would recommend having 12″ and 6″ masking on hand so you can mask both full sheets of laser-ready materials, as well as half-sheets for smaller projects.

Pre-Masked Materials

Some materials, like Glowforge Proofgrade materials, come pre-masked. Buying materials pre-masked often costs a bit more but there is definitely a savings in time and materials for having to mask yourself.

What is Needed for Laser Masking?

If you do need to mask your material, let’s talk about what you’re going to need.

Check out my Amazon Shopping List with all of these items in one place!

• 12″ paper masking
• 6″ paper masking
• Your material
• Craft squeegee, scraper, or brayer
• Craft knife
• Self-healing cutting mat
• 3M double-sided adhesive (see below)

Masking with 3M Double-Sided Adhesive

One other product I love that also acts as a mask is 3M double-sided adhesive. This product is amazing for assembling layered projects instead of using glue.

Instead of using paper masking on the back of your material, use the 3M double-sided adhesive. It will protect the bottom of your project from flashback marks and when you peel back the liner, your material will have a sticky back, allowing you to adhere it to your project. I used this material in my Stanley Cup Toppers and my Vintage Halloween Signs so you can see exactly how this particular product works.

Apply Laser Masking

Let’s apply our paper masking to a piece of laser material! For this example, I am using a piece of white oak from xTool and 6″ masking because I want to show you how to apply masking to a whole sheet and a half sheet.

If I am not sure whether I want the entire sheet of material masked (like perhaps I’m working on a small project, and I might want to use the rest of the material with the 3M adhesive in the future), I will mask only a portion of a sheet. We’ll start with that.

Place your material flat on your self-healing cutting mat. Then pull off a piece of mask a little longer than your material.

Adhere one end of the masking to the edge of your material.

Then use the squeegee, scraper, or brayer to work your way across the masking, trying to avoid bubbles and wrinkles.

Flip everything over and use a craft knife to cut off the excess masking, running it along the edge of your material. That way you have a straight edge for next time.

If you do have some bubbles or wrinkles, it’s not the end of the world. But if it’s bad, try re-masking. You can use your tool to help smooth out any problem areas.

If you are using 6″ masking, repeat with another row of masking below the first one. It’s okay if it overlaps a bit. If you are using 12″ masking, it should cover your material in one single piece.

Flip it over and mask the back in the same way.

Now you’re ready for engraving!

Coloring Engraving Before Removing Masking

After you cut but before you remove the masking, you may want to consider coloring in your engraving with paint pens, acrylic craft paint, or some other ink. It’s a great way to “color within the lines” on your engraving, since the masking protects the part of your material that is not engraved. You can see an example of this on my Stanley Cup Toppers. I did it with acrylic, but you can also color wood. Just note that with some woods, your paints might bleed a bit into the grain.

Removing Laser Masking

Now it’s time to remove the masking and see the final image.

You can see below what the engraving looked like on an unmasked piece of oak. The charring is pretty ugly! No one wants that on their material.

There are three ways that I like to peel back masking. It all depends on my mood and what tools I feel like using. One of these options should work best for you!

Gorilla Tape

A heavy-duty duct tape like gorilla tape works really well to remove masking. Just take a piece, adhere it to the corner of the masking, and pull up.

I have found that while this works great on masking I’ve applied mysef, sometimes it’s still not sticky enough to pull up pre-masked materials, like Glowforge Proofgrade materials. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Weeding Tool

When I can’t get the edge up using gorilla tape, I often default to my weeding hook. You can pull up larger pieces with the hook and then use your hands to peel back the entire piece of masking. Just be super careful that you don’t scratch or scrape your material when you’re using it.

Plastic Razor Blade

If you have smaller pieces, especially pieces that are inside engraved parts, like the centers of my letters here, a plastic razor blade is amazing. It’s not sharp but it does the job—just run it along the top of your image and it will push up all those tiny pieces of masking that are particularly difficult to get.

