Glowforge Forum (2024)

FAQs

What are the downsides of Glowforge? ›

Cons. In order to use the Glowforge laser, you must have internet service. This means you cannot operate the laser if you don't have internet access or if your internet access is down. However, I have seen other Glowforge users report good results with using cellular hotspot devices.

This is one of the easiest, yet often overlooked, ways to make money with your Glowforge: get paid for your good ideas! Glowforge Premium users can sell their designs in the Glowforge Catalog! Your designs are published to the Catalog, where every Glowforge creator can discover, purchase, and print them.

There are 8760 hours in a year. So a tube rated for 10000 hours would run continuously for about 1.2 years. So a tube rated for 10K hours, that's used for 8 hours/day, ought to last 3.6 years. Except the laser isn't on all the time.

For those who would like to finance their Glowforge with low monthly payments, we've partnered with several monthly payment services so you can choose the financing plan that works best for you: Affirm, Klarna, Breadpay, and Clicklease.

OMTech engraving machines are not only comparable to Glowforge laser printers — they offer superior laser power, thicker cutting ability, deeper engravings, greater convenience, and a higher value.

Some hardwood is prone to catching fire, which could be hazardous to you, your Glowforge, or your surroundings. Plastics Some plastics like acrylic and acetal are laser-compatible; many more, like vinyl, PVC, ABS, and HDPE can melt or release toxic or corrosive fumes that could harm you or your Glowforge.

There are a bunch of Glowforge clones on the market right now, but having owned one and used several of them, you may find that the grass isn't always greener… xTool P2, GweikeCloud, OMTech Polar, FSL Muse, Thunder Bolt.

There are three models, with different combinations of laser power, performance and maximum 'print' size. Glowforge Basic costs $3,995, while the Plus model costs $4,995 and the Pro version costs $6,995.

You can design with any software that saves a PDF, including dozens of choices like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Autodesk Fusion 360, and Sketchup. Glowforge can print JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF, and other file formats.

2) We'll replace the tube for you. This is free while the machine is under warranty, and $499 thereafter. This price includes round-trip shipping for your Glowforge anywhere inside the United States.

How often should Glowforge be cleaned? ›

After every 40 hours of printing, you should clean the cameras, laser lens, and windows of your Glowforge with ZEISS lens cleaning wipes (available on Amazon and many other stores). This will keep your printer working properly and help prevent damage.

Almost always because you have 2 lines defined. It may look like only one but if you delete one you'll see another one still there. The Glowforge will never add passes on its own. If you didn't tell it to make multiple passes in the cut settings, then it's following multiple paths in your design file.

You can absolutely use your Glowforge without paying for this subscription, which comes free for the first 30 days you own your laser printer, but in addition to losing access to all the art, I noticed that the Aura actually slowed down when Premium status wasn't enabled.

Laser engraving cost per minute

The cost per minute can be a couple cents or a couple dollars. I think that $1 per minute is not a bad price to start at.

100% yes! 🙂 The Glowforge is simple to set up, easy to use, and capable of cutting and engraving a variety of materials. I've been reading posts in Facebook groups about people buying the Glowforge and how quickly they are able to pay it off, or get their return on investment.

Typically, with your Glowforge venting outside or through an attached Performance Filter, this smell will quickly disappear. It's completely harmless. If, while printing, you notice a strong unpleasant or irritating odor, or see smoke, turn off your Glowforge immediately.

I've concluded that budgeting $3,000 a year for machines should cover me for most eventualities. I am in the UK and to get a refurb machine replacement costs about $1500. So, for US users I would think around $1,500 a year is a good guestimate.

You can absolutely use your Glowforge without paying for this subscription, which comes free for the first 30 days you own your laser printer, but in addition to losing access to all the art, I noticed that the Aura actually slowed down when Premium status wasn't enabled.