xTool-Tested Acrylic: Frosted, Mirror, Glitter and Two-Tone

Black, frosted black, dark red, brown, gold-to-black two-tone, 3mm and 5mm — most of the Plastic tab is acrylic, each entry with a recorded recipe rather than a single number.

Cast acrylic cuts to a flame-polished edge and engraves frosted white. Extruded cuts adequately but engraves grey and dull. Acrylic is the generic name for PMMA, and Plexiglas and Perspex are brands of it, so do not pay a premium for the word.

Browse the Plastic catalogue

USS Constitution engraved on black acrylic by an Atomm maker — the frosted-white engrave that dark cast acrylic gives

Why Clear Acrylic Will Not Cut on a Diode Laser

Clear acrylic is transparent at 455nm, so a blue-light diode beam passes straight through and out the other side. It is not a power problem — no amount of wattage helps if the material never absorbs the energy.

Dark and opaque acrylic absorbs 455nm and is the diode-cuttable group — xTool’s own wording is “some dark opaque acrylic”, so check the sheet rather than assuming every colour qualifies. Clear needs a CO2 source at 10.6µm, which every acrylic absorbs. Of the community-recorded plastic jobs, most ran on fiber, a handful on CO2, and the rest on diode and three on UV — on plastics the wavelength decides more than the wattage.

See this acrylic project

A translucent neon-green acrylic token engraved and cut by an Atomm maker, held up to the light

Clear or Coloured — That Decides the Laser

Clear acrylic is the one material a diode simply cannot see. Everything else in this family is fair game.

Clear and transparent

CO2 only. A blue diode passes straight through clear sheet without depositing energy, so there is nothing to cut with.

Opaque and coloured

Cuts and engraves on diode and CO2 alike. A wide colour choice in the opaque glossy range alone.

Mirror and two-tone

Engrave through the top layer and the colour beneath shows through — no paint, no fill.

Glitter and frosted

Diffuses light, so engraved detail reads softer. Popular for keychains and signage.

Which xTool Machine Is Best for Acrylic?

The one family where the laser type is a hard gate rather than a preference.

xTool P2S

55W desktop CO2. The CO2 route for clear acrylic. One community record cuts 3mm in a single pass with a polished edge.

xTool P3

80W flagship CO2. Thicker stock — 10mm becomes practical with air assist, and large sheets fit the bed.

xTool S1

Enclosed diode, 20W or 40W. Coloured and dark acrylic. Clear sheet does not absorb 455nm, so it is not a diode job; xTool publishes cutting figures for dark opaque acrylic per module, so check the S1 spec for yours.

xTool F2 Ultra

60W MOPA + 40W diode. The UV module is a separate model, the F2 Ultra UV: one maker engraved 3mm black acrylic on it at 80 mm/s and 30%.

Acrylic and Plastic Settings Recorded by Makers

The machine each job was run on, and the numbers that produced the result. The last three are other plastics rather than acrylic, and a community record is a report of what someone ran, not a safety clearance — ABS and foam board both carry warnings elsewhere on this site, so check the resin and the SDS before copying them.

Laser Engrave-1/8"(3mm) Black Acrylic

P2S (CO2 55W) · Engrave Pass 1 · 400 mm/s · 18%

1/8"(3mm) Black Acrylic

F2 Ultra UV (Ultraviolet light 5W) · Engrave Pass 1 · 80 mm/s · 30%

ABS Black

F1 (Fiber IR 2W) · Engrave Pass 1 · 200 mm/s · 60%

dollar store foam board

P2 (CO2 55W) · Cut Pass 2 · 90 mm/s · 45%

PLA black

F2 (Fiber IR 5W) · Engrave Pass 1 · 80 mm/s · 90%

Why Start From a Tested Setting

Clear sheet is a hard no on a diode

It is not a settings problem. The beam is not absorbed, so the material never heats. Buying clear for a diode machine wastes the sheet.

Cast versus extruded changes the engrave

Cast engraves frosted white and cuts polished; extruded engraves grey. Very few product names state which one you are buying, and the records do not carry a cast/extruded field either — so if it matters, ask the supplier.

Colour changes the power you need

Black absorbs readily; white and clear reflect and diffuse. A recorded value for that exact colour beats a generic acrylic number.

Edge quality is the whole point

Acrylic is chosen because the cut edge needs no finishing. Overpower it and you get a frosted, crazed edge instead of a polished one.

Explore the Materials Lab

Nine laser material families from the Atomm Materials Lab

All laser materials

Wood, acrylic, leather, metal, glass, stone and the rest — every material family that carries xTool-tested settings.

Nine laser wood surfaces — basswood and birch plywood edges, walnut, mahogany, cherrywood, bamboo and MDF

Wood, plywood and MDF

Forty boards from basswood ply to oiled MDF. Grade decides the cut, species decides the look.

Nine tested glass and crystal materials — a K9 crystal ball, inner-carved block, heart keychain, pink K5, frosted glass jars, cobalt glass and an arch crystal with a clock

Glass and K9 crystal

Crystal blanks, glassware and awards — plus why the inner-engraving records here are all on the UV machine.

Nine lamp and lighting parts — a wooden petal table lamp, acrylic disc pendant, adjustable metal lamp base, crystal LED base kit, wood light base, walnut shade boards, an Edison bulb with brass socket, a tube bulb with cord and a connector kit

Lamp and lighting kits

Sockets, cords, bulbs, LED bases and complete DIY lamp kits, sized for laser-cut shades.

Laser materials and printing supplies side by side

Laser and printing together

What cuts, what only engraves, and how the printing routes differ — both sides of the catalogue in one place.

Acrylic Engraving Guides & Ideas

Cast versus extruded, flame-polished edges, and what to do when clear acrylic will not cut.

How to Laser Cut Acrylic: Complete Guide for DIY Makers

Learn how to laser cut acrylic with our comprehensive guide. Discover the best settings, techniques, and tips for creating stunning acrylic projects with your laser cutter.

2026/04/113962

How Do You Cut Acrylic? 4 Methods Compared (2026)

How to cut acrylic four ways — score-and-snap, jigsaw, table saw, and laser — with what you need and the steps for each, plus a method comparison table.

2026/07/115673

13 Free Acrylic Coaster Ideas

Discover 13 real, free acrylic coaster designs from Atomm's community — laser-engraved florals, mirror and holographic Halloween pieces, and wood-inlay styles ready to edit and cut.

2026/07/141127

42 Free Acrylic Keychain Ideas

42 free acrylic keychain ideas from the Atomm community — clear, colored, glitter, mirror, layered shaker, pop-culture charm, and functional designs to laser cut and engrave.

2026/07/311624

Spell It Out: 30 Custom Name Necklace Designs in Metal

30 free laser-cut name necklace ideas from the Atomm community — script name pendants, nameplate necklaces, engraved bars, word pendants, and initial lockets to make and gift.

2026/08/251592

40 Free Wedding Sign Ideas (Laser-Cut Welcome, Seating Chart & Acrylic Wedding Signs)

40 free laser-cut wedding sign ideas from the Atomm community: welcome signs, seating charts, table numbers, guest books, and acrylic, mirror, and slate designs to personalize and cut.

2026/08/111123

Perguntas frequentes

Can a diode laser cut clear acrylic?

No. Clear acrylic barely absorbs 455nm blue light, so the beam passes through instead of depositing energy. A CO2 laser at 10.6 microns is absorbed almost completely and cuts the same sheet effortlessly. Dark and opaque acrylic is the group that works on a diode; check the individual sheet, because colour alone does not guarantee it absorbs enough.

Acrylic Materials for xTool Laser Machines