Ear Savers FAQ for Makers

How do I sign up? How do I know when I’ve “matched”?

To sign up to help, fill in this quick form which lets us know where you are and how many you will make. Once you’ve been matched with an essential worker who needs Ear Savers, we’ll send you an email to connect you.

Can I print more Ear Savers?

Absolutely, we’d love to have your help. Just sign up again at glowforge.com/earsavers. Thank you!

I have a laser, but it’s not a Glowforge Printer. Can I participate?

Yes - we’d love your help! You can visit the files and instructions page and make whatever adjustments you need to make it work with the tools you have.

I’m outside the US, can I participate?

Yes! Visit the International Ear Savers Matching Forum to find a maker who can help in your country.

How can I let people know about Ear Savers?

Thank you for asking! Please spread the word to friends and family to get free Ear Savers at glowforge.com!

We’re so excited about our opportunity to help - we’d love for everyone to find out.

When will I be matched?

We’ve heard from thousands of essential workers who need Ear Savers. Most requesters are matched with someone in their community in the same week. We may not be able to find you a match if you are in a remote location and you are not able to cover shipping.

Once you’ve been matched, we’ll send you an email to connect you.

I didn’t receive confirmation, did you get my request?

Yes. You won’t hear from us until we have news about your request, for example when we match you with an Ear Savers recipient.

Does Glowforge vet requesters?

No. In this time of crisis, we’re getting help to anyone who asks for it. Please join us if you feel the same way!

I’ve been matched, but it’s not working out - what do i do?

I’m sorry to hear that -- email earsavers@glowforge.com to let us know what’s not working. Please include the number of Ear Savers you were asked to make and the email address of your match, and we’ll get it sorted out!

How do custom designs work?

The person or organisation you’re helping might ask for customization on the Ear Savers you produce, like a hospital logo. It is up to you whether you want to provide that or not. You can learn more about how to customize the design here.

Will you provide discounted materials?

Yes, we’re offering a discount on Medium Proofgrade Acrylic used to make Ear Savers. With the discount code EARSAVERSACRYLIC, you’ll save 20% on one order of Proofgrade Acrylic from our Shop.

One note though: shipping time is 10 days and our stocks are running low. You are welcome to use materials you already have or purchase from a local supplier.

Can I charge for my materials, shipping, and/or labor?

No, we're not charging for Ear Savers. Some recipients have offered to pay their own shipping - if you are matched with one of them, we'll let you know. Otherwise, please only participate if you're willing to print and deliver the Ear Savers at no charge.

Can you expedite materials to me?

Unfortunately no. We’re working hard to keep up with demands during the crisis, and aren’t able to offer faster delivery. We’ll send tracking information for your order just as soon as we have it so that you can plan with the arrival date in mind.

If you need materials faster, you might be able to get them locally.

If there’s a Joann near you, they may have the Proofgrade acrylic you want in stock, and many locations are offering curbside pick-up.

In addition, your Glowforge can print on many types of acrylic, as long as the supplier can confirm for you that it is laser-compatible. We’ve heard of customers purchasing acrylic at Inventables, Johnson Plastics, TAP Plastics, Lowes, and Home Depot. Please confirm with the supplier you choose, though, as we can't give authoritative advice for other companies' products.

I’m using material that is not Proofgrade Acrylic. What settings should I use?

While we can’t offer technical support for materials sourced from other manufacturers, many customers report success starting with Medium Proofgrade Acrylic settings when they are using similar ⅛” (3mm) acrylic products.

If you’d like to adjust and save the settings for your material, take a look at this article on how to make the most of Manual Mode and control things like speed and power for custom results.

You can also search for advice in the Beyond the Manual section of our community. Note that advice in this section is unsupported and is not reviewed by Glowforge.

Will you pay to ship the ear savers I’ve made to essential workers?

Since time is of the essence, we recommend hand-delivering Ear Savers. We’re matching makers and front line workers based on geography, unless you’ve indicated that you’re willing to pay to ship them.

How should I package these for shipment?

We recommend banding them into groups of ten or so using rubber bands or a strip of paper taped around the bunch. That will give them some stability while they travel. If you have a small volume, they can just slide into a padded envelope. If you’ve made more, find a box that’s near the right size and fill in empty space with padding.

Ask the person or organization you matched with if they want anything special on the address label to make sure it gets to them quickly.

Why just Ear Savers?

Customers are making many different kinds of Personal Protective Equipment using their Glowforge Printers. You can learn more at makecovidstop.org.