Settings database — Acrylic
Acrylic laser engraving settings (diode lasers)
For a 10W diode laser engraving opaque dark or colored acrylic, start at 40% power and 4,000 mm/min (66.7 mm/s), 1 pass, air assist off or low. Two-tone acrylic uses the same settings and removes the coloured top coat to reveal the contrasting base. Clear acrylic cannot be engraved by a diode — the 450nm beam passes straight through it. Two independent community sources confirm the opaque settings. These are calibrated starting points — run a test piece first. Lasertinkerer.com LTEI 0.001 J/mm (10W engrave, opaque dark), 2026-06-28.
- 40%power (10W engrave)
- 4,000mm/min speed
- 66.7mm/s speed
- Off / lowair assist
| Material type | Wattage | Power | Speed (mm/min) | Speed (mm/s) | Passes | Air assist | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opaque dark (black, dark blue) | 10W | 40% | 4,000 | 66.7 | 1 | Off / low | medium |
| Opaque dark | 20W | 25% | 6,000 | 100 | 1 | Off / low | medium |
| Opaque light (red, yellow) | 10W | 45–55% | 3,500–4,000 | 58–67 | 1 | Off / low | medium |
| Two-tone (coloured coat / white) | 10W | 40% | 4,000 | 66.7 | 1 | Off / low | medium |
| Opaque dark (est.) | 5W | 60–70% | 2,000 | 33.3 | 1 | Off / low | low — unverified |
| ↑ Estimated — unverified, confirm with a test grid. LTEI-derived from 10W anchor. | |||||||
Which type of acrylic can you engrave with a diode laser?
The 450nm blue wavelength of a diode laser is only absorbed by opaque or coated materials. This creates four distinct categories with very different results:
Works well
Opaque colored acrylic
Dark colors (black, dark blue, dark red) engrave most cleanly — they absorb the diode wavelength strongly. Lighter opaques (yellow, light red) still engrave but may need slightly more power or a slower pass. Result: a whitened or lightened mark in the engraved area.
Excellent — most popular
Two-tone (engravers' acrylic)
A thin coloured top coat bonded over a contrasting base — black over white, red over white, gold over black. The laser ablates only the top coat, leaving the contrasting base exposed. This gives bold two-colour results ideal for signs, name tags, keychains, and trophies. Settings are identical to standard opaque acrylic.
Works — softer result
Frosted / satin acrylic
Semi-opaque; the laser removes the matte surface finish and leaves a glossy or lighter frosted mark. Result is more subtle than dark opaque. Engraves with the same settings as opaque; the visual contrast depends on the specific frosted finish.
Cannot engrave directly
Clear acrylic
The 450nm diode beam passes straight through clear acrylic — it isn't absorbed. The laser cannot engrave or cut it without a dark coating or marking spray. Apply dark paint or laser-marking spray, then engrave: the coating absorbs the beam and marks. See our acrylic capability page for a full physics explanation.
What power and speed settings engrave acrylic with a diode laser?
Two independent community sources agree on 40% power at 4,000 mm/min for 10W opaque dark acrylic. Craft and Make documents this specifically for dark cast acrylic with air assist low. TwoTrees3D corroborates with a 40–60% range at approximately 3,000 mm/min, both sources confirming the low air-assist requirement.
| Machine class | Power | Speed (mm/min) | Speed (mm/s) | Passes | Air assist | LTEI (J/mm) | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10W — dark opaque (Craft & Make) | 40% | 4,000 | 66.7 | 1 | Low | 0.001 | medium | community D |
| 10W — dark opaque (TwoTrees3D) | 40–60% | 3,000 | 50 | 1 | Low | 0.001–0.002 | medium | community D |
| 20W — dark opaque (Craft & Make) | 25% | 6,000 | 100 | 1 | Low | 0.00083 | medium | community D |
| 20W — dark opaque (TwoTrees3D) | 30–50% | 4,000 | 66.7 | 1 | Low | 0.00075–0.00125 | medium | community D |
| 5W (derived) | 60–70% | 2,000 | 33.3 | 1 | Low | 0.00175 | low | calc. C |
| ↑ Estimated — unverified, confirm with a test grid. LTEI-derived from 10W anchor. | ||||||||
Also: mirrored acrylic. Engrave the back surface to remove the mirror coating: 10W at 35% power, 4,000 mm/min, 1 pass. The laser removes the metallic backing layer, leaving clear material where you engraved. View from the front through the clear base for a clean, backlit-ready result. Single source (Craft and Make, June 2026).
Power × speed energy map for opaque acrylic engraving (10W reference)
The heatmap below shows how delivered energy varies across the power/speed range for a 10W diode laser engraving dark opaque acrylic. The ringed cell (40% / 4,000 mm/min) is the recommended starting point from both sources. Cells toward the top-right (high power, low speed) risk melting and warping the acrylic surface; cells toward the bottom-left produce a faint or invisible mark. Acrylic engraving sits in a narrow sweet spot — a few percent of power error matters more than with wood.
How to engrave two-tone acrylic for signs and keychains
Two-tone acrylic (also sold as "engravers' acrylic", "two-layer acrylic", or "laser acrylic") is the most popular diode-laser acrylic material. The thin coloured cap layer is typically 0.1–0.3mm thick; the laser ablates it in a single pass, revealing the contrasting base colour below.
