Now, up to this point, the BEST MACHINE that suited my needs would have been the Cricut Maker. It offered over 4,000 grams of force and offered a suite of tools called the Adaptive Tool System which gave the consumer to cut thousands of materials from fabric to wood. So, when the Glowforge hit the market my followers started sharing the Facebook Ads instantly with me. At the time, I looked at the price and kindly moved along as it was $2,500! Compare to the Cricut Maker at $349. I just could not justified the cost. With that said, I started to take notice of what consumers and business owners were making with this machine.

Naturally as crafters we grow and evolve in our craftsmanship. I started my journey as a paper crafter but then was introduced to Chalk Couture. If you are not sure what that is and want to find out more, I highly recommend taking a peek at this This Blog Post (By Clicking Here) or This Post On How To Experience Chalk Couture in addition to my Chalk Couture YouTube Channel. Chalk Couture opened my eyes to the DIY trend happening all across america. With this trend comes the need for a suite of tools (or machine) that would allow me to cut items that my Cricut Maker just could not handle. Naturally I started to look at Laser Cutters. Laser Cutters are powerful devices that can create intricate shapes and detailed etchings on plastics, woods and even metals. Now that I had a need, my attention went straight to the Glowforge that had been shared numerous times with me.


Glowforge produces Laser Cutters that are compact and affordable enough for a small business or a hobbyist who needs more power. Now, for me the cost was the biggest con for me. With that said, Glowforge  does allow for a discount of UP TO $500 OFF when you use our link here: https://glowforge.us/r/LXEBYBTT. The reason I am disclosing this, is the price list below reflects a user gaining access to the discount! Now, keep in mind of your LONG TERM goals for this machine. I mention this as we started with the Glowforge Basic and with-in months upgraded to the Glowforge Pro. So, let's take a look at the three options



The machine options are as follows:
Glowforge Basic with a cost of $2395 (With Our Discount Link)
Glowforge Plus with a cost of $3745 (With Our Discount Link)
Glowforge Pro with a cost of $5495  (With Our Discount Link)

The Glowforge Pro is about the size and shape of a large-format printer, measuring 8.25 by 38 by 20.75 inches (H/W/D). Its hefty impression is enhanced by the large slot on the front, an aspect unique to the Pro to accommodate work pieces larger than 20 by 18 inches (the workable area of the bed is 19.5 by 11 inches, but Glowforge lasers can hold pieces that exceed that space). You're still limited to 19.5 inches of width, but you can slide work pieces of any length through the Pro. The top flips open to reveal the working area, and the front panel flips downward to provide more clearance for moving work pieces into position.

Besides the door, the only other element of note on the top of the laser is a metal-ringed, illuminated start button (this is what starts the MAGIC). After you send instructions from your PC or MAC to the Glowforge, the button will flash, indicating it's ready to begin. Pressing the button will start the process. I still get excited pressing that BUTTON! 



Now that you have Unboxing & Set-Up on your Glowforge, you are ready to experience the amazing power of this machine. I know at first, it can be intimidating, but once you start playing with the machine you are going to have so much fun! The Glowforge Pro uses a 45-watt CO₂ laser that qualifies as a regulated Class IV laser product. According to the company, it can engrave 150 percent faster than the Glowforge Plus and three times faster than the Glowforge Plus, which rely on 40-watt lasers. While the Pro is more powerful, its cutting and engraving capabilities are identical to the Plus and Basic. Its big benefit, besides the slot for large work pieces, is speed. All three Glowforge models can cut Acrylic, Fabric, Leather, Paper, Wood, and nearly any other material softer than Plexiglass. They can also engrave (but not cut) anodized aluminum, ceramic, glass, marble, titanium, and other hard materials.



 To use your Glowforge you will utilize the Glowforge Web App. By purchasing the the Glowforge, you will have also created a Glowforge account. This account will be your credentials to use the Glowforge Web App. The Glowforge Web App gives you the ability to:

• View/Preview The Bed Of Your Glowforge Utilizing The Camera View
• Trace Items Put In The Glowforge Utilizing The Camera View 
• Upload Image Files
• Engrave Utilizing Any File Format (JPEG, PNG)
• Cut Utilizing Vector File Format (SVG)
• Align and Scale Your designs
• Set The Type Of Material To Be Burned, Etched, Engraved or Cut
•  Start your project. 

It's a fairly direct, intuitive system that lets you set multiple image files for one burn and individually place and scale each component before starting the project. Now keep in mind that the Glowforge Web App does not allow for you to design items inside the application. So, items you want to Burn, Etched, Engraved or Cut will need to be bought or created in a third party software. I personally buy many of my SVG files from Etsy or the Silhouette Online Store, which allows you to purchase their designs in a SVG format. You can also make your own vector files using Adobe Illustrator. 

We have only had this machine a little over 6 months, but we have already had a blast creating amazing projects. Before I share off just a sample of things we have done, I want you to keep in mind a few things we have learned:

• Engraving items is time-consuming, especially if they're detailed. 
• The Glowforge app has multiple settings for drawings and photos
• Including Draft, SD, HD, and 3D Graphics and SD, HD, and 3D Photos. 
• Most graphic/photo settings use dithering to create different levels of light and dark. 
• The 3D settings vary the laser intensity to create deeper burns for darker parts of an image.
• The time required varies wildly depending on the size and detail of the burn. 
• A Draft Graphic burn of an 8-by-12-inch piece of acrylic might take an hour and a half.
• A 3D Photo burn might take three and a half hours. 
• HD Photo burn could take over six. 
• Cutting is much faster, taking only a few minutes to carve out flat pieces of acrylic or wood.
• Be aware of potentially hazardous fumes when using the Glowforge. 
• EXHAUST out a window or use the compact filter.
• Not doing so will result in hazardous fumes in your workspace.
• These include harmful vaporized wood or plastic which isn't something you want in your lungs.
• Lasers are nearly silent, but your burns/engraving will be very noisy.
• With the duct hose running out of a window, the laser's built-in fan will spin quite loudly. 
• With the hose plugged into the compact filter, the filter's equally loud. 
•  However, you safely configure it. The Glowforge simply isn't a quiet device.
• The smell of burning wood when cutting is normal, as is a bit of smoke
• When etching acrylic, it will smell equivalent that of a nail salon.

We have made a variety of test prints on acrylic and wood, mostly creating cutouts for our Chalk Couture business, coasters, and signs for high school reunions. Here are some of our unedited projects and videos. Please keep in mind this video is not edited and shows some cutting, etching and photos.