It’s crazy how laser cutting can allow a two dimensional surface to exhibit so much depth. Attaining that optical illusion is in itself part of the appeal of working with paper for laser cutting projects in particular. After all, when you picture a ‘2D plane’, chances are you’re thinking of a blank piece of paper.
And whilst we believe there’s no shortage to what you can create with a blank piece of paper, there are naturally considerations you need to make when using paper for laser cutting projects, with the purpose or intended use of your end creations being a major factor in a lot of other decisions – like what paper materials you’re looking to use, or the amount of detail in your final design.
Alongside being pretty particular laser cutting materials due to their lower burning point than other harder wearing materials like metal or plastic, paper and cardstock are also novel choices for laser cutting because of how naturally delicate it is. Mishandle your finished products and you could end up tearing otherwise perfectly clean and intricate work!
Our laser cutting technicians here at Vector & Raster do receive requests to create laser cut paper creations for a wide variety of different purposes. Today, we’ll be delving deeper into one of our latest laser cut paper projects, specifically one that really showcases the dimensionality and detail that can be achieved with nothing but a laser cutting machine and a piece of paper.
How to get the best results when laser cutting paper
Before we get into it, let’s first explore how our laser cutting technicians here at Vector & Raster are able to produce such consistently high-quality laser cut paper creations. We’ve spoken about how to add depth to laser cut paper art in the past, alongside touching on some of the challenges you’ll need to think about when working with laser cut paper, including charring or staining of materials.
Thankfully, these concerns can be avoided by using the right equipment, machine settings, and cutting methods. Expert laser cutting technicians can actually process paper materials on the same laser machines that are used to cut wood, acrylic, and even metal materials. In fact, our customers are always amazed that we can go from marking stainless steel signs, to cutting through thick wood and acrylic and then cutting intricate designs out of sensitive card stock on the same laser machines with unbelievable detail, and no charring or staining!
When you partner with the right laser cutting technicians, you can also ensure that you’re using the right kind of paper materials for your laser cut paper project as well. Technicians with a solid understanding of the best applications for each paper material they work with are naturally better positioned to advise on the best paper material to suit your laser cut paper project. For instance, the stronger but still lightweight construction of cardstock paper is suitable for practical applications (i.e. shop displays, business cards, paper gift boxes, stencils, etc.).
So to recap, here’s what you’ll need to secure the best possible results from your laser cut paper project:
- Use the right paper materials to suit your project
- Use suitable cutting methods to avoid charring or staining paper
- Partner with technicians experienced with laser cutting paper
What can laser cut paper be used for?
Our technicians at Vector & Raster have been proud to produce laser cut paper art and products to suit a range of different applications. Here are just some of the most memorable laser cut paper projects we’ve taken on:
- Business cards – laser cut business cards can be produced in different colours, shapes, and styles to ensure you leave a memorable impression in any professional context.
- Custom product packaging – we’ve produced paper packaging with unique designs for a range of retail and eCommerce clients.
- Wedding invitations – using 450gsm cardstock, our laser cut wedding invitations double up as both a save the date and a lasting keepsake of your big day.
- Greeting cards – alongside being suitable for wedding and party invitations, laser cut paper can also be used to produce fully customisable greeting card designs in a range of shapes and sizes.
- Photoshoot backdrops – one of our most ambitious laser cut paper projects involved creating laser cut backdrops for Elle Magazine photoshoots. This project put our studio on the map as the highly precise and intricate patterns created for Elle showcased the full versatility of our laser cut paper creations.
Our latest laser cut paper art project
Now let’s take a closer look at our latest laser cut paper project, which involved our cutting technicians creating some highly detailed, mandala-style paper art. This project was for another limited run retail display which required intricate doily-inspired designs that were to be hung up.
Considering the final products would have to be strong enough for installation, our laser cutting technicians opted to use a 300gsm 100% cotton rag fine art inkjet paper material. Alongside being superior in strength to wood pulp paper, paper made from 100% cotton fibres typically also contain lower acid levels and are thus, better suited for ink or toner absorption. We ran our material selection by the client and they were happy to hear that we had the perfect paper type for their project needs.
Once we’d approved the materials as well as final project designs, we got right to work on producing the laser cut paper art you can see above. And as you can see, the end results were truly spectacular. Our laser cutting technicians were able to produce symmetrical paper mandalas that boasted a superb and balanced finish with zero charring or staining. Both our technicians and our client couldn’t have been happier with the clean lines and uniform design of this laser cut paper art.
Create laser cut paper art with our experts at Vector & Raster
In short, there’s no limit to what you can do with a blank piece of paper. Our laser cutting technicians here at Vector & Raster regularly cut many different colours and types of cardstock for art projects and more.
We also offer a wide range of paper materials, including cardstock, cardboard, and even recycled boxboard. From our ethically sourced materials to our studios being powered by renewable energy, we’re guaranteed to be your best local sustainable laser cutting studio.
Experience the sheer depth and dimensionality of laser cut paper art for yourself by partnering with Vector & Raster Laser Services for your next laser cutting project. Contact us today to receive a no-obligation quote on any of our services.
