Frequently asked questions
about Laser Cutting

•  CO₂ laser technology directs a high-powered laser to cut and engrave flat surfaces such as wood, plastics and paper
• The technology can be controlled via a multitude of vector based computer programs
• Here at The Laser Co our preferred software is AutoCad (.dxf) & Illustrator (.ai).

Depending on the speed and power of the laser, the material can get slightly burnt around the edges of the cut and design. We optimise our power settings to keep these burn marks to a minimum, however from time to time they cannot be avoided. We can apply a tape to the material beforehand. Alternatively some materials can be sanded after cutting & engraving to remove burn marks. Transfer tape is not recommended for Basswood; this timber grain is very porous and the tape does not adhere well which often results in thicker cut lines and increased laser burn

Application tape does not guarantee total prevention of burn marks / residue. Jobs will be delivered with application tape in tact, The Laser Co does not take responsibility for removal of tape. Delicate materials and thin cuts may infrequently be subject to breakage when removing tape, customer discretion assumed.

Read our General Terms here

Read our Privacy Policy here

No returns are accepted as all items are custom made.

• The Full Bed Size Of Our Laser Cutters Are 1300 X 900 Mm And 1200 X 900 Mm In Size
• Most Of Our Available Sheet Material Is Smaller Than The Maximum Capacity Of The Laser Cutting Bed
• Therefore When Laying Out Your Design, You Need To Operate Within Both The Boundary Of Our Machine Bed (1200 X 900 Mm) And The Boundary Of The Material Which You Have Elected To Use.
• To Summarise: When Setting Up Your Files, Review Our Material Sizes And Lay Your Design Out Within The Material Boundary

•  When Cutting, The Laser Beam ‘Consumes’ A Small Amount Of Material, Leaving A Small Gap. This Gap Is Called A Kerf. When Cutting Items With A Tight Tolerance (E.G. Tabs, Finger Joints) The Kerf Will Affect Your Part’s Fit, Leaving It Looser Than Expected
• Kerf Cannot Be Exactly Defined As It Is Affect By Material Type, Thickness, Cutting Speed, Laser Power Settings And Laser Frequency. As A Rough Guide Laser Kerf Ranges From Between 0.08mm – 0.45mm.
• If You Are Cutting An Item With Tight Tolerance Time And Material Allowances For Kerf Testing Are Required
• Below Are Guideline Kerf Thicknesses, These Measurement Are In No Way Exact And Are To Be Used As A Starting Point When Accounting For Kerf In Your Digital Design.

Acrylic 2-3mm 0.18mm
Acrylic 5-8mm 0.21mm
Plywood 3mm 0.3mm
Plywood 6mm 0.35mm
Veneered MDF 4mm 0.16mm
Boxboard 1.1mm 0.08mm
Boxboard 2.3mm 0.12mm

We Have Found That From Time To Time That Client Artwork Is Scaled When Moving From One Software To Another, Particularly With .Svg Files.

• This Is Caused By Different Software Settings For Dimension Scaling , For Example Inkscape Uses 90DPI And Illustrator Uses 72DPI Therefore We Have Found That When A File Created In Inskcape Is Opened In Illustrator The Vectors Are Scaled Up.
• By Providing Your Artwork In Our Templates We Can Tell If The File Has Been Scales As We Have Points Of Reference In The Template Such As Cutting Area Or Material Boundaries That Are Used As A Check Point For Unwanted Scaling
• If You Are Creating Your Files In Inkscape Please Provide A Reference Dimension So That We Can Check That Your Artwork Is Scaled Correctly.

