Hi. I am still waiting (Dec 19th on the website). I am very interested in paper engineering and I want to make pop-up books. I have no experience cutting paper with a laser. Will it be possible to get a cut edge that will not be burnt? I am looking to get a clean edge like I get with an Xacto knife of a Silhouette cutting machine.
Thanks!
Yes, several users have reported that with the proper settings you can get a clean cut without discoloration.
The results I have had with vector cuts in cardstock are clean on top with very slight smoke stain on the back. Since I was gluing mine down that wasn’t an issue and I had no need to optimize the settings, but I think it would be possible to dial it in to eliminate that.
You can avoid the underside discoloration from flashback by using masking, putting tape down on the bed, or cutting on a mat of some kind as well.
(Couple of coats of Krylon #7020 Repositionable Adhesive Spray on a nice flat sheet of cheap plywood makes a good reusable mat, or there are sticky laser mats available if you don’t mind spending a bunch of money…I always forget the name…@cynd11 would know…she’s tested one.)
Far from perfect, but here’s a bit of experimenting with pop-up: