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Using the Laser Cutter and AutoCAD Template

This tutorial outlines the best way to cut and etch using the laser cutter. Your project is important to
you, and you want to finish it efficiently. Using this tutorial will increase your efficiency and decrease
your material cost and time. If you can quickly use the laser cutter with few mistakes, then you will
spend less time working and more people can use the laser cutter. If you do not know how to use
AutoCAD, Rhino, or some other program that produces vector line work, ask another student,
professor, or refer to the AutoCAD Command Help document found on the woodshop website for
help. The laser cutter technician can help you cut materials, but will not teach AutoCAD or
appropriate file layout.

Scaling your Drawing

Before you set up your drawing, you will need to scale your drawing. Use the “scale” command in AutoCAD and
then select a reference point on your drawing. Then you will type in scale factor. Below are some common
scale factors. If you have questions about how to scale please refer to the AutoCAD Command Help Document,
ask another student, or professor.

Imperial Scale Factors

Scale Scale Factor
1’-0” = 1” 1/12
1’-0” = 3/4” 1/16
1’-0” = 1/2” 1/24
1’-0” = 1/4” 1/48
1’-0” = 1/8” 1/96
1’-0” = 1/16” 1/192

Revised on August 2, 2010

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Using the AutoCAD Template

This tutorial includes an AutoCAD template as a guide to formatting your files. The template has
preset layers, associated colors, and line widths. Copy the objects you wish to cut and/or etch into the
template. The image below shows how to set up layers in AutoCAD.

GREEN LINES ARE

The template has multiple cutting and etching layers. Use blue for the primary cut color and use
yellow for the primary etch color. The image below shows which colors the laser cutter associates with
each action. All of these layers are set up on the Template file.

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Allowing for Margins and Boundaries

Before cutting:

 Make sure you have a ¼” margin around your material

 Place etching on a separate layer
 Format so you can cut details and holes before cutting the final object

Your layout can dramatically improve the efficiency of laser cutting. You need to layout your files
before you try to cut. Because technicians cannot help you format your file you will have to leave to
reformat it. The following images and descriptions will help you determine how to create an efficient
layout that will use the least material and make the fewest cuts.
The laser cutter has a 32” x 18”bed and a margin of ¼” around all margins. Just like printing with
paper include the ¼” margin in your file.

THE LASER CUTTER TABLE 1/4“ MARGIN

If you want to cut material that does not completely fill the laser cutter bed create a boundary to
represent the size of the available material. Put this boundary on the “02Material Outline” Layer
(GREEN). With material like 24” x 4” Balsa and Basswood strips remember not to place your objects to
the extreme edges. Leave a ¼” margin.

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How you layout the object will make a difference in how much material you use and the time it takes to
cut. In many cases, you can reduce the number of cuts by almost half if you lay things out correctly.
The images below show how to do this. If you have overlapping or double lines, the laser cutter will
cut each line; cutting a line twice may result in burning the material.

To delete overlapping or double line, you can use the “overkill” command in AutoCAD, but some
versions of AutoCAD do not know this command. Be careful and thoughtful to decrease your number
of overlapping lines. If you determine that you will need to cut multiple sheets or you have multiple
materials, please do not have a separate file for each sheet or each material. Use the following
instruction to find out how much material you will need. We recommend bringing extra material in
case of mistakes.

1. Use one of the boundaries that represent the laser cutter table (There are four on the template
file just in case you need more than one.)
2. Fill it with objects to cut or etch
3. Repeat until you have accommodated all objects.

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Changing Etch and Cut Order

The template uses multiple cutting and etching layers, and the laser cutter uses a color based
hierarchy to decide what to cut first. Use the color codes to make sure you cut your objects in
the correct order. The code allows you to cut holes or smaller portions before you cut out the
main object. Put the object on the last cut layer. The laser cutter does not automatically cut in
a logical order. If you cut the main piece first the force of the exhaust fan may shift the entire
project and place the next cuts in the wrong place. The image below shows how to set you cut
layers to cut smaller holes before the main object.

If you need to etch lines with different depths then you would need to put each etch depth on
a different layer. If you only have one cut or etch use blue for the cut layer and yellow for the
etch layer. The image below shows the color hierarchy used by laser cutters, and the order
that it process lines and curves. Black goes first and orange last. Do not use black as a cutting,
etching, or raster layer.

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Choosing Appropriate Materials

Paper and Card Stock
Pros: Cuts very quickly with minimal burning
Cons: High risk of catching fire if cutting details and exhaust fans can suck up small
projects

Matte board, museum board, chip board, and cardboard

Pros: Cuts fairly quickly, allows for fine details, minimal burning, and excellent etching
quality
Cons: May need to tape over surface to reduce burning, may catch fire if cutting details
Note: If using cardboard pay attention to its orientation when cutting thin objects. If
you cut along the corrugation the pieces will fall apart, cut skinny object perpendicular
to the orientation of the corrugation.

Foam Core
Pros: Cuts fairly quickly with minimal burning.
Cons: The inner foam core melts inwards making it difficult to glue the edges to other
things, and will create an inconsistent surface if stacking. Cutting very thin objects may
result in the inner foam completely melting.

Basswood, Balsa wood, and any hardwood up to 3/16” thick

Pros: Cuts quickly with minimal burning, high level of detail possible and excellent
etching quality.
Cons: Densely packed details prone to catching fire or burning. Bottom side surface
burning with top side residue may occur with thicker stock.
Note: The thicker the material the slower the laser cutter will cut the material.

Fabrics
Pros: Higher quality cuts possible than with scissors and fraying reduced by melting
edges
Cons: May shift during cutting due to exhaust fan. Not all fabrics will cut—some melt,
catch fire, or blow around.

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Plastics
Pros: Most plastics result in nice edges with very little burning. We recommend acrylic.
Cons: Avoid PVC, Polycarbonate, Polypropylene, plastics with a thin, clear protective
film, and similar plastics because they tend to warp, catch fire, and melt. Avoid using
PVC because it produces toxic fumes during cutting. PVS has a slight bluish edge color
and when bent the crease turn white and does not snap. Polycarbonate and Acrylic
would snap. Polycarbonate does not cut cleanly and the cutting process creates
charring and red or yellow residue.

Plywood and Masonite

Pros: For materials up to 1/8” thick, you can achieve high detail and etch quality.
Cons: Slow cutting process, significant charring occurs on edges, and top and bottom
surfaces may burn. Masonite has an inconsistent density and rarely cuts all the way
through.
Note: If you are only cutting rectangles out of ¼” stock, do not use the laser cutter. Use
the tables saw because it will cut faster without burning the edges and surfaces.

Revised on August 2, 2010