The Science of Laser Cutting Paper with Advanced Laser Trajectory

Full Spectrum Laser Laser cutters are great at cutting paper, but to many that seems counter-intuitive. After all, we are talking about a focused beam capable of cutting through ¼ inch wood and acrylic by vaporizing the material through the stimulated emission of photons from excited atoms. Looking at it that way, paper doesn’t stand a chance.

There’s the trick of it, our RetinaEngrave v3.0 laser software is able to manipulated the laser to such a degree as to delicately “kiss” the paper so gently you get perfect cuts every time, with no burnt edges or charring. It starts in your laser settings. For RetinaEngrave v3.0 users, this is easy to control and experiment with different paper stocks using power, speed and current settings.

Once you hone in on the right settings for your paper, the real magic happens. You discover that with FSL's exclusive Advanced Laser Trajectory technology, burnt edges, even on delicate paper, are a thing of the past. This is achieved by eliminating the laser from lingering on sharp turns in the design. With other laser systems, the laser tends to burn the edges when making sharp turns because the laser must slow down when reaching an angle in the design, thus exposing the material to the laser longer than is optimal. With Advanced Laser Trajectory, however, the laser curves outside the design and turns off until it returns to the design being cut after making a small "loop".  Below is a visual recreation of this process:

The results speak for themselves.

Combined with RE3’s built-in design tools, you can create amazing combinations of text fonts, patterns and custom designs. Here again, the software enables you to create designs that would be impossible with more traditional paper cutting methods. Plus, with the designs saved in the software, you can alter or replicate endless paper-based projects.

Today, because of laser and software technology, the act of paper cutting incredible pieces of art and beauty has become a true phenomenon. Nearly any paper type or thickness works great with a laser cutter and the precision of the cut allows for unimaginable intricate detail. If you have a mind for art using paper, the modern laser cutter may be the perfect tool to add to your arsenal.