Cardstock engrave and cut settings

Couldn’t find exact settings listed anywhere so thought I’d share. (If I just missed the info, we can combine the two posts.)

This is typical medium scrapbook cardstock. The weight isn’t listed on the package, but I’d estimate it at about 65, maybe 70 lbs.

These setting achieved a rustic engraved look without poking through the paper. The etched effect was from the GF setting and not from the file itself. (The lettering was filled solid black in the file.) The outer cut was nice and clean without scorching on the back. You could likely go up on the power a bit for a deeper etching.

BASIC
Engraving
1000 speed
1 power
240 lpi
Greyscale Floyd Steinberg
focal .01

Cut
500 speed
30 power

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Thank you for posting your settings! I have a stack of blank cardstock cards I’ve been wanting to attempt. :blush:

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Great! Thanks for sharing! Per your request the settings I used for the Kindergarten Card stock sign were.
Engrave:
1000 speed
15 power
340 lpi
focal 0.33"
Cut:
500 speed
50 power

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Very nice. It’ll be handy to have a bunch of cardstock settings in one place.

Just so folks can see your project I’m going to post the link.

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Thanks, both of you, for this resource. And the engravings look great!

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I never really expected to be excited about card stock on a laser, but I am, I really am :smiley:

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The decision to buy a GlowForge had nothing to do with my paper crafts/ card making … but, I’m so excited to use it for that!

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Thank you!:sunglasses:

I never really do much with paper or cards so I did a face-palm yesterday when out looking for a frame for a little piece of artwork we bought on vacation. It’s an odd 9"x9" mat (with a 5"x5" picture). Frames don’t come in 9x9 (8x8 is common though) and precut mats for larger frames for a “5x5” are actually 4.5x4.5 to provide coverage on a standard 5x5 photo.

So I tell my wife I’m just going to cut the artist’s mat board (after walking through every framing aisle at Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Blicks) to fit the 8x8 frame she originally bought. She wanted to know how and I first said “xacto knife” until I got home and said was working on the laser and figured out “duh, I have a laser that can cut paper and mat board”. Sheesh - felt really stupid :slight_smile:

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:grinning: So awesome to have that ability.

I was just talking about hanging some new photos yesterday … and trying to decide whether to go get a special size mat cut for a frame we have … or wait for our Glowforge.

Waiting for the Glowforge, of course!

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That card stock is beautiful. Could you potentially share the brand and style?

Thanks so much for the settings! Would you note whether they’re for Pro or Basic?

Will do… Mine is a basic

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The original post included settings for this project, your settings are not appropriate for this.

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Thanks for sharing this! I really wanted to make some stencils out of cardstock for sign making. I’ll check out the settings. I don’t think that I have the thick cardstock, its on the thinner side. Do you think this might work?