Final Result

Now you can see how much better the masked portion of this test file is than the unmasked portion!

Masking can make a huge difference in your laser projects—definitely a step you probably don’t want to skip!

Print

LASER MASKING

Laser masking protects your material from char marks so your projects turn out cleaner!

Keyword Laser, Masking

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Craft squeegee
• Scraper
• Brayer
• Craft Knife
• Self-healing cutting mat
• 3M Double-Sided Adhesive

Ingredients

• 12" paper masking
• 6" paper masking
• Your material

Instructions

• Apply Laser Masking

  Apply the paper masking to a piece of laser material! For this example, a piece of white oak from xTool and 6" masking is being used to show you how to apply masking to a whole sheet and a half sheet.

  If you are not sure whether you want the entire sheet of material masked (like perhaps you're working on a small project, and might want to use the rest of the material with the 3M adhesive in the future), so only mask a portion of a sheet. Let's start with that.

  Place your material flat on your self-healing cutting mat. Then pull off a piece of mask a little longer than your material.
  
• Adhere one end of the masking to the edge of your material.

  Then use the squeegee, scraper, or brayer to work your way across the masking, trying to avoid bubbles and wrinkles.
  
• Flip everything over and use a craft knife to cut off the excess masking, running it along the edge of your material. That way you have a straight edge for next time.
  
• If you do have some bubbles or wrinkles, it's not the end of the world. But if it's bad, try re-masking. You can use your tool to help smooth out any problem areas.
  
• If you are using 6" masking, repeat with another row of masking below the first one. It's okay if it overlaps a bit. If you are using 12" masking, it should cover your material in one single piece.

  Flip it over and mask the back in the same way.

  Now you're ready for engraving!
  
• Coloring Engraving Before Removing Masking

  After you cut but before you remove the masking, you may want to consider coloring in your engraving with paint pens, acrylic craft paint, or some other ink. It's a great way to "color within the lines" on your engraving, since the masking protects the part of your material that is not engraved. You can also color wood. Just note that with some woods, your paints might bleed a bit into the grain.
• Removing Laser Masking

  Now it's time to remove the masking and see the final image.

  You can see below what the engraving looked like on an unmasked piece of oak. The charring is pretty ugly! No one wants that on their material.

  There are three ways that you can use peel back masking. One of these options should work best for you!

  Gorilla Tape

  A heavy-duty duct tape like gorilla tape works really well to remove masking. Just take a piece, adhere it to the corner of the masking, and pull up.

  It has been found that while this works great on masking but it's still not sticky enough to pull up pre-masked materials, like Glowforge Proofgrade materials. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
  
• Weeding Tool

  If you can't get the edge up using gorilla tape, try using your weeding hook. You can pull up larger pieces with the hook and then use your hands to peel back the entire piece of masking. Just be super careful that you don't scratch or scrape your material when you're using it.
  
• Plastic Razor Blade

  If you have smaller pieces, especially pieces that are inside engraved parts, like the centers of the letters are here, a plastic razor blade is amazing. It's not sharp but it does the job—just run it along the top of your image and it will push up all those tiny pieces of masking that are particularly difficult to get.
  
• Final Result

  Now you can see how much better the masked portion of this test file is than the unmasked portion!

  Masking can make a huge difference in your laser projects—definitely a step you probably don't want to skip!
  

The post Laser Masking for Cleaner Laser Projects appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Perhaps you’ve decided to take the leap and purchase a laser cutting machine (or are still considering it). Either way—welcome! I’m excited for you! Whether you have a smaller craft laser like a Glowforge Aura or xTool M1 or a larger CO2 laser like a Glowforge Plus/Pro or an xTool P2, a laser is such a fun machine and truly opens up a world of crafting possibilities.

Get all my must-have laser supplies in my Amazon shop!

When I first started laser crafting I wish there had been more beginner tutorials to help me understand laser basics. So in today’s post, we’re tackling linetypes—cut, score, and engrave—to hopefully get you on the right track to making projects more easily.

