Make48 has recently partnered with Glowforge, the ultimate laser cutting and engraving machine!
If you’re a creator we know you’ve heard of Glowforge, one of the best 3D laser printers on the market. The ultimate laser cutting and engraving machines are for the serious hobbyist, crafter or Maker. Using high pressure, heat, and a beam of light the width of a human hair, cut, engrave, and shape designs from a variety of materials using Glowforge. Teams and tool techs will be able utilize the state-of-the-art 3D laser printers at Nationals this March and at future Make48 events.
Due to their versatility, teams can go beyond basic 3D modeling or laser cutting and transform designs into 3D objects. CEO Tom Gray is looking forward to working with the Seattle-based company. “We are thrilled to partner with Glowforge, who are allowing us to bring a laser to each of our competitions throughout the year. The innovative possibilities are endless for the teams using this powerful tool. We are eagerly anticipating being able to showcase, to makers and innovators, the ease at which you can get started on a machine like the Glowforge."
Glowforge senior marketing manager, Ian Hosking, speaks about the partnership and how the premium 3D laser printer can create projects in anyone’s home.
Make48 is excited to partner with Glowforge, and create more magic with Makers across the country in 2022. What is Glowforge looking forward to in the upcoming partnership?
Glowforge is working toward a world where anyone can print anything. We make a 3D laser printer to support the creators of all stripes and specialties who love to make the things they need for themselves. By supporting Make48, we’re directly supporting the growth of this community. Make48 brings together problem-solvers, question-askers, and folks who will just plain figure it out, and we think that with Glowforge at their fingertips, they’ll be able to make something truly magical.
We can’t wait to see what some of the most creative and dedicated folks across the country print with Glowforge.
What sets Glowforge apart from other laser cutters?
We rarely talk about Glowforge as a laser cutter except with experts in the field, because for the average user, it’s an entirely different experience.
The origin story of Glowforge (short version) is that our CEO had a chance to use an industrial laser cutter for a different project, and he said “Wow, this thing is massive and expensive and almost impossible to use, but once you get past everything that makes it inaccessible to almost everyone, there’s something magical at work.” So Glowforge has that magic front and center. You don’t need to be a machinist or aerospace engineer or CAD master to use Glowforge, unlike pretty much any other product with a laser inside. The software just works, no matter how you like to design. You can create printable designs in your favorite software, whether that’s Illustrator or CAD or even MS Paint. Heck, you can even use a pen and paper – your Glowforge does the rest.
The point is to make this incredibly powerful and versatile creative technology – laser cutting and engraving – available to everyone. Glowforge is the only product on the market that can take your idea from sketch to final product in minutes.
This means that Glowforge creators can do more than ever before. Luthiers who can do inlay work that used to take weeks during their lunch break. Event planners can stop outsourcing all of their decor and create a thousand custom menus in an afternoon. Biomedical engineers can mock up prototypes as quickly as the ideas come to them.
The same Glowforge printer is powerful enough for production environments, precise enough for research labs, and simple enough for kindergarten classrooms – and it’s popular in all three.
How much can you create on a Glowforge? (Types of materials)
There’s a whole world of materials out there that will work with your Glowforge, including hundreds that we’ve personally tested. (We didn’t bother testing every single type of rock, you know?)
Glowforge can cut hardwoods, plywoods, acrylic, paper, fabric, leather, and more.
Plus, Glowforge can engrave glass, stone, ceramics, metals, and more. You can even print on food, like engraving your name in chocolate, or printing a picture on cake fondant.
For those looking to purchase a Glowforge for their home, small business, or makerspace….how can one find out what machine is right for them?
You can find out which Glowforge is right for you here: https://glowforge.com/our-products You can also register for our livestreams, where you’ll be able to ask our hosts, Nick & Bailey, all your questions live. Plus, you’ll get to see them create with Glowforge in real time. You can check out Livestreams here: https://glowforge.com/b/livestream
About Glowforge
Glowforge is a Seattle-based consumer technology company that created the first consumer 3D laser printer for the home. The ecosystem of materials, software, and a desktop laser makes it simple to create custom clothing, stunning artwork, full-sized furniture, games with your children, and much more. The cloud-based software allows consumers to go from a drawing or digital file to a physical object in minutes, at the push of a button. Glowforge uses subtractive technology to cut and engrave products from hundreds of durable and beautiful materials like wood, leather, acrylic, paper, fabric – even chocolate. For more information, please visit Glowforge.com.