Laser Machines

At Pagoda Arts we use high quality US made machines to insure precision and constancy with all cuts and engravings.

Standard laser size 32"x18" (812mm x 457mm)

Large format laser size 100"x 52" (2.54M x 1.32M) *most materials sold max 96”x 48”

Pricing

Pricing is based on the machine run time. The complexity, detail, and material type and thickness all determine the cutting and engraving time.  Email your files for a free estimate, or more general information.

Materials

Materials we stock as well as suitable and unsuitable materials.

Materials we stock

Feel free to bring in your own materials

Materials Suitable for Cutting and Engraving

Thickness for Standard Lasers, Large format Laser in (parenthesis)

• Acrylic/Plexiglas up to 3/8", (1/2")

• ABS up to 1/8"

• Delrin/Acetal up to 1/8", (1/4")

• Polyester Film/Mylar

• Kapton, polyimide film

• Other plastics- check first

• Paper/Card stock

• Cardboard

• Mat board/Chipboard

• Acetate

• Hardwood up to 1/2", (3/4")

• Plywood up to 1/2", (3/4") [interior grade only]

• Veneer wood

• MDF up to 1/4", (3/4")

• Fabric

• Leather [veg tanned only]

• Silicone

• Rubber up to 1/8"

• Latex

• Polyurethane foam, Polyethylene foam, EVA foam [has no chlorine]

Materials Suitable for Surface Engraving Only

• Glass

• Mirrors

• Marble

• Slate (smooth)

• Some other smooth stone

• Some tiles

• Anodized Aluminum (32”x18”max)

Unsuitable Materials

• Metals (we do not cut metals or engrave them to depth)

• PVC & Vinyl based plastics or foams (toxic gases)

• Polycarbonate. (SF Air Quality Management advisement)

• Teflon PFA, FEP (toxic gases)

• Halar, ECTFE (toxic gases)

• Foam Core, Gator board, Polystyrene foam (melts and ignites)

• Chrome Tanned Leather (toxic gases)

• Exterior/Marine Plywood (reflective glues/excess charring)

• Formica (toxic gases)

• Natural wool felt (messy and smelly)

• Magnetic Sheets (leaves magnetic dust in the machine)

General Laser File Tips

• Vector art files are needed for laser cutting but engraving can be done from almost any image type.

• Please make sure your vector artwork contains no overlapping double lines because the laser will cut these areas more than once and add to the cutting time or may damage the material.

• The artwork should be scaled to 100% the size you wish to cut.

• Include a reference dimension either in the file or email to verify the size is correct. Some file formats will scale differently in different programs.

• Multiple art boards or part layouts in the same file are great. Sending individual files for each component will slow down the quoting and cutting process.

• Raster images will engrave with a similar appearance to the image resolution for printing. 300 dpi is a good balanced resolution.

• Please embed fonts or convert the text to outlines to guarantee the correct type face will appear in the file on our system.

• Recommended file formats include: .dwg, .dxf, .ai, .svg, .pdf, .eps

Stencil Creation Tips

• Vector art is the best and the most cost effective way to create a stencil. We can also work from images, but conversion can reduce some details.

• Be aware that we may need to add connector bridges/line breaks to keep elements contained in the stencil. For example the center of letters like B,O,P will fall out if not connected.

• You are welcome to add line breaks ahead of time in your vector files. The width needed varies with the size of the stencil but usually no less than 1.5mm width.

• We generally add a 2"-3" margin to the stencils for strength and masking. Larger margins can usually be added if necessary.

• Stencils larger than the material size we have can be made by tiling pieces of material that can be taped together. The largest one piece stencil we can make is 4'x8' sheets depending on the material used.

• Scale your artwork to 100% size. If multiple sizes are needed, you do not need to send the same artwork again, just mention the other sizes you want created. Please refer to the artwork length and width when describing dimensions.

Illustrator Tips

• Parts should be on artboards. Delete any extra artwork that is not needed for cutting or guidance in the file.

• Multiple art boards are great. Sending individual files for each component will slow down the process.

• All vector line weights set to 0.025mm stroke or smaller

• Vector cutting lines (cuts first)= color Red 255

• Vector cutting lines Secondary (cuts second)= color Cyan R000/G255/B255

• Vector etching lines = color Blue 255

• Vector etching lines Secondary (to indicate different depth)= color Green 255

• Raster graphics, text, or images = Black for full etch. All gray scale images will engrave as a halftone pattern.

