Frequently Asked Questions - Material

Yes, you can print on TroLase and TroPly sheets.

However, our recommendation is to use the Trotec Digital Print Series for this purpose. The Digital Print Series line is designed for printing with UV & LED Curing Inks. The surface is pre-treated for superior ink adhesion.

Please remove the protective coating before laser or rotary engraving.

Before cutting the materials, however, it is recommended to leave the protective masking in place when performing vector cuts if your application will permit. This will minimise residue and clean-up efforts.

Using the ‘bottom up’ engraving setting in your JobControl^® laser software will minimise the re-distribution of colour residue to the core colour. Increasing power in 5% increments can be helpful and multiple passes might be required to achieve your optimal result, though with TroLase materials only one pass brings a very good result.

In many cases, Z-offset (controlled de-focus) in the range of 1 mm - 2 mm will allow for a smoother engraving surface with a more intense color result.

You can laser cut TroPly Ultra as its core is made of modified impact acrylic. The thick cap offers resistance to abrasion and is suited for mechanical engraving.

Other TroPly materials consist of an ABS core. ABS has a lower melting point that would cause unattractive melted cutting edges and is therefore not recommended to be laser cut.

Apply the products directly onto the material's surface and then mark them with a laser. 

Follow our guide how to work with markSolid

While the spray is ready to be applied, pastes have to be diluted with ethanol or water according to the description on the product label and should be applied with an air brush.

For new users, we recommend starting with aerosol cans. Aerosol cans take the variable of dilution out of the equation and are easier to use. You only need to focus on getting the correct coating thickness and laser settings.

We recommend switching to air brush application of liquid laser marking ink once you have some experience with our products and begin doing a larger volume of marking. Tapes are applied directly onto the surface, they are recommended for smaller engraving areas.

In JobControl^® you will find parameters optimised for quality and for speed.

"Quality" parameter sets are recommended for applications where fine detail and strong contrast is required.

"Speed" parameters are for time-efficiency orientated applications, where a reduced degree of detail in engraving is acceptable.

Find more information here:

How to use parameters

The air assist is designed to prevent dust from setting on the lens and thereby causing harm to the lens.

However, for materials causing little to no smoke or dust, such as TroLase plastic sheets, air assist can be reduced or turned off for better engraving results.

Regular cleaning intervals are recommended to make sure no harm is being done to the lens.

It is recommended to set the parameters to engrave effectively through the colour surface, while only as little as possible is being removed off the core material. Also, using a vacuum table and exhaust system to effectively remove the dust generatedy.

Literally all Trotec laser materials can be processed with a CO₂ laser machine. The major exception is Stainless Steel, which requires markSolid, CerMark or Thermark as an additive for CO₂ marking. Directly marking on Stainless Steel does require a fiber laser. The big advantage of a Flexx Laser system is that it carries both a CO₂- and a fiber laser tube, making it the universal tool for all sorts of materials.

• The panels should be stored horizontally and flat
• Storage location should be dry and weatherproof (indoor)
• Average-temperature rooms without large fluctuations in room temperature and air humidity
• The material should not be exposed to direct sunlight, as the protective film can become porous if too much heat is generated
• Too long storage can have a negative effect on the protective film

• The panels should be stored horizontally and flat
• Storage location should be dry and weatherproof (indoor)
• Average-temperature rooms without large fluctuations in room temperature and air humidity
• If the wooden panels are stored as a stack, the top panel should always be covered to reduce access to moist air
• In order to reduce the likelihood of distortion due to fluctuations in humidity, the wooden panels should be wrapped in plastic film or stored in the cardboard packaging supplied