Watch the Video

Want a video overview of this post? Just hit play below!

What is a Linetype?

A linetype is basically what it sounds like. It’s the type of line your machine will read and decide what to do with. Whether you’re crafting with a Glowforge, an xTool, or another laser, you’ll see various linetypes within your machine’s software. You should be able to switch the linetype of any layer of a design within the laser software.

The three linetypes are cut, score, and engrave. Here is a basic overview of each, and then we’ll go into more detail below.

• Cut: This linetype cuts all the way through your material using the laser. This is when the laser is at its most powerful. Depending on the type of laser you have, you may find that your laser has to do more than one “pass” around the cut line to cut all the way through the material.
• Engrave: Engraving works by moving the laser back and forth to fill in an area. It can engrave single lines like a score, but because the laser moves back and forth instead of following the path of the line, it’s much slower.
• Score: Scoring is basically a cut set to a much lower power setting so that it doesn’t come anywhere close to cutting all the way through your materials.

Let’s talk about each of these in detail!

Cutting on a Laser Machine

Cutting is pretty straightforward—you’re cutting all the way through the material using the laser. You can make all sorts of fun projects using only the cut linetype and it’s often a good one to start with as a beginner, especially if you’re using a “qualified” material (a material that is already set up as a preset within your laser software, like Glowforge Proofgrade materials). Just place your material in the bed of the laser, upload your file and set it to cut, and your laser will cut your project.

My project Hello Spring Sign with the Glowforge only uses the cut linetype and is a good example of what you can do with just cutting! I cut this project out of draftboard on my Glowforge Pro, painted it, and assembled it like a puzzle.

Because cutting is when the laser is at higher power, you will likely see more smoke than with other linetypes.

While you can upload a variety of file types to your laser software, best practices will have you uploading a vector file (usually an SVG). Most files that you buy will be vector files and if you’re making your own files, exporting them as an SVG will get you the cleanest cut line. The two most popular software programs for creating vector files are Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape.

Your cut settings will be determined by your material and has three components: speed, power, and passes. Some materials will require more power, a slower speed, or more passes. Often the manufacturer of the material will have suggested settings to get you started and there are tons of laser groups online that may have suggested settings as well.

If you are using a “qualified” material (like Glowforge Proofgrade materials or xTool’s materials) and the material already has a setting inside your laser software, start there. If your material isn’t available and you don’t have any manufacturer’s instructions…but there is a similar material to the one you are using, you can try that. Always do test cuts before making your final project, especially if you’re working with a material you haven’t used before.

You can also combine cutting with the other linetypes, by adding scoring or engraving within the cut lines!

Scoring on a Laser Machine

A score linetype is actually a very low power cut that is designed to just mark your material, not cut all the way through it. You are cutting a very fine layer of the material in order to leave an outline or a design on your final piece. Score is only used for outlines. You cannot fill in an area using score. That is where the engrave linetype comes in, which I’ll talk about later in this post.

Like with cutting, a score should use a vector file, such as an SVG. Single line fonts are a good example, but you can do it with any line created in a software that deals with vector files.

Often, score is used to show placement of letters or other elements in a design. For example, if you are creating a name keychain with two layers of acrylic (one for the base and one for the name), you can score the name design into the base layer so you know exactly where to place the letters.

It’s also useful when engrave may take too long and you’re looking to make projects quicker! I used score lines in my Laser Cut Wood Ornaments for Coloring or Painting instead of engraving because the process was so much faster.

Engraving on a Laser Machine

Engraving allows you to basically fill a field by removing the top layer of your material without cutting all the way through. The laser head moves back and forth and “fills in” the area creating a shaded effect. Engraving is much darker than scoring and you can fill with it, vs. just scoring an outline.

You can change your engraving settings to get an engraving depth and darkness that you are happy with. Start with the manufacturer’s recommended settings or qualified material settings in your laser program. But then, if you want, you can change up the settings.

