Custom parts
Choose acrylic for clarity and presentation; design around brittleness at holes, corners, and clamped joints.
What makes acrylic useful
Acrylic provides a clear or colored sheet surface with a strong visual presence. CO₂ laser cutting can produce an attractive edge, but edge appearance depends on grade, thickness, and process. The cut edge is not a guarantee of an optical-quality surface or a precise perpendicular wall.
Design for mounting
Keep holes away from edges and allow clearance around fasteners. Use washers or other suitable load-spreading details where needed. A tightly clamped countersunk screw can concentrate stress in a brittle sheet. Rounded outside transitions and sufficient material around slots help avoid fragile details.
Thickness and fit
KRC’s current clear-acrylic options include nominal 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, and 3/8 inch sheet. Colored options include nominal 1/8 and 1/4 inch. Sheet tolerance and laser kerf both influence tab-and-slot fit. A nominal thickness is not a measured slot-width target.
Prepare the cut file
Use a full-size closed DXF profile with clean cutouts. Omit borders, dimensions, and duplicate lines. For signs with free-standing letter centers, add bridges or use an appropriate engraving layout. Confirm the selected thickness and color in the laser quote before ordering.
Epilog: acrylic cutting guidance