I tried to cut some 10 mil stencils with very small lettering (4mm tall ) with the setting Speed 250 / Power 25 on my 1st attempt but it didn’t work. The bridges in the lettering look melted. On my second attempt, I set Speed 250 / Power 15, and it ended with the same result. Does anyone know the best setting for cutting small stencil lettering, aside from using thinner plastic. Thank you in advance for any tips and tricks that you help with.
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Welcome to the forum.
The search function here provides years of shared information. Here is an old thread which may be where you got the settings of 250/25. Mylar 10 Mil stencils - #3 by ptodd
Since materials are variable, it could be that you will need to adjust your settings and test until you get a good result. If you believe items are melting, increase your speed. There are some very good templates for testing settings in the Free Laser Design section.
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For something that fine, I might consider trying to engrave the stencil instead of cutting.
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You don’t state what your stencil material is made of. My experience is with Mylar (polyester), but if yours is something else, it could account for the meltiness of the cut which closes up after cutting. I don’t see that when I cut 10 mil Mylar, at least not to that extent. (My cut conditions are speed 235, power 25.) Please be sure you are not cutting PVC, it will severely damage your laser.
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