Paper cutting is a fantastic art of paper works. Using mechanical tools like blades or scissors could be troublesome and inaccurate. Although it could be accurate, it might need expert hands. To eliminate this problem, a wide use of a paper laser cutting machine has appeared. ‘
A laser cutting machine is a precision tool for creating patterns or shapes in thin objects. It generally uses a high-powered laser to cut intricate designs or shapes. Laser-cutting machines are mainly used for paper and wooden materials.
The paper laser cutting machine is widely used in the arts and crafts industries. Laser cut for paper is essential for transforming digital designs into your products. These machines have precise and smooth cutting ability. So, they will be handy machines for your products.
This article introduces laser paper-cutting machines, their types, and their specifications. It will help you choose the correct one for your project.
Best Paper Laser Cutting Machine
There are many types of paper laser-cutting machines available in the market. But the best one is the CO2 Laser Marking Machine. This machine has multiple options based on size and laser power. If you are looking for a paper laser-cutting machine, you can go with the following two options:
Large Size 3D Dynamic CO2 Laser Marking Machine for Paper Card
It is a Dynamic auto-focus laser marking machine with more power, high frequency, and a longer lifetime. The Dynamic Focusing marking machine has a high-tech dynamic scanning head and a control card. Its unique advantages include algorithm optimization and high marking-cutting speed. This machine is commonly used for laser cutting on paper, woodcraft, and other non-metal laser marking processes.
Coherent RF Metal Tube CO2 Non-Metal Laser Marking Machine
This machine uses a radio frequency (RF) metal tube instead of a traditional glass tube. This technology provides greater stability and higher precision for marking non-metallic materials. It is used for engraving logos, serial numbers, barcodes, and QR codes on wood and acrylic.
Types of Laser Cutting Paper
To initiate paperwork, you need to know about papers used for laser cutting. Different types of paper have different characteristics. It is depending on how they interact with laser cutting. Here are some paper types:
Standard Cardstock Paper
Standard cardstock paper typically comes in 150 to 300 GSM (gram per square meter). It may come in various colors. People widely use it in greeting cards, invitations, business cards, and more.
Kraft Paper (Brown Paper)
Kraft Paper typically comes in 80 to 250 GSM. This paper’s advantages are that it is recyclable, affordable, and has a natural texture. It is used in packaging, eco-friendly crafts, etc.
Coated Paper (Glossy or Matte Finish)
It is 120 to 250 gsm and can accommodate sharp and detailed engravings. This paper is used in packaging, brochures, luxury prints, etc.
Watercolor Paper
It is found in 200 to 400 gsm paper with a textured surface. This paper’s advantage is that it absorbs color well after engraving. It is used for laser engravings, painting bases, etc.
What Can You Do with a Paper Laser Cutting Machine?
You might already be familiar with how a laser cutting machine works. It uses a highly focused laser beam to cut precisely through the materials. Since it uses a focused laser beam, which is extremely tiny, meaning perfect cut on the material. That’s what we need for paper cutting. Because of this, a laser cutter for paper is the best 
option for paperwork production. Here some purposes are described what you can do with a laser paper cutting machine:
- Wedding ceremony Invitations & Greeting Cards: Nowadays, creating invitation cards for any event has become essential. People always demand creative work on their invitation cards. A paper laser-cutting machine will provide you with the best paperwork output.
- Marketing Materials: With the help of a paper laser-cutting machine, you can create unique flyers, pop-up brochures, etc.
- Custom Gift Boxes & Tags: Using a laser paper-cutting machine, you can design creative packaging bags with customized engraving or add stylish, professional product tags.
- Custom Picture Frames: A picture frame enhances the beauty of a wall. You can design unique and creative picture frames with engraved details.
A paper laser cutting machine will turn your simple sheets into high-quality professional designs. It will also provide you with precision design and will enhance your creativity.
Why Should You Use Laser Cutter for Paper?