• Slower speed = darker engraving
• Faster speed = lighter engraving
• More power = darker engraving
• Less power = lighter engraving

Engraving is generally the slowest process for your laser, so it can take a while to engrave your projects (especially on a craft laser). I made these coasters and each one took me an hour to engrave and cut on my Glowforge Aura! That’s four hours for four coasters. The process would’ve been much faster on my CO2 laser, but the engraving process really is much slower than most cuts or scores.

Depending on your file, if you’re creating multiple items or crunched for time, you may want to use a score linetype instead. For example, I wanted to create a decorative engraving outline on these acrylic hotel keychains. The engraving was more than an hour per sheet of keychains while the scoring was just minutes. The scoring is very light, as you can see. Would I have preferred engraving? Yes. Did I save myself a ton of time using score instead? Also yes.

For engraving you can use almost any file type. You can upload an SVG and set the file to engrave and it will fill and engrave it. Or you can upload a bitmap/raster/pixel file (a JPG, PNG file, most commonly) and your Glowforge will automatically turn it into an engraving. Photos are a particular fun one to engrave! Note that if you upload a bitmap file, you won’t be able to turn it into a cut or score linetype.

One of my favorite engraving tips is to use paint pens to “fill” the engraving with color. I do this a lot with acrylic in particular. For example, I wanted the smiley face on this Stanley cup topper to be white, not the same pink as the rest of the acrylic. So before I removed the mask, I used a paint pen to ink in the engraving, creating a cute white smiley face! You can do this with wood, too, but sometimes the paint pen can bleed into the grain of the wood.

I hope you found this helpful as you get started with your laser! If you have any questions about these three laser linetypes, I’d be happy to answer them!

The post Laser Linetypes: Basic Overview of Cut, Score, and Engrave appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

With the recent launch of the Glowforge Aura, I’ve gotten so many questions about how it compares to the xTool M1. I have both craft laser cutters so in this post, I’m going to break down the differences so you can make the best choice for your needs.

Choosing a laser cutter can be overwhelming with all of the different specs, features, and technical information. I’m hoping this post will help demystify the decision for you.

If you want an in-depth overview of each machine, check out my Beginner’s Guide to the xTool M1 and my Beginner’s Guide to the Glowforge Aura.

Ready to get started? Check out my must-have laser supplies Amazon shopping list!

Watch the Video

Hit play to watch a video of the differences between these two machines! If you prefer to read, keep scrolling down!

Laser Type

Both the Glowforge Aura and the xTool M1 are diode lasers. I won’t go into the science of lasers, but this means these lasers are less powerful and less precise than larger CO2 lasers like the Glowforge Plus/Pro or xTool P2 machines.

But it also means they are much more affordable for everyday crafters and hobbyists! They also last longer and are easier to maintain. No need to invest several thousand dollars into a laser, especially if you don’t want to turn your hobby into a business. While these lasers aren’t as powerful as their CO2 counterparts, they are powerful enough to create amazing projects.

(PS, if you’re looking for a CO2 laser, check out my overview of the CO2 Glowforge I have!)

Winner: Tie

Laser Power

Laser power is measured in watts and it affects how fast and deep your laser can cut. The Glowforge Aura is a 6W laser. The xTool M1 comes in both a 5W and a 10W version.

For this post, I’m going to be talking specifically about the 10W xTool M1, which is what I currently have. I actually had the 5W for a while. But with the price difference, I found the 10W is a much better value when it comes to speed and power than the 5W and I would without hesitation say to choose the 10W over the 5W if you decide to go with an xTool laser.

Overall, the xTool 10W laser should perform slightly better and faster than the Glowforge Aura 6W laser.

For reference, a CO2 Glowforge Pro is 45W and the CO2 xTool P2 is 55W.

