Hey everyone,
Just got my glowforge and I wanted my first project to be a switch panel for my boat… it’s basically 1/4inch black acrylic but I want the lettering to be backlit… is that something that’s possible with the glowforge ?!
Picture attached for example
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Totally doable. You will need eather multiple layers or to paint the acrylic for it to be black and back-lit. Looking forward to seeing what you do.
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This looks like a fun project!
you ‘flip’ your design so its inverse, and laser the backside of the acrylic
so the front surface is smooth, and you then add the buttons.
You then can hand color the specific buttons and then use black contact to give you a smooth black background, then just add a strip of LED on the edges and that will illuminate the whole things (the etched acrylic will pick up the light and glow)
GOOD LUCK!!!
Jonathan
PS: WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!
I predict your design will evolve. You have a tool that allows you to iterate with great ease. As you learn the possibilities multiply. 
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So I can’t get it to engrave deep enough in the acrylic to show through to the front any setting tips to accomplish this ? It’s 1/4 inch black acrylic
This item does not come in 1/4", but it is pretty nice. Black LED Acrylic Sheet : TAP Plastics
Also, this may work: TroGlass Reverse - transparent cast gloss acrylic for engraving
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Plain black acrylic is solid - it won’t transmit light. You’ll need either something like the TroGlass Reverse that @dklgood linked to OR you want a piece of translucent red acrylic - which you will then paint black, and etch off the paint where your labels need to be.
(The black paint can go either on the inside or the outside - on the outside it’ll take more damage, but on the inside you’ll see more of the red)
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