As already said, a laser cutter is one of the best tools for working with paper. There are several reasons behind this. First, a laser cutter for paper can offer you the highest accuracy cut. Second, you can work faster than any other method. Let’s compare paper laser-cutting machines and other methods.
Knife vs Laser Engraving
Laser Engraving gives you high precision and intricate patterns. But a Knife Cutting can only cut straight lines. And it struggles in cutting complex designs. Again, a laser cutter for paper works faster. It also gives you a smooth and sealed edge without any physical contact. However, knife cutting takes longer, and the product has rough edges. Although knife cutting is cheaper and good for simple designs, a laser cutter for paper could be the best option if you are dealing with complex designs.
Die Cutting vs Laser Engraving
Die Cutting uses a custom die to create shapes into paper or cardboard. It is expensive because different dice have to be used for various designs. However, a paper laser-cutting machine is highly cost-effective, as it doesn’t need any dice. Again, die-cutting can design only simple shapes or patterns, whereas a paper laser-cutting machine can create complex designs with detailed patterns. Therefore, a paper laser-cutting machine will be the better choice over die-cutting.
Digital Printing vs Laser Engraving
Digital Printing uses ink to print colorful images, text, and designs on paper. These inks fade over time, but a paper laser-cutting machine engraves the design by burning. For that, the design has remained in use for a long time. Digital printing costs less to initiate and is excellent for small runs.
However, a paper laser-cutting machine costs more at first. It is excellent for long-term productions, so we recommend choosing it over a digital printing machine.
What Specification You Must Look for a Paper Laser Cutting Machine?
There are many types of paper laser-cutting machines available in the market. These machines differ in laser types, power consumption, and sizes. When choosing a paper laser-cutting machine, you need to consider the following key specifications:
Laser Type
There are two common categories of laser used in a laser cutting machine. The categories are:
CO₂ Laser: CO2 laser is for cutting and engraving paper. It provides clean and precise cuts without damaging the paper.
Diode & Fiber Lasers: Fiber lasers are designed for metals and harder materials. They are not suitable for paper cutting.
If you aim to work with papers and hardboards, it is recommended to use a CO2 laser.
Laser Power & Wattage
For paper cutting, you can start with a laser power of 30W. Always pay attention to the appropriate laser settings. High laser power may create burn edges. Low laser power is good enough.
In general, a 30-60W laser cutter for paper gives the best cutting results. You could also opt for 100W laser cutters. However, you must pay attention to the appropriate laser settings.
Cutting Area & Machine Size
Cutting area and machine size are also critical in laser paper cutting. It typically depends on your project needs. Small-size desktop machines generally come in the working regions from 300 x 200 mm to 400 x 300mm. On the other hand, the larger cutting areas may range from 600 x 500mm or 1000 x 600mm. Various machines offer various working areas. At HiSpeed Laser, you can customize this working area based on your business needs.
Cutting Speed & Precision
When choosing a laser paper cutter, you must consider the cutting speed and the precision. Generally, a laser cutter’s speed range is between 100mm/s to 1000mm/s. High speed may increase the production rate but can cause defects in the paper. For paper, 300mm/s is the perfect speed. The HiSpeed laser cutter generally ensures ±0.01 mm of laser cutting tolerance. It offers a smooth and clean cutting edge.
Compatibility with Design Software
The laser cutting process with complex designs is typically done through computer software. Therefore, software compatibility plays a critical role here. Most laser-cutting software supports popular design formats like AI, DXF, SVG, PDF, and BMP. Which software you should use depends on the chosen machine. Most HiSpeed Laser cutter software supports LightBurn, EZCAD, and RDWorks. For design, you could use Adobe software or CorelDraw.
Summary
Whether you are a full-time businessman or an enthusiast, a laser paper-cutting machine can help you. It could be your best companion for paper designs. Paper laser cutting machines are in high demand in the paper-craft industry. You can convert a simple paper sheet into gorgeous and creative artwork.
HiSpeed Laser produces client-specific laser cutting and engraving machines. If you have any questions about laser engraving machines, please get in touch with us.
