Cutting card stock is how I got started in my journey as a maker. Now that I use a CO2 laser, the cutting process has become incredibly easy for laser cutting intricate paper designs. What used to take me over 12 hours to cut by hand now takes less than 15 minutes!
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Let’s talk about how I go through the process to create intricate paper-cut designs.
Table of Contents
Materials Used
This is a list of all the materials that were used to create this project. These items may contain affiliate links.
Machinery and Settings Used
This is a list of all the machines and their respective settings that were used to create this project. These items may contain affiliate links.
- Machine Model
- Epilog Fusion Edge 12
- Vector Settings Used
- Speed: 30%
- Power: 30%
- Frequency: 50%
- Vector Settings Used
- Epilog Fusion Edge 12
Video Tutorial
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1 – Create the Design and Setup the Machine Settings
I have a lot of designs from when I got started in this adventure. If you don’t have a design, the first step is coming up with a design that you think will be fun and interesting to make. In my case, I am using a design inspired by Dr. Who of the Tardis. Shout out to all my Dr. Who lovers!
Once I have the design, I use the settings shown below to cut this design out of card stock. This card stock is going to be a little thicker than normal paper, which helps it hold up better to handling and cutting.
Step 2 – Laser Cut the Design
There are two tricks I use during the cutting process. The first is that I use magnets to hold down the corners of the paper. Not all lasers have this ability, but the Epilog lasers do have a magnetic bed. The second is I will sometimes turn off the air assist to make sure pieces of paper don’t blow around the table. The thicker the paper, the less likely this is to happen.
Step 3 – Frame and Display!
The final step in this process is to frame and display your beautiful piece of art! I’m actually selling a limited run of 20 of these pieces that are numbered and signed if you’re interested in getting one for yourself. You can buy it here.
Finished Project
Enjoy your artwork!
