Glowforge offers a line of materials that attempt to give you a no-hassle, fuss-free experience for cutting and engraving. Designed and distributed by Glowforge. Each Proofgrade material is cut to the precise size to fit your Glowforge and contains a QR code on the corner. The machine will read this QR code to give you easy one-click access to the perfect settings for foolproof cuts and engraving.
Proofgrade Materials Available:
Glowforge offers acrylics, hardwoods, plywoods, draftboard, veneers, and full-grain leathers. All Proofgrade materials are masked on both sides with a protective removable paper masking. (FYI…your new Glowforge comes with $75 worth of Proofgrade materials for you to play around with!)
Acrylics:
Black (Matte & Glossy), Blue, Clear, Clear Blue, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Pink, Frosted, Glass Green, Green, Lavender, Orange, Purple, Red, Teal, White, Yellow
Sizes: 12″ x 20″
Thickness: Medium 1/8″
Cost: 12″ x 20″ ranges $3.25 – $9.50 / sheet
Hardwoods:
Aspen, Basswood, Cherry, Maple, Poplar, Red Oak, Walnut
Sizes: 6″ x 12″ or 8″ x 36″
Thickness: Medium 1/8″
Cost:
6″ x 12″ ranges $5 – $7 / sheet
8″ x 36″ ranges $24 – $35 / sheet
Plywoods:
Basswood, Cherry, Maple, Walnut
Sizes: 12″ x 20″ or 20″ x 48″
Thickness: Medium 1/8″, Thick 1/4″
Cost:
12″ x 20″ ranges $11 – $20 / sheet
20″ x 48″ ranges $54 – $65 / sheet
Draftboard:
Unfinished
Sizes: 12″ x 20″ or 20″ x 48″
Thickness: Medium 1/8″, Thick 1/4″
Cost:
12″ x 20″ ranges $4 – $6 / sheet
20″ x 48″ ranges $25 – $35 / sheet
Veneers:
Cherry Veneer with 3M Tape, Maple Veneer with 3M Tape, Walnut Veneer with 3M Tape
Sizes: 12″ x 20″
Thickness: 2/100″
Cost:
12″ x 20″ ranges $11 – $16 / sheet
Leather:
Natural Leather
Sizes: 5″ x 10″ or 12″ x 20″
Thickness: Thin 1/48″, Medium 3/64″, Thick 3/32″
Cost:
5″ x 10″ ranges $9 – $12 / piece
12″ x 20″ ranges $24 – $30 / piece
Pros of Proofgrade Materials:
- Most-of-the-time Automatic recognition of the material
- Masked on both sides with a peel-off protective coating to prevent scorching
- Knot-Free Wood products are clear of knots and defects
- Pre-finished – durable satin coat finish on each side of wood pieces
- Leather products from clear, full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather
- No sanding required!
- Newbie-Friendly for those just starting out.
- Consistent Results every time
- No Settings to enter!
- Guaranteed by a 3-month limited warranty!
Cons of Proofgrade Materials:
- EXPENSIVE $$$ Can be up to 3X the cost of other Suppliers
- Glowforge Shop is often Sold Out before major retail holidays
- Limited types of materials available
- Wood is Pre-finished – Won’t take a color stain at all!
Do I need to buy Proofgrade materials for my Glowforge?
Certainly not! There are many other online and physical retail stores that carry laser-compatible material that will work with Glowforge. Keep in mind, some plywoods can have glues that make them difficult to cut, and unknown plastics and other materials can be something other than they appear, so if you buy from other suppliers you’ll need to do some research first to make sure they are laser-compatible.
A Glowforge is like a microwave – putting the wrong material in can damage it.
Our Recommended Sources:
Rockler (Online Only)
Hardwoods, Plywoods, resin powders, Veneers, sandpaper, stains, glue, oh my!
Wood Thickness: 1/16″ , 1/8″ , 1/4″ , 1/2″ , 3/4″
Wood Sizes: 6×12″, 12×12″, 12×24″, 12×30″, 24×30″, 30×48″
Exotic Wood Species: African Mohagony, Bocote, Bolivian Rosewood, Bubinga, Leopardwood, Padauk, Purpleheart, Redheart, Wenge, Yellowheart, Zebrawood
Domestic Wood Species: Bamboo, Basswood, Cherry, Maple, Red Oak, Spanish Cedar, Walnut, White Ash, White Oak
Plywood Species: Baltic Birch, Cherry, Maple, Red Oak, Walnut
Woodcraft (Online & Local Stores)
Hardwoods, Plywoods, resin powders, Veneers, sandpaper, stains, glue, oh my! They also have physical store locations throughout the US.
Wood Thickness: 1/16″ , 1/8″ , 1/4″ , 1/2″ , 3/4″
Wood Sizes: 6×12″, 12×12″, 12×24″, 12×30″, 24×30″, 30×48″
Exotic Wood Species:
Domestic Wood Species:
Plywood Species: Baltic Birch, Finnish Birch, MDF Fibreboard
Woodpeckers – Amazon (Online Only)
Unfinished Glowforge dimensions wood!
Wood Thickness: 1/8″ , 1/4″ , 1/2″ , 3/4″
Wood Sizes: 4×6″, 5×7″, 8×10”, 12×12″, 12×20″, 12×24″
Exotic Wood Species:
Domestic Wood Species: MDF Sheets
Plywood Species: Baltic Birch
Johnson Plastics Plus (Online Only)
Acrylic, Rubber for stamps, Cutting Boards, Sublimation supplies, product blanks for personalization, Faux Leather, Cork, Spiral Wood Notebooks, & more.
Very Useful!