Winner: xTool M1 10W

Blade Cutting Capabilities

The xTool M1 has an advantage over the Glowforge Aura in that it can also cut using a blade, like a Cricut or Silhouette machine. When I was testing this feature, though, I found it to be slow and clunky overall compared to a purpose-built electronic cutter. There’s no way that the xTool M1’s blade feature will replace my Cricut machines, but if you don’t have a cutting machine, you may value the blade cutting of the xTool for vinyl, HTV, and cardstock.

That being said…both the xTool M1 and the Glowforge Aura can cut many of those materials with a laser! You just want to make sure your materials are laser safe (Glowforge has some options as do other brands). You’re more limited in what you can make, but you can definitely get some of that “blade capability” with just the laser.

Winner: xTool M1

Dimensions

The Glowforge Aura is about 20″ wide x 20.5″ deep x 5″ high. You’ll need about 20″ above the machine to open the lid. It weighs about 19lbs, which makes it easy to move around.

The xTool M1 is about 22″ wide x 18″ deep x 9″ high. You need about 18″ above the machine to open the lid. You can also add an additional riser to the base that adds 4.7″ to the height. I’ll talk a bit more about why you might want the riser later in this post. It’s difficult to move the laser while it’s on the riser, however, so I would suggest if you want to use the riser to have a permanent place for your xTool to live. The machine itself weighs about 20lbs, making it easy to move around.

For both machines, you’ll also need an extra 6″ or so of space behind the machine to account for the vent pipe, which I’ll talk about below.

Both machines are small, light, and perfect for smaller craft spaces.

Winner: Tie

Cut and Engrave Size

The usable area for the Glowforge Aura is 11.5″ x 11.5″ but there is a passthrough on either side that allows you to cut unlimited length side to side. You can engrave items up to 3/4″ thick.

The usable area for the xTool M1 is 15″ x 11.75″ with no passthrough. But with the way the machine is built, you can remove the base and use the riser to engrave very thick projects, like wood boxes or mugs and tumblers. You can even build your own riser to engrave projects of unlimited thickness. You can also use the machine as an “open plane” allowing you to engrave virtually any size. xTool is definitely the winner here.

Winner: xTool M1

Venting

Both machines are enclosed systems and need to be vented. Laser cutting and engraving creates smoke and debris and you need a way to remove that from the machine and not have it go directly out into your workspace. There are two options that work for both machines using a vent pipe off the back of the machines.

The first is using an air filter. The air filter for the Glowforge Aura retails at $399 and the air filter for the xTool M1 retails at $999 but is often on sale. The xTool filter is significantly heavier at 34lbs (it’s on wheels) while the Glowforge Aura filter is 19lbs (no wheels).

The Glowforge Aura filter is Bluetooth connected to the machine, so it only runs while the machine is cutting. The xTool filter is turned on and off with a switch. Personally I prefer the Glowforge filter, based on price, size, weight, and the fact it’s connected to the machine. It’s just easier to use and move around my space.

The other option is to vent your machine out of a window. Just make sure you seal around the vent so that the smoke and debris doesn’t make its way back into your workspace.

Winner: Glowforge Aura

Air Assist

In addition to venting, an air assist can help reduce char marks on your projects and keeps your lens cleaner by blowing debris away from the project as it cuts or engraves.

The Glowforge Aura comes with a built-in air assist, while the xTool M1 has it as an additional accessory. I found the xTool air assist to be a bit fussy to install and the motor for it sits outside the machine with some tubes to connect it to the laser head. It’s also pretty loud. While it works, I definitely prefer the integrated air assist in the Glowforge Aura.

Winner: Glowforge Aura

Honeycomb Tray

This is a small but meaningful part of a laser cutter. Basically, you need airflow below anything you’re cutting to help reduce charring and help prevent flare ups and fires.

The Glowforge Aura has a built-in honeycomb tray that comes with the machine.