- Common combinations: black cap / white base (most versatile), red / white, gold / black, silver / black, blue / white. Black/white gives the strongest contrast for text and fine detail.
- Settings: identical to standard opaque acrylic — 10W: 40% power, 4,000 mm/min, air assist off, 1 pass. The thin cap means you do not need to engrave deeply — a single clean pass is all you need.
- Focus: focus on the top surface, not into the material. Going too deep heats the base layer and can cause it to bubble or discolour.
- Surface protection: leave the protective film on the back. Peel the front film before engraving. Some makers engrave through the front film to reduce ash residue, then peel — test on a scrap piece to see which approach you prefer.
- Result: crisp, two-colour image with essentially zero taper — very difficult to match with paint-and-engrave methods on solid acrylic.
Air assist: off for engraving, high for cutting
Acrylic is one of the few materials where the air-assist rule is the opposite of most other materials:
| Operation | Air assist setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Engraving (surface ablation) | Off or low | High pressure blows molten acrylic sideways before it vaporises, scattering droplets across the surface and producing a rough, frosted-looking texture where you wanted a clean edge. |
| Cutting | High — essential | Clears smoke and melt from the kerf between passes, preventing re-melting of the cut edge. Without air assist, multiple passes tend to fuse the kerf shut. See our acrylic cutting page for cutting settings. |
If you only have a single-speed air-assist pump with no way to reduce flow: for engraving, point the nozzle slightly away from the work surface or raise it a few mm to reduce the direct blast. A gentle breeze is fine; a focused jet is not.
Safety notes for laser engraving acrylic
- Cast vs extruded acrylic: cast acrylic (the kind with a paper backing) engraves cleanly and produces less visible smoke than extruded. Extruded acrylic tends to melt and smear rather than engrave cleanly — if you're getting blobs and not crisp lines, you may have extruded sheet. Use cast acrylic for engraving.
- Do not confuse acrylic with ABS or polycarbonate. ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and polycarbonate are banned in diode laser use — ABS produces cyanide-adjacent fumes when burned; polycarbonate (Lexan) produces bisphenol A and other toxic combustion products. Acrylic is neither. If in doubt, check the material data sheet. See our banned materials list.
- Do not attempt to cut thick acrylic at high power in many passes without adequate ventilation. Thick acrylic cutting produces thick, acrid white smoke that will quickly overwhelm a small space.
- Eye protection: wear OD7+ 450nm-rated glasses when the laser is running. Acrylic can reflect the beam unpredictably, especially mirrored variants.
Common questions about acrylic laser engraving
My acrylic engrave looks rough and frosted — what went wrong?
Almost always: air assist was too high. High air pressure blows the molten acrylic around, creating a rough, uneven texture. Turn air assist off and try again on a fresh area. If the result is still rough, try slightly lower power (drop by 5%) or slightly higher speed.
The engrave is too faint — what do I adjust?
Increase power by 5–10% or decrease speed by 500 mm/min. Do this on a test piece, not your final material. Lighter-coloured acrylic (yellow, orange) may need 5–10% more power than dark-coloured because it absorbs the beam less efficiently.
Can I engrave acrylic keychains?
Yes — two-tone acrylic blanks are ideal for keychains. The pre-drilled or pre-cut blanks in black/white or coloured/white are widely available and engrave in a single pass at standard settings. Focus carefully; a small keychain blank close to the edge of the working area may be at a slightly different focal height.
Can I use a diode laser to engrave acrylic trophies and plaques?
Yes, with two-tone engravers' acrylic. This is one of the most popular uses for two-tone sheet. Standard settings apply. For a crisp result, ensure your focus is tight and the material is flat — any bow in the acrylic will soften the engraved edges. Large trophies may have a curved surface that requires careful focus adjustment across the area.
What DPI should I use for acrylic engraving?
300 DPI is the standard starting point for most acrylic engraving. At higher DPI (e.g., 500), passes overlap more, delivering more energy per area and producing a deeper, more diffuse mark. For text and logos, 300 DPI gives clean edges. For photo engraving on acrylic, 254 or 300 DPI is typical — going higher rarely improves the result because the melt-zone radius is wider than one pixel pitch at high DPI.
Related pages
- How to laser engrave acrylic — technique guide covering acrylic types, the coating trick for clear, two-tone workflow, image prep, and common mistakes
- Acrylic cutting settings — opaque only; multiple passes at high power with air assist high
- Can a diode laser cut acrylic? — which types work and why clear acrylic is transparent to 450nm
- Anodized aluminium engraving — another surface-removal operation, similar air-assist guidance
- Settings database — all materials
- Material test-grid generator — create a test grid to find your exact sweet spot
Where to find acrylic for laser engraving
These links go to Amazon searches for the materials mentioned on this page. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases — this does not affect the settings data or recommendations above.
- Two-tone laser acrylic blanks (keychains, signs — the most popular engraving acrylic)
- Colored cast acrylic sheets (opaque, for engraving and cutting)
- OD7+ 450nm laser safety glasses (required — acrylic can reflect the beam)
- Fume extractor for laser engraver (acrylic fumes require active extraction)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.