The Glowforge Pro proves to be a fast, accurate and powerful laser cutter, but is it worth the money?
The Glowforge Pro itself is a smartly designed machine that resembles a large paper printer. It's the kind of tech that apes the look and ease of use of new forms of crafting gadgets like the best Cricut machines, but rather than blade cutting this is a high-end laser cutter.
There's a large glass lid that opens to reveal the laser cutter and its base, the metal crumb board. The star is the long glass cylinder that encases the Class 4 laser. The cutter itself is a small black box that clunks in place securely with magnets, and it's easily removed for cleaning. When the lid is closed small LEDs light up the space and help the cameras auto-focus and clearly identify materials.
The final way to create a design is to simply draw onto your material. Placing this into the Glowforge Pro activates the cameras, it's scanned to the app and you can simply press 'Print' to make your design. This is a great process for schools or if you're working from old paper designs.Generally the app is excellent and uses servers to convert any uploaded images in around under five seconds. It's incredibly fast and responsive to use.
The Glowforge Pro, and indeed all Glowforge models, are built for materials measuring 20 inches wide by 18 inches deep and a thickness of two inches. Proofgrade materials are designed and cut to match these dimensions, but they can be costly and you'll need to check the CO2 laser compatibility yourself. All Glowforge models can be used with general materials, too.
My digital paintings proved just how good the Glowforge Pro is for engraving detail and depth into a material. I set up the file, resize the art, and create a mix of cut and engrave lines in the design. Two turn painterly digital strokes created ininto engravings takes one hour and thirty minutes. This is a detailed procedure and the results are superb, creating fades and high contrast.
Each Proofgrade material comes with a paper protective layer that prevents scorching from being cut and a QR code on this material is scanned by the Glowforge's cameras so it understands what is being used. You add this material manually, too. On top of the outlay for the Glowforge Pro you will need the Glowforge Air Filter, which costs $1,295 / £999. Because the Pro uses a powerful 45 watt CO2 laser you will need this extra clean air filter to remove any fumes. The Pro model really is for small studio, college and home studio use – it's not ideal for a standard craft room, for example, in which case the Plus or Basic models would be better suited.
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