Heat Press on Acrylic! The Trick to Avoid Warping, Bending, and Curling

Yes you can heat press on acrylic..but the real question is how to you stop the heated acrylic from curling and warping?!

I have a little hack that I use that will keep the acrylic flat when you're trying to sublimate on acrylic or apply white toner transfers and the acrylic has to be heated.

How to Make Your Own Laser Cut Blanks (In Any Shape)

If you have a laser you don't need to buy acrylic blanks for your UV printer or sublimation printer. You can cut your own, shaped exactly like the design you're printing.

And the best part is - you don't have to build a separate cut file to do it. You can make the cut line from the same PNG you're going to print. 

I recently made some acrylic magnets and also some acrylic Christmas ornaments. All of the acrylic ornaments were cut on 3mm clear acrylic on my xTool P2 and printed on my xTool Omni UV printer (which I am obsessed with). Any CO2 laser will work for this - including the lowest price CO2 laser I've found - the Flux Beamo.  

xTool Creative Space Tutorial | 5 Tips for Laser Beginners

The xTool laser software is pretty user friendly - even for beginners. While it's definitely not a full fledge design software by any means, there are some pretty cool hidden features that make the laser cutting software that much better. 

In this xTool Creative Space tutorial I'll be sharing five little known tips for using XCS that will make your xTool M1, P2, F1, S1 or D1 that much better!  

Why Your xTool Test Grid Isn't Working

Did you run an xTool laser test grid on a piece of scrap, pulled it out, and every single square came out looking identical.

The numbers are scored along each side and the bottom but clearly nothing changed on each test in the grid. 

You're not imagining it and your laser engraver is not broken. But your test grid did not test anything - it ran the same settings across the whole grid. 

Let me explain what is going on so you can try to avoid it.

New Free Tool for Laser Engraving Settings (Stop Guessing on Clean Cuts)

If you're constantly struggling to find the right laser settings and wasting time and materials with the wrong settings - then I have just the laser settings finder tool for you! 

It's important to understand how laser settings actually work, why the charts you find online so often fail you, and a much faster way to land on a tested starting point for your exact machine and material.

How to Save a Silhouette File as an SVG for Any Laser

If you're trying to figure out how to save a Silhouette file as an SVG file so you can use it with your laser or another cutting machine - it's just a few clicks to convert. 

One of the biggest benefits of Silhouette Studio is that it can be used to design for so many other types of equipment and software and you don't even need to have a Silhouette machine. 

In this tutorial I'll show you step by step how to convert a Silhouette file to an SVG. 

Corrugated Plastic Laser Cut Settings

If you've been searching for the exact settings to laser cut corrugated plastic - you're in the right place.

I made a full set of photo booth props and big head cutouts for my daughter's graduation party using corrugated plastic. I've also used this same material to make holiday yard sign decorations so knowing how to cut coroplast is super helpful! 

I'm going to give you the exact numbers so you don't have to spend time doing test cuts like I did.

How to Make DIY Big Head Cutouts at Home

DIY big head cutouts are all the rage right now. Graduation parties, sporting events, birthdays, senior nights...you'll always see a big head on a stick!   

The good news is you can make them at home and add them to your small business (even just seasonally).  What I love about this method is they come out super high quality - they're not blurry or pixelated, but are crisp, full-color, cut-to-shape big heads on corrugated plastic that look completely professional.

I made a set for my daughter's graduation party (can you believe Olivia is graduating?!) and I am SO excited about how they turned out. So let me show you exactly how to do this.

Craft Plastic Sheets for Laser Cutting - Settings and Tips

I had never cut craft plastic sheets on my laser before and I honestly wasn't sure what I would use them for. But when I was making photo booth props for my daughter's graduation party, they turned out to be perfect! 

This material is thin, slightly flexible - almost rubbery - and it cuts beautifully on a CO2 laser like an xTool P2s or Flux Beamo.  You can also cut it on a diode laser or even a craft cutter, like a Silhouette CAMEO or Cricut. 