The xTool M1 comes with “triangle prisms” which are basically triangular rods that you set in the bed of the machine. Put your material on top of them and that allows for the airflow below your project. They are a bit finicky to use and they kinda go all over the place when you set down your material if you’re not careful. I’m not a huge fan, but they do work okay.

If you want, you can upgrade to the honeycomb tray with the xTool M1, which also comes with the riser. But it’s a bit expensive. I wish the M1 came with a honeycomb tray instead of the prisms.

Winner: Glowforge Aura

Materials

The two machines can cut a range of similar materials, including wood and acrylic (some colors, not including clear and some other lighter or transparent colors), as well as laser-ready leather, HTV, vinyl, and cardstock. You can make some awesome projects with a diode laser!

You can also engrave laser-ready materials like wood (think cutting boards and coasters) and metal with an engraving coating (like anodized aluminum).

The Glowforge Aura can cut wood up to 6.35mm thick and acrylic up to 3mm thick and the xTool M1 10 can cut wood up to 8mm thick and acrylic up to 3mm thick.

Most materials made for these machines, however, are thinner than the maximum cut depth. For me, I found that one some of the thicker materials that needed more passes with the xTool, my edges were a bit rough because of the multiple passes. So I generally stick to thinner materials anyway. If you want to cut thicker materials, I’d check out at CO2 laser instead.

Both Glowforge and xTool also have their own materials. I find that Glowforge Proofgrade materials are really high quality and cut beautifully with the settings in the Glowforge app—I’ve never had to play around with the settings. Their materials also come pre-masked, which is nice.

xTool has their own materials but I find the quality to be a bit lower than the Glowforge materials and you have to add your own masking. I’ve had sheets of material with slight bows or warping in them, which actually makes a big difference in cut quality in a diode laser and making the difference on whether or not the laser cuts all the way through the material.

That being said, you can use Glowforge materials in your xTool or xTool materials in your Glowforge. You can also use non-qualified materials from other distributors if you’d like, but you’ll need to do some testing to make sure your machine can cut it.

Winner: xTool for material thickness, Glowforge for material quality

Circular Object Processing

If you want to engrave tumblers, mugs, bracelets and other circular objects, then the xTool is the only machine that will work for you. You’ll need the additional riser base and the rotary tool, but you can engrave all sorts of drinkware and other circular objects using the xTool M1.

The Glowforge Aura doesn’t have any capabilities close to this—you can only do flat objects up to 3/4″ thick.

Winner: xTool M1

Software

Each machine has their own proprietary software, the Glowforge App (desktop and mobile) and xTool Creative Space (desktop and mobile). Both have a free version, and Glowforge has a Premium version that is very expensive ($50 a month) and that contains features that I really think should be free, like using text (which doesn’t even include your own fonts, just Glowforge’s fonts). You can use text (including your own fonts) in the xTool software.

Both are very limited in what they can do as far as design goes. Most users will likely create designs in an outside program like Illustrator or Inkscape (or buy from a designer) and upload the designs to the software to cut. It’s just so much better and easier to do it that way. Both software programs allow for a wide range of file type uploads and should be able to handle any files you may purchase to use with your machine.

Winner: xTool for the fonts, but honestly use a different software for actual design

Internet Connection

If you want to use your Glowforge Aura when you have no internet, you’re out of luck. You must have internet to run the Glowforge app software in an internet browser.

If you want to use your xTool M1 when you h ave no internet, you can! Creative Space is a program that you download to your computer and you can use your machine offline. Note that there are some features in the software that might need internet, but generally you can upload your own file to the software and cut it without needing an internet connection.

Winner: xTool M1

Safety

Both machines are “closed systems” meaning that they should contain most of the smoke and debris associated with cutting and engraving. Personally, I find that the Glowforge contains the “smell” (and therefore probably the smoke) a bit better than the xTool M1, even with each machine using the air filter. I think this is because the riser I use is not as air tight as the Glowforge Aura (it only contains 90% of the smoke) and some of that smoke and smell leaches out into my workspace.

