Truly Handcrafted: Laser-Cut vs. Hand-Cut Wooden Puzzles

As wooden jigsaw puzzles have become more popular, more companies want to use the term “handmade” or “handcrafted” to describe their puzzles. At Elms, we preserve the heritage craft of truly hand-cutting wooden puzzles because we believe it delivers a superior puzzling experience, but we also believe that every puzzle is time well spent. We hope this guide gives you the confidence to identify the differences between hand-cut and laser-cut puzzles so that you can find the perfect wooden jigsaw puzzle for you.

What is a Laser-Cut Puzzle

Laser-cut puzzles aim to replicate traditional wooden jigsaw puzzles by using modern technology. In addition to a more automated and scalable production process, laser-cutting also enables companies to sell wooden jigsaw puzzles for much less than the cost to cut them by hand. Each puzzle is printed by using a high-heat light beam to burn through a piece of wood. The laser follows an uploaded design so that the puzzle can be printed again and again. Because the laser physically burns the wood to create a path, it leaves behind charred, dark edges that give laser-cut puzzles their distinctive black lines and, in some cases, odor. This process also tends to create a relatively wide gap, called kerf, between pieces because the material has literally been vaporized.