I am getting ready to cut acrylic keychains for some 2026 graduates so wondering if I peel the paper off or do I leave it on and peel after I cut and engrave.
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Hi @Tammy_Leckbee!
Is your acrylic clear?
If it is, a diode laser like the iEngrave can’t engrave it unless the surface is dark. You’d have to peel the top film and paint that side a dark color first — black works best, but any dark, non‑reflective color will do. Blue, red, even dark purple can work as long as it absorbs the beam.
If it’s opaque or colored acrylic, then you don’t need to paint anything — just peel the top for engraving and leave the bottom masked for cutting to avoid scratches.
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it is dark red and green.
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Ok, perfect. Just want to clarify, if your protector sheet is actual paper, it’s ok to leave it on while cutting. If it’s just the plastic, you should peel off the top piece so it doesn’t melt into the acrylic while cutting. It will ruin the acrylic and leave a sticky mess. After removing the plastic film, you can cover it with masking tape before cutting. This will prevent flashback, residue, and fire hazards.
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Also, I just wanted to add some few tips:
- Use air assist to blow away smoke and debris, reducing fume contact with the acrylic
- Elevate the sheet slightly (e.g., with pins) to prevent smoke from condensing on the underside
- Adjust laser power and speed to minimize heat buildup and burning
- Clean the acrylic surface before cutting to ensure consistent results
Bottom line: For diode laser cutting of acrylic blanks, leave the paper protection on both sides unless you are engraving only the front and removing the back layer. This setup helps you achieve cleaner cuts, fewer smoke marks, and better edge quality.
I personally haven’t tried engraving onto acrylic blanks but here’s my sample cut (closed up view) using the dark green acrylic with both paper backings still on. I didn’t use air assist for this cut, and the results came out great—but you’ll get even cleaner edges when you run it with air assist.
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okay, sorry still learning, if I’m going to engrave on one side remove that paper but leave the back paper on to cut?
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No worries at all — we’re all here to learn from each other. And yes, keep the paper backing on. 
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Thank you so much for the help.
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You bet! Please share some photos of your projects later — we’d love to see how they turned out. 
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My green ones didn’t work. The red acrylic was better but still a bit rough. here is a picture of the black acrylic keychains i made.