Both machines have orange lids, which protect your eyes from the light of the laser, much like a welder’s helmet.

And finally, the xTool M1 has an optional Fire Safety set that can automatically detect fires and turn off the machine if one is detected. This is awesome and I wish this was a standard feature on all lasers (come on laser industry, let’s get on that!). Laser fires can be really scary and having that as an option is great.

I talk more about fire safety in my post Must-Have Laser Supplies for Beginners.

Winner: xTool M1

Support

Both Glowforge and xTool have been known to be slow in resolving issues with their tech departments. That being said, both have robust user communities (the Glowforge Community and the xTool M1 Facebook Group). Often you can get help with any issues more quickly in the groups than you can than by directly contacting their support teams.

These communities also often have free files and other bonuses in addition to their helpful users. I would definitely recommend joining the community for whichever machine you decide to buy.

Winner: Tie

Accessories and Add Ons

The Glowforge Aura only has one add-on at this time.

• Personal filter ($399)

The xTool M1 has a variety of add-ons that can increase the utility of your machine. Below are MSRP prices but they are often on sale.

• Riser base with honeycomb tray ($229)
• Personal filter ($999)
• Air assist ($179)
• Rotary tool ($319)
• Fire safety set ($189)

Winner: xTool M1

Total Cost

The base cost of the machine is:

• Glowforge Aura: $1199
• xTool M1 10W: $1499 (but often on sale for closer to $1000)

Then you’ll want to factor in whether or not you want a personal filter or any of the accessories for the xTool M1. So the xTool M1 usually starts out less expensive, but quickly surpasses the Glowforge Aura in price as you start adding other pieces to it.

Note that Glowforge almost never has sales except on shipping, whereas xTool is constantly having sales on both their machines and accessories. Definitely wait for those sales before purchasing.

Winner: Glowforge Aura

Overall Ease of Use

I was already familiar with laser cutters when I got both my Glowforge Aura and my xTool M1 (I’d had my Glowforge Pro for a few years at that point). I actually really struggled with my xTool M1 at first and that surprised me since I was already a laser user. I mentioned above that I’ve had some bowed and warped materials from them and that included my test materials that came with my machine. It took me testing and some frustration to be able to make my first project—I tried several times to cut through that material before I got it to work.

I didn’t have the best first impression of the xTool M1 but as I used it more, I was able to get it to work on the first try most of the time. I definitely do test cuts and engraves with my xTool M1 than I do with my Glowforge Aura.

The Glowforge Aura cut perfectly on my first cut and has easily cut and engraved basically everything I’ve put in there so far.

So if you’re a true beginner and you’re worried about ease of use, despite all of the extra features of the xTool, I might recommend the Glowforge. First you don’t have all the add-ons that can be overwhelming for beginners, and second because it’ll have you making projects with Proofgrade materials right out of the box without testing. It’s just a more simple, straightforward laser experience in my opinion.

Winner: Glowforge Aura

Glowforge Aura vs. xTool M1: Which Machine is the Winner?

So which machine wins overall? The xTool M1 is clearly the winner when it comes to features and capabilities and it would be my recommendation for most users. There is so much more you can do with the xTool M1 using features like the riser base and the rotary tool.

That being said, if you’re a beginner and you are completely overwhelmed by all of the things the xTool M1 can do, you may be better off with the Glowforge Aura. You’ll be more limited in the types of projects you can make, but if it gets you crafting faster—versus staring at the xTool and its accessories in the box—then it might be the better option for you.

For me, I have found that I go to my Glowforge Aura more often, just because I find it easier to use overall. When I want to make projects that are thicker or use the rotary tool, then I’ll break out my xTool M1.

I hope you found this review of the Glowforge Aura vs. the xTool M1 helpful! There’s no “correct” answer as to the machine that’s best for everyone. It will depend on your needs, your skill level, and what you want to make. I’d love to know which diode laser you chose down in the comments!

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