The USA Catalog Expands With Grey-On-Black & Yellow-On-Black Acrylics
We L.O.V.E. two-color acrylics (and we know you do, too). There’s the striking contrast that makes text, logos and graphics look great. Plus, the professional presentation is essential for brands making their mark.
Now you have even more design options with 1.5mm grey-on-black and yellow-on-black acrylic debuting in the USA catalog.
Whether you’re making electronics enclosures or signs, the contrast two-color acrylics provides not only visually organizes information but also grabs attention and creates focus. Sweet! But how?
Contrast is one of the key principles of design (in addition to alignment, hierarchy, balance, repetition, proximity, balance, color and space). While contrast is critical for successful designs in print and online, it’s especially important when it comes to laser cutting.
In the past, makers would have to painstakingly hand paint details to get any noticeable contrast. No more. With two-color acrylics, you can achieve a sharp finish without any pesky extra work.
Two-Color Acrylic For Electronics
When building engineering projects, using two-color acrylic gives you the opportunity to have designs with detailed laser engraving.
Check out this Stacking Pi Case, for example. Sure, these slotted parts would look terrific in a solid acrylic, but it’s really amazing in grey-on-black acrylic where the black edges and definition in the engraving makes the case distinctive.
Since electronics often need labeling, custom panels are one of the most popular laser cutter projects. While these kinds of panels are often more reserved in terms of color, set yourself apart by using yellow-on-black acrylic for a memorable presentation.
Two-Color Acrylic For Signage
A lot goes into typography design, especially when designing signs. Serif. San serif. Kerning. Line space. Alignment. Deciding between fonts that communicate masculinity vs. femininity, modern vs. retro, professional vs. casual, serious vs. whimsical.
Typography establishes a visual identity and expresses personality. So when your designs incorporate wordplay, think about how you can use two-color acrylic to your advantage to showcase your message.
Need a subtle approach? Grey-on-black acrylic has excellent readability with a softer look.
For stronger contrast, this yellow-on-black acrylic grabs attention and indicates important messages, as can be seen in this emergency power sign.
Now Available: Two-Color Acrylic
Two-color acrylics are extremely versatile and have a number of benefits. Because the top layer is engraved away, the bottom layer of the acrylic is revealed. This results in excellent readability because the precision of the laser cutting gives the illusion that the graphic and lettering work is printed. Thus, two-color acrylics are ideal for products that need text or graphics along with the unique shape achieved with laser cutting.
Two-color acrylics are also manufactured with a UV-resistant additive. So while there will naturally be some fading with extended sun exposure, these acrylics hold up much better in UV light, making them quite durable for signage applications.
Finally, this material is Microsurfaced Impact Modified Acrylics. This means it contains a small amount of polymer that is similar to rubber to give the acrylic extra strength and flexibility. As a result, two-color acrylics are slightly more flexible and melt a bit more during cutting than standard acrylics. This ability to be bent makes two-color acrylics particularly suitable for trophy plates.
If you have some good-looking laser cutter projects in mind for grey-on-white acrylic, find all the details here or snatch up a sample here.
If yellow-on-black acrylic has you yearning to start making your next laser cutter project, learn more about it here and pick up a sample here.
Maker Tip: When designing for this material, make sure the small details for cutting are a bit bigger than they would normally be constructed on standard acrylics. Also keep in mind that the top layer is very thin so the underlying substrate is sometimes visible along the cut line as well. This is most noticeable in corners or angles of designs, so prepare files accordingly.
What Will You Laser Cut With Two-Color Acrylic?
With 1.5mm grey-on-black and yellow-on-black acrylic added to the USA materials lineup, what will you make? Will you try your hand at electronics enclosures or signage like we did, or will you branch out into name tags and event badges, bookmarks, jewelry or something else?
If you plan to sell your products, be sure to get this Guide To Designing, Making & Selling Laser Cut Products so you create with confidence. Whatever you decide to make, share your ideas in the comments below. We’d love to hear about it!