On Provision Of An Invoice You May Choose To Pay With The Following Methods:

• EFT (Bank Transfer)
• Credit Card (AMEX, VISA, Mastercard)
• PayPal

We Must Receive Payment / Payment Confirmation In Order To Begin Work

• We Deliver Domestic Jobs Either Via Courier Or Australia Post Which Generally Take 1-2 Business Days But May Take Up To 4 Business Days For Non Metro Destinations
• Same Day Delivery Can Be Arranged, Please Enquire
• Jobs Are Either Taped Within Their Original Sheet And Sent Flat-Packed, Or Stacked And Sent In A Bundle Or Parcel (If You Have A Preference Please Let Us Know)
• Please Advise If You Would Like Your Package Marked With ‘Permission To Leave If Unattended’, Alternatively The Delivery Personnel May Leave A Card With Instructions For Redelivery Or Alternative Collection Points
• By Prior Arrangement Job May Be Collected From Our Studio, Please Advise If You Would Like To Collect Your Job

• Delivery Costs Depend On Location And Weight. Contact Us For A Firm Delivery Quote
• Most Deliveries To Sydney Suburbs Cost $27.50
• Most Deliveries To Non Remote Cities Cost $55 Or Less
• Most Deliveries To Remote Areas Cost $80 Or Less
• Same Day Delivery Can Be Arranged, Please Enquire
• Delivery To Rural Areas May Take A Day Or Two Longer
• We Deliver Internationally Too! From Time To Time The Destination Country Entry Point Will Charge A Customs Fee, This Fee Is The Responsibility Of The Customer.

• All Prices Are Inclusive Of GST

Cutting Service
• We Charge A $15 Set-Up Fee Per Unique Cutting Sheet
• If You Cut Multiples Of The Same Sheet, You Only Pay The Set-Up Fee Once
• A Discount Is Applied To The 6th And All Additional Set-Up Fees
• Laser Time Is Charged At $2.25 Per Minute
• Cutting Time Varies Depending On The Material Type | Material Thickness | Part Size And Profile | Quantity
• Exact Laser Time Is Calculated From The Digital File
• Protective Tape Costs $10 Per Side For Half Sheets And $18 Per Side For Full Sheets
• Minimum Order $90 for Cutting jobs and $150 for Signage Jobs

Materials
• Prices Vary For Each Material Type And Thickness As Indicated On The Materials Page

We Do Not Offer Student Discounts.

We Offer Material Sample Packs Available For Purchase – E-Mail Us To Request A Pack.
If You Are Ordering A Large Fabrication Job, We Offer A Product Prototyping / Sampling Phase Before Proceeding With A Larger Order.

We Provide Both Design And File Preparation Services. Drop Us A Line To See How We Can Assist.

• By Prior Arrangement You May Be Able To Provide Your Own Materials
• You Will Need To Provide Excess Material For Us To Test And Perfect Our Power Settings On
• Material Must Be Supplied Flat, As Bent Or Warped Materials Are Not Usable
• An Additional Charge Of $60 Per Unique Material Will Be Charged
• An Additional Charge Of $60 Per Sheet Will Be Charged For Oversized Materials (Materials Larger Than 1200x900mm)
• Clients Use Their Own Material As Their Risk, Whilst We Are Very Careful With Every Job, The Laser Co Are Not Liable For Unsuccessful Cutting Or Engraving. Please Read Our Full Terms And Conditions

• Upon Receipt Of Payment Confirmation A Digital Proof Will Be Provided Within 2 Business Days. Once Approved, Fabrication Will Take A Maximum Of 10 Business Days
• Delivery Times Are In Addition
• Some Particularly Large Or Complex Signage Projects May Require A Longer Lead Time, This Will Be Clearly Stated Prior To Project Commencement

• We Deliver To All Australian Locations
• We Deliver Domestic Jobs Via Courier Which Takes Between 2 – 4 Business Days To Most Destinations Noting That Some Rural Areas May Take A Little Longer
• Please Advise If You Would Like Your Package Marked With ‘Permission To Leave If Unattended’, Alternatively The Delivery Personnel May Leave A Card With Instructions For Redelivery Or Alternative Collection Points
• By Prior Arrangement Job May Be Collected From Our Studio, Please Advise If You Would Like To Collect Your Job

• We Regularly Deliver Internationally. As Signs Come In All Shapes And Sizes We Cannot Provide International Shipping Rates Until We Know The Details Of Your Project And Your Exact Delivery Address
• Please Get In Touch Via Our Signage Quote Request Form To Confirm Your Signage Project Details And Shipping Costs
• From Time To Time The Destination Country Entry Point Will Charge A Customs Fee, This Fee Is The Responsibility Of The Customer