Laser Cutting Services
To submit a laser cutting file you must use the LAB's templates for Illustrator, Autocad, or Rhino. The templates are available for download in the 'Resources' page.
Laser Cutting at the LAB
We provide laser cutting services for staff, students, and faculty of The Creative School. All laser cutting services are carried out by LAB staff at our at main facility in B30 of the Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex. Laser cutting files are processed on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The Lab will email patrons once their submitted files are processed and ready for payment/pick up! This email will include the service fees due. You must pay for your laser cutting and/or 3D printing fees using your University OneCards (students) or CashCards (faculty/staff) at the time of your pick-up.
We have a range of resources to help you prepare your files and plan your projects.
Materials & Pricing
Laser cutting service fees are based on the price per minute of a laser cutting and the cost of materials used.
Price per minute
| Laser Cutter | Bed Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Epilog Fusion M2 | 39.5" x 27.5" | $ 0.42 per min. |
| Trotec SP500 | 48.5" x 27.5" | $ 0.42 per min. |
| Trotec SP2000 | 98.5" x 65.5" | $ 0.42 per min. |
Price per materials
Cardboard
| Thickness | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 5/32" | 32" x 18" |
$1.08 |
| 5/32" | 32" x 12" | $0.72 |
MDF
| Thickness | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8" | 32" x 18" |
$3.01 |
| 1/8" | 32" x 12" | $2.01 |
Baltic Birch Plywood
| Thickness | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8" | 30" x 18" |
$11.59 |
| 1/8" | 30" x 12" | $7.73 |
Clear Acrylic
| Thickness | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1/16" | 32" x 18" |
$11.11 |
| 1/16" | 32" x 12" | $7.41 |
| 1/8" | 32" x 18" |
$23.49 |
| 1/8" | 32" x 12" | $15.66 |
| 1/4" | 32" x 18" |
$35.57 |
| 1/4" | 32" x 12" | $23.71 |
Opaque White Acrylic
| Thickness | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8" | 32" x 18" |
$26.87 |
| 1/8" | 32" x 12" | $17.91 |
Translucent White Acrylic (*while supplies last*)
| Thickness | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4" | 32" x 18" |
$46.31 |
| 1/4" | 32" x 12" | $30.87 |
Black Acrylic
| Thickness | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8" | 32" x 18" |
$26.87 |
| 1/8" | 32" x 12" | $17.91 |
Frequently Asked Questions about our Laser Cutting Services
How long will it take for my Service Bureau submission to be ready?
We process Service Bureau submissions on a first-come-first-served basis. We do not guarantee turnaround times as they vary depending on the time of year. The last month of each semester is our busiest time of year. In all cases we recommend you provide us with 1-2 weeks of lead time to process your submission. We do not offer rush jobs.
How much will my Service Bureau submission cost?
We don’t offer estimates for Service Bureau submissions.
For laser cutting: final cost is determined by the material you choose to cut, and the job time of your cut (in minutes). Things that will affect your final job time include:
- Laser cut files that are highly detailed/intricate or have lots of rastering. These will take much longer to cut.
- Laser cut jobs on thicker materials will also take longer to cut.
- If you do not follow our laser cutting template instructions correctly, a technician will need to correct your file, this too will effect your final job cost.
I want to laser cut on a material that the LAB doesn’t have in-house - how can I do this?
Anyone is welcome to bring in their own material to be processed via D+TL Laser Cutting Services! Before we can laser cut on your personal material, we need to determine if it is safe for laser cutting. If it is, we will then need to do some testing to fine-tune our material settings. This testing would be counted as part of your project job time. You can indicate that you will be bringing in your own material on the laser file submission form. Please drop off your labeled material to the D+T LAB.
Which materials CAN be laser cut?
Lasers produce high quality cuts from flat sheets of the following material categories: Woods, Plastics, Fabrics (natural fibre and some synthetic), Felt (wool and polyester), Leather, Uncoated paper and cardboard, Rubber and silicone.
Which materials are NOT suitable for laser cutting?
There are some materials that should not be cut with a laser becuase of their chemical make-up or other material properties. Processing these materials creates dangerous gases, dust or risk of fire. These materials include:
| Toxic Fumes | Fire Hazard | Will Not Cut |
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Where can I purchase different coloured acrylics for laser cutting?
We recommend you purchase acrylics for cutting at Plastic World (external link, opens in new window) .
Where can I find more resources on Laser Cutting?
Head over to our laser cutting resources page!