Ryan Milne
Customer support
Phone: +27-875-509-335
E-Mail: southafrica@troteclaser.com
Contact form Laser Cutting
Paper & Cardboard
Cutting, scribing, grooving and perforating with Trotec laser paper cutters
Laser cutting
Laser cutting and laser engraving open up unimagined possibilities in paper finishing. When you laser paper, you can enhance greeting cards, book covers or gift wrap with a tangible, individual engraving or a delicate laser-cut pattern. Furthermore, paper can be perforated with a laser. Whether logos, photos or ornaments for personalisation, you always get impressively accurate engravings and highly precise cutting edges with the laser.
Suitable materials for laser engraving and cutting:
- fine paper
- art paper
- uncoated paper
- handmade paper
- cardboard
- card
- corrugated cardboard
With a Trotec CO2 laser cutter, you can laser cut and engrave paper.
Impressions
Application examples for laser cutting and laser engraving of paper
With a laser cutting machine for paper finishing, you can create invitations, table cards or high-quality packaging with a haptic individual engraving. You can perfectly achieve even the smallest lettering and detailed graphics every time with a laser engraving. Delicate, laser-cut patterns give cards or packaging that special touch. Or you can create unusual shapes from printed papers with the laser contour cut.
Applications:
- greeting cards
- invitations
- table cards
- high-quality packaging
- book covers
- business cards
Industries:
- paper finishing
- school supplies
- decorations
- arts and crafts
What is the point of buying a laser for the laser cutting and laser engraving of paper?
In contrast to a cutting plotter or the punch press, you can use a laser cutting machine to produce even the finest geometries with the highest precision. During the laser engraving, the surface of the paper is removed and the result is a high-quality finish. This gives you complete freedom in the implementation of your ideas. Using digital production, these designs can be quickly realised with a Trotec laser in just a few process steps.
Function and advantages of laser technology
One tool for all geometries
- The laser beam is the universal tool for all geometries and material thicknesses. Depending on the lens used, the laser beam is about 0.1 mm wide. Thus, almost any geometry can be cut using the laser.
Advantages of a Trotec laser
- High-quality optics and best beam quality
High-quality paper finishing and haptic effect due to deep engraving
- The laser engraving leads to a noticeable effect on the paper without smudge marks
Advantages of a Trotec laser
- Good interplay of precise Trotec laser systems, the right use of compressed air and vacuum as well as suitable parameters
Precise laser cutting of printed materials
- With Print&Cut applications, registration marks make it possible to determine the position and rotation of printed materials. The system dynamically adjusts the cutting path.
Advantages of a Trotec laser
- With JobControl® vision software, you can create amazing details and meet the most minimal tolerances.
Fine tool
- Small fonts and finest details can be laser engraved and delicate patterns can be laser cut
Advantages of a Trotec laser
- High-quality optics and best beam quality
Easier workflow
- Designs are created in the normal graphics program and sent to the laser via the “Print” command
Advantages of a Trotec laser
- JobControl® laser software: Simply intuitive. Efficient work.
No tool wear
- No wear of the laser beam due to material processing
- No costs for new tools compared to a cutting plotter
Advantages of a Trotec laser
- CeramiCore® laser sources with particularly long service life
No cutting dies
- The throughput time is increased
- No wear and tear of tool parts and cutting dies
- No storage costs for die cutting
Advantages of a Trotec laser
- CeramiCore® laser sources with particularly long service life
"We bought a Trotec laser engraving machine because of its high quality for cutting intricate designs into our invites and stationery products. This paired with the convincing back-up service in the Cape Town area made the decision easy."- Johann de Clerk - managing director of Good Letter Best Stationery -
"Our scrapbooking business grew significantly and we were battling to get the volumes and reliability from our previous laser. We purchased a Trotec Speedy 300 and things changed dramatically. We were able to cut more intricate die cuts and also produce die cuts at a much faster rate. We find them easy to use, reliable, and robust and have been extremely happy with the service from Trotec."- Brigitte Wimbush - director of Fabscrap PL -
"We engrave a variety of material including paper products for export. Quality and speed are imperative and the TROTEC laser engraver delivers on this."- Amanda le Roux - managing director of Highveld Focus -
Trotec product recommendation
Tips for laser engraving and cutting paper
Can paper burn during laser cutting?
Paper is evaporated like wood, i.e. sublimated. During the cutting process, the paper is worn away in the form of a gas, visible as smoke, at high speed. The smoke transports the heat away from the paper, whereby the material is only minimally thermally burdened. With optimum parameters, Air Assist as well as Table Exhaust, the material can be successfully processed smoke-free without burnt edges and even with the finest contours.
Is it necessary to fix the material on the working surface?
Clamping or fixing the material is not necessary. During laser processing, no pressure is exerted on the material so the material is not crushed. Optimal cutting results can be achieved by using a vacuum table so that even corrugated materials e.g. cardboard lie flat on the processing table during laser cutting. You save time and money because no manual preparation of the material is required. This makes the laser cutter the perfect cutting tool for your paper applications.
Is the engraving always dark during the laser process?
The engraving result depends on different factors. A dark as well as a light engraving are possible even with dyed-through paper types. Thus, a so-called color change from dark to white can be achieved with a very low power output. Or just a dark haptic engraving with a higher power output. In the case of paper types with two or more layers, the cover layer is removed and the second color is thus visible. Laser cutting or engraving paper offers so many ways to create designs.
How can printed papers be cut precisely with the laser?
With the JobControl® Vision camera system, which detects distortions in the print and automatically adapts the cutting path, you can create the perfect contour cut of printed materials. Even flexible materials can be cut precisely and complex positioning is no longer required. You can save up to 30% of the process costs by combining registration mark detection systems and Trotec laser cutters.