Acrylic engraving technique

Most engraving is done on the back of acrylic sheets, so that the image looks carved when viewed through the front surface (the artwork for engraving must, of course, be mirrored).

Before placing the acrylic blank on the engraver bed, remove the protective film from the side to be engraved. To avoid scratching the front face during processing, it is best to leave its protective film on.

Acrylic should be engraved at high speed and low power. Low power is enough to mark acrylic, whereas at high power the acrylic deforms.

A very good result is achieved by engraving directly through a layer of paint. Keep the same speed as for clear acrylic, but increase the power by 10% to get clean marks in the acrylic as the paint vaporises. Too much power can melt the paint and cause distortion.