How to Cut Acrylic on a Glowforge Aura: 3 Scenarios Based on Your Real Setup

There's no universal acrylic setting. Here's why.

When I first started managing laser jobs, I assumed acrylic cutting was straightforward—pick a wattage, hit go, and the edges come out polished. That assumption cost me about $1,200 in wasted material and rushed reorders over the first six months. Turns out, the right approach depends heavily on what you're trying to accomplish and what constraints you're working under.

This article breaks down three common scenarios for cutting acrylic on a Glowforge Aura. If you've ever struggled with melted edges, incomplete cuts, or wasted sheets, one of these situations will match yours. I've tested these settings on roughly 200 jobs, including rush orders for event signage, custom retail displays, and small production runs.

Should mention: these are specifically for cast acrylic sheets (typically 1/8" to 1/4") on the Glowforge Aura, which runs a co2 laser tube. If you're using extruded acrylic or a different machine, the settings shift. More on that later.

Scenario A: You're cutting thin acrylic (1/8") for one-off projects or small batches

This is the most forgiving scenario, but it's also where most people overcomplicate things. For 1/8" cast acrylic on the Glowforge Aura, the sweet spot is around full power (100%) with a speed setting of about 200–220 (out of 535). That gives you a clean cut with minimal edge frosting.

Here's what I learned the hard way: don't drop the speed below 180 on thin acrylic. I tried to rush once by slowing down to 150, thinking it'd ensure a complete cut. Instead, the edge got cloudy, and I had to spend 20 minutes polishing each piece. That's not a huge time loss on a single piece, but when you're doing 20+ parts for a retail display, it adds up.

A few real details from a specific job: In September 2024, I got a call on a Thursday—needed 24 acrylic signs for a Saturday event. Normal turnaround for a job like that is 3 business days. We had maybe 36 hours. The customer had already gone through another shop that quoted 2x our price and couldn't deliver. We ran the job at the settings above, and it came out clean. The client paid $180 extra in rush fees (on top of the $220 base cost), and delivered on time. The alternative was losing their $12,000 event placement.

• Recommended settings for 1/8" cast acrylic: Power 100%, Speed 200–220, 1 pass. (I'd err toward 220 if the acrylic is fresh—less heat buildup.)
• Air assist: On, always. Without it, the flame from the co2 laser can catch acrylic vapors. I skipped it once trying to save time. Never again.
• Edge quality: Expect a slightly frosted edge that's easy to flame polish. If you need optical clarity, cut at speed 180–190, but be prepared to polish.

Scenario B: You're cutting thicker acrylic (1/4") on a tight deadline

This is where the Glowforge Aura's wattage matters. The Aura's laser is rated at about 40–45W (co2), which is fine for 1/4" acrylic, but you'll need two passes. Here's the mistake I made repeatedly: running two passes at the same settings as a single pass, thinking doubling the time guarantees the cut.

It doesn't. The first pass vaporizes material and creates a small kerf. The second pass needs to be slightly offset to account for that gap, or you'll get a partial cut. The fix is simple—don't change your focus between passes. Just run the same job twice. (I wasted about $300 in acrylic before figuring this out. I should add that we tracked 14 partial cuts across 22 attempted jobs before I stopped using the same file twice.)

Settings that work for 1/4" cast acrylic on the Aura:

• Pass 1: Power 100%, Speed 120–140
• Pass 2: Same settings, no lifting the lid, no refocusing
• Time estimate: For a 12" x 12" sheet, expect 8–12 minutes per sheet for a simple shape, plus setup.

I know what you're thinking: can I get away with a single pass at lower speed? Technically, yes, but the heat buildup from running that slow will cause the acrylic to warp and the edges to bubble. It's not worth it. Trust me on this one.

Oh, and a pro tip: if the edges look too charred after two passes, your speed is too low, not too high. I used to think slower = cleaner. It's the opposite for thicker acrylic.

Scenario C: You're cutting mixed materials (acrylic + wood) in a single batch

This is the scenario most people don't think about until they're in the middle of it. Say you're making a custom sign with a wooden frame and an acrylic insert. You need to cut both materials in the same batch to avoid alignment issues.

My initial approach was to run the whole file at acrylic settings, which torched the wood edges. Then I tried wood settings, which didn't cut through the acrylic. The fix is actually straightforward: cut the acrylic in a separate pass before or after the wood, but use registration marks to keep alignment. (The Aura's camera system makes this easier than manual setups.)

Here's the workflow I use:

1. Step 1: Cut the acrylic piece with acrylic settings (Scenario A or B depending on thickness). Leave registration marks on the edges if you need exact alignment.
2. Step 2: Remove the acrylic and place the wood sheet. Use the camera to auto-align based on the registration marks or the bed corners.
3. Step 3: Cut the wood with wood settings—typically lower power (80–90%) and higher speed (250–350).

The total time for this is about 20 minutes for a typical sign, plus material setup. If you're under a tight deadline, batch the acrylic cuts first (run multiple acrylic pieces in one layout), then switch to wood. That saved us about 40% on a recent 50-unit order.

I don't have hard data on defect rates for mixed-material batches, but anecdotally, I've seen about 8–12% rejection from alignment drift when cutting in sequence. Most of that is fixable with a little sanding or filing, so don't panic.

How to figure out which scenario you're in

Here's a simple test: answer these three questions honestly—don't overthink them.

• What thickness is your acrylic? If it's 1/8" or less, you're in Scenario A. 1/4" or thicker is B. If you're combining materials, it's C.
• What's your timeline? If you need it today, use the faster speed settings from Scenarios A or B. Don't experiment with new settings on a rush job. I learned that the hard way.
• What's your tolerance for edge quality? If you need optically clear edges, go slightly slower and plan for polishing. If it's for a one-time event where edge frosting is acceptable, crank the speed up.

If you're still unsure, run a small test on a scrap piece of the same material. I know it feels like it wastes time, but it's way cheaper than burning a full sheet. We test about 5% of our material batch before every new job run—that's maybe 10 minutes of setup that's saved us thousands in rejected parts.

Bottom line: cutting acrylic on the Glowforge Aura isn't complicated once you match your settings to your real constraints. The wattage is enough for most hobby and small-business jobs, but you need to respect the material thickness and your deadline. Seriously, start with these settings, and you'll avoid most of the mistakes I made in my first year.

Prices as of May 2025; verify current settings if your Aura's firmware has updated.