Cast vs Extruded Acrylic: What's the Difference?
Acrylic sheet comes in two forms — cast and extruded — and the difference matters more than most beginners expect, especially on a laser.
How they're made
Cast acrylic is made by pouring liquid resin between glass plates and curing it slowly. It's how the vivid colours, marbles, glitters and pearls are produced — each pour can carry unique patterning. Extruded acrylic is pushed through rollers in a continuous ribbon, which makes it cheaper to produce and very consistent in thickness, but limits it to plainer colours.
On the laser
- Engraving: this is the big one. Cast acrylic engraves a crisp, frosty white that contrasts beautifully against the sheet colour. Extruded engraves faint and greyish — fine for cut-only work, disappointing for detail.
- Cutting: both cut well on a CO2 laser. Extruded cuts with a slightly glossier edge at lower power; cast edges still flame-polish nicely with the right settings.
Everyday differences
- Cast is harder and more scratch- and solvent-resistant.
- Cast thickness can vary a little across a sheet (a normal property of the casting process); extruded holds tighter thickness tolerances.
- Extruded is usually cheaper; cast offers vastly more colours and patterns.
Which should you buy?
If you engrave at all, or want colours beyond basic solids, choose cast. If you only ever cut simple shapes from clear or standard colours and price is everything, extruded can do the job. Every sheet at Acrylix is premium 3mm cast acrylic — from pinks and purples to multicolour patterns — so what you engrave comes out frosty-white and crisp. See it for yourself with a sample pack, or read our laser cutting guide for settings and tips.