Lately, there are plenty of consumer-priced 3D printers that can make objects out of plastic, but the Glowforge 3D Laser Printer is quite different. It is a highly-precise laser cutter and engraver that you can use to make and personalize all kinds of things. Technically, it is a CNC laser cutter engraver, but they simply call it a 3D laser printer to avoid the technical jargon, as this is an easy-to-use consumer product.
It works with many different types of material, with the ability to cut and engrave wood, cardboard, paper, leather, fabric, acrylic/plexiglass, rubber, mylar, cork, and more. It even works with food, for example, cutting chocolate into detailed shapes. In addition, it is able to engrave glass, titanium, marble, Corian, anodized aluminum, stone, and more.
There’s so much it can do, and so many things you can make, that it will inspire you to be creative as you make unique decor and fantastic gifts. Basically, you can have it engrave intricate designs and cut out all the pieces you need, and then you glue them together to build something. It’s a bit hard to explain and the things being constructed are so diverse, so watch the video below and check out the Customer Gallery of items made with the Glowforge to see for yourself.
The Glowforge 3D laser printer creates beautiful things at the push of a button and it different from a 3D printer. Glowforge uses subtractive manufacturing while traditional 3D printers use additive manufacturing. A 3D printer builds up material, like plastic filament, layer by layer. With Glowforge, you’ll put a piece of material like leather, wood, or acrylic in the machine and it carves out your product using laser light. The technical name for the category of tools that includes Glowforge is a CNC laser cutter engraver, but that’s a mouthful, so we call it a 3D laser printer.
Traditional 3D printers work with layers of plastic. Your Glowforge is completely different: it can print objects using dozens of beautiful materials like leather, acrylic, hardwood, fabric – even chocolate!
The Glowforge 3D laser printer uses a beam of light the width of a human hair to cut and engrave almost anything you can dream up. There are many materials sold that are laser-compatible.
Glowforge can cut wood, fabric, leather, paper, Plexiglas (acrylic), Delrin (acetal), mylar, rubber, fiberglass, Corian, foods, and more. Glowforge can also engrave all of the above plus glass, coated metal, marble, anodized aluminum, titanium, some phones, tablets, and laptops, and more.
There are several different Glowforge models to choose from (basic, plus, and pro) starting at $2,495, which you can purchase directly from Glowforge.com.
2 Comments
I’ve had mine when the early batches started to ship about 18 months ago. It’s been really terrific.
I remember staring at my Glowforge for the first time, watching a laser the width of a hair turn a plain sheet of walnut into a city skyline. It’s nothing like an FDM printer—zero plastic smell, no layer lines, just smoke and magic. But here’s what nobody tells you: designing your own files is brutal. I spent weeks trying to make a simple gear box from scratch, failing over and over. That’s when I started looking for 3d printer stl models online, and ended up on Gambody. Their game-inspired files are insanely detailed—think interlocking armor pieces from RPGs, or working catapults. The Glowforge carves them like butter. My advice? Don’t try to invent everything yourself. Buy a few well-made STLs first, learn how pros structure their cuts and tabs, then steal those tricks for your own projects. It saved me months of frustration and a lot of wasted cherry wood.