Laser Cutter / Engraver

The Library owns a Full Spectrum Laser PS20. This resource is made possible by the Hillsdale Free Public Library Foundation through the generous gift of Gayle and Paul Gross.

Laser Cutter/Engraver Policy

The Full Spectrum Laser PS20 laser cutter/engraver is available for public use.

Users must receive training from a qualified staff member prior to scheduling time for projects.

A qualified staff member or volunteer assistant must be present to assist and supervise.

Only pre-approved materials may be used. PVC, vinyl, or any material containing chlorine is PROHIBITED. Materials of unknown composition are PROHIBITED. Pre-approved materials include paper, clean corrugated cardboard, untreated wood, raw leather, acrylic, glass, stone, tile and blue painter’s tape. Discuss other materials with designated staff.

Matching the appropriate speed and power of the laser with the material may require some experimentation and failure. Suggested settings are offered as a guide, but there are no guarantees.

Design Tools

The software that controls the laser cutter is a browser based application called Retina Engrave. It resides on the machine, but FSL provides a hosted version for creating and exporting project files. While designs can be created directly in the Retina Engrave application, they may also be imported from other file types. High quality grayscale .jpg images, .pdf files, and .svg files are acceptable.