• Please embed fonts or convert the text to outlines to guarantee the correct type face will appear in the file on our system. Type>Create Outlines

• We can accept the latest Adobe CC or earlier versions and formats .ai, .pdf, .svg, or .eps

AutoCAD Tips

• Scale your artwork to 100% size of the parts to be cut in the model space.

• Sending individual files for each component will slow down the process. Please include all parts in the same file.

• Units are ok in either inches or mm.

• Include at least one reference dimension to confirm size and units.

• Cutting lines (cuts first) = Color Red 1

• Secondary Cutting lines (cuts second) = Cyan 4

• Score lines = Color Blue 5

• Secondary scoring lines (for alternative depth) = Color Green 3, Color Yellow 2

• Raster Text, Graphics, or Image Layer Color Black/White 7

• Non printing elements = Color Magenta 6 (print off)

• Please save as a .dwg or .dxf

Rhino, SketchUp, and other 3D programs

• Use similar layout and color settings as AutoCAD.

• Flatten or extract 3D shapes into 2D layouts.

• Make sure there are not hidden or multiple layers of the same line.

• Provide a reference dimension in the file as sometimes these programs export to the wrong scale.

• For SketchUp specifically check your arc setting are high to avoid faceting.

• Export as 2022 or earlier .dwg, .dxf, or .svg, .ai

Raster Image Tips

• Image Resolution will determine engrave quality.

• 300 DPI is usually an acceptable resolution

• Convert color images to gray scale to reduce file size.

• Most images files acceptable

Feel free to Email with any questions about file types or set up.

Legal

Pagoda Arts assumes you have obtained the rights to reproduce any copyrighted or trademarked images, logos, or artwork you have provide to be reproduced, and accepts no legal responsibility for reproducing legally protected materials.

FAQ

• Can you cut metal? We do not cut metal.

• Can you engrave metal? Only anodized aluminum or coated metal, where the laser removes the coating only.

• What is the cost of laser cutting my project? We need to see a file to give you an accurate quote. The machine run time is determined by the number of cutting lines in the file, area and depth of engraving, material type, and material thickness. Using different layouts and different machines can also affect the laser time so we like to explore the options to give you the best value.

• What is the general turnaround time? Obviously it depends on the size of the project, but you can expect about 3 days turnaround on average for medium size projects. Smaller jobs are sometimes faster depending on the current schedule.

• Is there anyway to get my quote faster? We work hard to get you a quote as fast as possible. If your file is set up to our Guidelines it can greatly speed up the process.

• Can I pay a rush fee to get my project finished faster? No, we treat every job in our cutting lineup equally so paying more won't get you to the front of the line.

• Can I bring my own materials? Yes, we encourage you to bring your own materials. Check the Materials section to see if they will work.

• Can I ship my materials directly to your location? Yes, please notify us before sending any material.

• Can you ship my finished project to my location? Yes, shipping is no problem.

• Can I reserve time on your lasers and operate the machines myself? No.

• Can I visit your location without an appointment? Stopping by during regular hours is no problem, although we won't be able to give you a quote right away.

• Can I wait there while you cut something? 99% chance the answer is No.

• What are your hours? In case you missed it, 10am - 6pm on weekdays.

• What is the thickest material you can cut? The lasers have a specific focal range where they cut well. On the smaller machines it is about 1/2" (12mm) maximum. On the large format machine it is about 3/4" (19mm). Check the Materials list for details for specific materials.

• Can you assemble or paint my project? We do not offer those services.

• Do you offer CNC milling or any other machine services? No we specialise only in laser work.

• Do you offer ink printing services? No, but if you bring in your printed sheets and have a file to match we can laser cut the pieces out for you.

• Is there a way to laser cut the material without burning the edge? CO2 laser cutting technology uses a thin beam of light to burn through the material to cut it, so materials like wood or paper will inevitably have darker edges.

• Is there a way to laser cut the material without burning the top or bottom? Yes many materials can be cut with a masking tape applied to protect the surfaces.

• Can you engrave on curved surfaces? It depends on the radius of the curve and the material involved. Generally something like wine glasses or thermos containers are too tight a curve for the laser to engrave any reasonable sized logo. It will also fade as the curve gets out of focus. For items with minimal curves they give us more focal range to fit larger logos.

• Can you cut stacks of material to save time? Generally this does not work because the lasers have a vacuum system to hold the parts in place. Something like paper will lift up while cutting. Also gasses produced during the cutting get trapped between the layers and stain the surfaces. It can only work for doubling up porous materials like cardboard where the surface look isn’t important.