I've recently purchased a K40 laser and cut my first acrylic. However, as shown in the photo, the clear acrylic turned cloudy near the cuts; I assume due to the heat. I took 3 passes at 15ma to cut this .22" acrylic at 7mm/s. I have a few questions.

Question 1: Does this power/speed/pass seem reasonable or is my focus off.

Question 2: How can I reduce the clouding near the cuts (e.g., more/less power, faster/slower, more/fewer cuts).

Question 3: I have some lettering that is raster engraved that I would like to stand out more. What techniques have you tried? I was thinking about painting with white or black acrylic paint and wiping it off the surface before it dries.

Thanks for the help