I had my laser up and running already for some DIY big heads, so that's why I opted to laser cut the plastic sheets. Here's everything you need to know before you cut.

5 Ways to Print on Acrylic (And My Preferred Method!)

If you've been wanting to customize acrylic for keychains, ornaments, or other crafts, you're probably wondering - how exactly do you get designs onto acrylic?

I'm showing you FIVE different methods for printing on acrylic! Some of these involve printing directly on the acrylic, while others use transfers or stickers. Whether you have a sublimation printer, UV printer, DTF printer, white toner printer, or print and cut machine - there's a method that will work for you!

Why You Should NEVER Walk Away From Your Laser Cutter

If you're using a laser cutter - to cut any material - listen up. This is an important safety reminder. 

In my recent tutorial on how to make DIY cookie cutters, I mentioned it's important not to walk away from your laser due to fire risk. 

While this happened while cutting thick acrylic on my laser, it's a good reminder for everyone. 

Affordable Acrylic Cutting Machine at Home: Meet the CO2 Laser Changing the Game

For years, laser cutting acrylic at home was basically impossible unless you had a budget well into the thousands and a dedicated work area. 

But now there's an option for home crafters who want to cut get professional-quality acrylic cuts without breaking the bank or needing more than a desktop. 

Is the Flux Beamo the Perfect CO2 Laser for Home Use? (Watch First Cut)

Trying to find a laser for home that can cut acrylic, fit on a desktop, and not break the bank is not an easy thing to do..but I may have just found it!  

To cut all colors of acrylic you need a CO2 laser - most are large and expensive. But now there's a new option - the 30W Flux Beamo Laser. 

It's desktop size and under $1700 making it perfect for home crafters and small businesses who are short on space and budget. 

Top 15 Laser Engraving Silicone Blanks on Amazon

I am SO excited to share my favorite silicone blanks that you can get on Amazon for laser engraving!

If you've been wondering what silicone items work best for laser engraving, I've got 15 silicone blanks that engrave beautifully and have the potential to be your next best seller. 

Beginners Guide to Laser Engraving Silicone Rubber (Without Burning)

If you're new to laser engraving silicone rubber - you're in the right spot! 

Once you nail the best laser engraving settings, to avoid burning and scorching, you're going to be absolutely amazed at the results you an get when engraving silicone.  

Read on for my beginner's guide to laser engraving silicone rubber. 

How to Size Designs for Laser Engraved Full Wrap Tumblers

It's important to know how to size a full wrap design when laser engraving a tumbler. 

Making sure the dimensions and size of the design match the tumbler itself are extremely important. Read on for tips on how to size your full wrap laser engraving designs. 

Explained! What is Kerf in Laser Cutting?

If you've heard the term "kerf" in laser cutting but aren't sure what it is...you're in the right spot. 

When laser cutting, a portion of the material is eroded or burned away by the laser itself.  Because of this when you cut two pieces of material out of each other the middle one will "fall out".  Enter kerf. 

Tips to Reduce Charring When Laser Cutting Wood

If you're getting charring when laser cutting wood, there are ways to reduce the charring and clean up your wood cuts. 

Wood charring is often caused when there's not enough air during the laser cutting process. Here I'm sharing my best advice on getting cleaner wood laser cuts and a dramatic side by side! 

Laser Engraving A Full Wrap 40oz Tumbler - Start to Finish Video

If you are new to engraving full-wrap 40-oz tumblers or just can't get them right, this is for you!

Learn how to transform a plain 40oz tumbler into a personalized masterpiece using the xTool P2 laser.

7 xTool Rotary Tips for Beginners: Read this Before Laser Engraving Your First Tumbler

If you're new to laser engraving tumbler, I have a bunch of tips today to make your first laser engraved tumbler go as successful as possible. 

You can engrave stainless steel tumblers with all of the xTool lasers, but I prefer to use my xTool P2 CO2 laser since it just engraves so fast! Read on for my best tips.