All materials behave differently when they are laser cut. Plywood has its own way of reacting to laser cutting. This section intends to provide insight into and understanding of what you need to consider when laser cutting in plywood.

Plywood is made up of many layers of thin wood. This means the thicker the plywood sheet, the more layers the sheet is made of. All the layers are glued together into a stable sheet.

Due to the plywood’s structure, “holes” can appear between the thin layers during the process of laser cutting. It has nothing to do with the plywood being laser cut, but it is because when the layers are put together into one thick sheet, air-filled holes can be formed between the layers. This in unavoidable and will also happen when working with the wood in any other form.

Due to the high glue content of the plywood, the edges take on a very burnt, almost black colour. The actual surface or the front of the plywood will have a brown edge along the cutting line. It’s a matter of preference if you like this dark colour in the plywood that results from laser cutting. Some people like the appearance and incorporate it into their designs, while others are not so keen on it.

For those who are not so keen on it, we have ensured you can order a protective film for both the front and the back of the plywood. It is a self-adhesive film that is placed on top of the plywood before we start the laser cutting process. When you receive your order, remember to peel the film off – we have previously had customers who have not noticed the film and think we have laser cut the item without the protective film layer. There may be protective film on both the front and the back of the plywood, so please make sure to check. The adhesive is not strong, so it is easy to just peel off.

You can see which plywoods we have in our range right here.