I wonder how much clearer defocusing would be on extruded acrylic. I’m thinking of reverse engraving on the back and filling, leaving the paint fill protected on the back of the piece. Looking at this post I don’t think that idea would work, unless defocusing in extruded gives a clearer engrave. Perhaps playing with power or LPI would also change the look?
https://community.glowforge.com/t/time-for-an-escutcheons/8435?u=bill_laba