Glowforge Manual page 6

Pro Users: There may be small openings around the edges of the passthrough slot. This is
expected; your Glowforge Pro's powerful fans will whisk smoke and fumes away into the
exhaust hose.
Safety Equipment
Be sure carbon monoxide detectors are installed and tested in the building as recommended by
local codes and manufacturer recommendations.
Materials Safety
Laser-Compatible Materials
"Laser-compatible" refers to materials that can be safely processed with the CO2 laser in the
Glowforge unit. Materials that are not laser-compatible may catch fire, emit hazardous smoke
and fumes that cannot be controlled by exhaust or filtration, and are a health hazard to you,
your neighbors, and your Glowforge printer. For this reason, you must only put laser-compatible
materials in the Glowforge unit.
Proofgrade™ materials
Glowforge sells a line of Proofgrade materials that are laser-compatible and give top-quality
results when used with the Glowforge printer. To learn more about Proofgrade materials,
contact ​ s upport@glowforge.com​
Laser-compatible materials from other suppliers
Other suppliers like Inventables.com sell material that they indicate is laser-compatible. If you
are uncertain, ask the supplier if the material may be processed safely with a CO​
What if I'm not certain whether my materials are laser-compatible?
If you aren't completely sure that your material is laser-compatible, do not put it in the Glowforge
unit.
● Some materials look similar to laser-compatible materials, but are different.​ For
example, vinyl and fiberglass can be mistaken for laser-compatible materials but emit
harmful smoke and fumes.
● Materials may have contaminants, coatings, or additives that are not
laser-compatible.​ For example, certain plywood glues, inks, adhesives, dyes, and
paints may not be laser-compatible.
● Some materials can reflect the laser and damage your Glowforge unit.​ For
example, copper and chrome can reflect the infrared laser light.
Copyright Glowforge, Inc. 2017
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