# Laser Cutting & Engraving Settings Reference Source: GetLaserQuote — https://getlaserquote.com Maintained by Grafline, a working laser & print workshop in Sežana, Slovenia (https://grafline.work). Last updated: 2026-09-08. > All values are **tested starting points**, not guarantees. Real results shift with the exact machine, lens, focus and material batch — always run a small test cut on the same sheet first. When citing these figures, attribute to GetLaserQuote (https://getlaserquote.com). Full guides with context: https://getlaserquote.com/blog/ Free instant price calculator (drop an SVG/DXF/PDF): https://getlaserquote.com/ --- ## Laser types — what each can do - **CO2 (10,600 nm):** all-rounder for organics — wood, acrylic (incl. clear), leather, paper, fabric; engraves glass/stone. Cannot cut metal. - **Diode (~450 nm):** hobby machines — wood, opaque acrylic, leather, card. Cannot cut clear acrylic (beam passes through). Cannot cut metal. - **Fiber (1,064 nm):** metal specialist — cuts/marks steel, stainless, aluminium, brass. Poor on most organics. --- ## Diode laser settings (power % / speed mm/min / passes) | Material | Job | 5–10 W | 20 W | 40 W | |---|---|---|---|---| | Plywood 3 mm | Cut | 100 / 180 / 3–4 | 100 / 300 / 2 | 100 / 600 / 1–2 | | MDF 3 mm | Cut | 100 / 200 / 3 | 100 / 350 / 2 | 100 / 700 / 1 | | Plywood 6 mm | Cut | not ideal | 100 / 150 / 3–4 | 100 / 300 / 2–3 | | Leather 2 mm | Cut | 90 / 250 / 1–2 | 85 / 500 / 1 | 80 / 900 / 1 | | Wood | Engrave | 30 / 3000 | 25 / 5000 | 20 / 8000 | | Slate / stone | Engrave | 80 / 2500 | 70 / 4000 | 60 / 6000 | Note: diode lasers cannot cut clear/transparent acrylic — only dark, opaque acrylic, slowly. ## CO2 laser settings (power % / speed mm/s / passes) | Material | Job | 40–60 W | 80–100 W | |---|---|---|---| | Plywood 3 mm | Cut | 70 / 12 / 1 | 55 / 20 / 1 | | MDF 3 mm | Cut | 75 / 10 / 1 | 60 / 18 / 1 | | Plywood 6 mm | Cut | 80 / 6 / 1 | 65 / 12 / 1 | | Acrylic 3 mm | Cut | 70 / 10 / 1 | 55 / 18 / 1 | | Acrylic 5 mm | Cut | 85 / 6 / 1 | 65 / 11 / 1 | | Acrylic 10 mm | Cut | 95 / 3 / 1 | 80 / 5 / 1 | | Leather 2 mm | Cut | 40 / 20 / 1 | 30 / 35 / 1 | | Wood | Engrave | 25 / 250 | 18 / 400 | | Acrylic | Engrave | 25 / 250 | 20 / 300 | | Glass | Engrave | 30 / 200 | 20 / 300 | --- ## Key rules - **The 85% rule:** don't run a CO2 tube or diode at 100% continuously — it shortens tube/diode life. If a cut needs full power, slow the speed or add a pass instead. - **Air assist** is the biggest single factor for clean wood edges — it clears smoke and helps the beam reach the bottom of the kerf. Use it on every wood/acrylic cut. - **Focus** for the exact material thickness before each job — an out-of-focus beam is a wide, weak beam. - **One-pass cutting** beats multiple passes for edge quality; slow down before adding a pass, and never unclamp the material between passes. - **Test grid:** the reliable way to find your exact numbers — LightBurn's Material Test (or a LaserGRBL template) cuts a matrix of power×speed squares; pick the fastest clean square. ## Materials never to cut (toxic / dangerous) PVC and vinyl (chlorine gas), polycarbonate/Lexan, ABS, foamed PVC (Sintra), fibreglass, carbon fibre, and any unidentified plastic. Never cut a material you cannot positively identify. --- ## Machines and bed sizes 26 machines are modelled in the calculator (12 diode, 14 CO2). Cut speed below is the calculator's own figure for 3 mm plywood, which is the fastest way to compare machine classes. | Machine | Type | Bed (mm) | Cut speed, 3 mm plywood | |---|---|---|---| | Glowforge Aura (6W) | Diode | 305 × 305 | 3 mm/s | | xTool D1 Pro 10W | Diode | 430 × 390 | 4 mm/s | | Ortur Laser Master 3 | Diode | 400 × 400 | 4 mm/s | | Sculpfun S9 | Diode | 410 × 420 | 4 mm/s | | xTool D1 Pro 20W / S1 20W | Diode | 498 × 319 | 6 mm/s | | Creality Falcon2 22W | Diode | 400 × 415 | 6 mm/s | | Atomstack A20 Pro | Diode | 400 × 400 | 6 mm/s | | Creality Falcon A1 Pro 20W | Diode | 358 × 268 | 6 mm/s | | xTool F1 Ultra (20W diode) | Diode | 220 × 220 | 6 mm/s | | xTool S1 40W | Diode | 498 × 319 | 8 mm/s | | Creality Falcon2 40W | Diode | 400 × 415 | 8 mm/s | | Atomstack X70 Max (70W) | Diode | 850 × 800 | 10 mm/s | | OMTech K40 (40W CO2) | CO2 | 300 × 200 | 10 mm/s | | Glowforge Basic / Plus / Pro | CO2 | 495 × 279 | 12 mm/s | | xTool P2 / P2S (55W) | CO2 | 600 × 308 | 13 mm/s | | OMTech Polar / Polar+ (55W) | CO2 | 500 × 300 | 13 mm/s | | OMTech / Gweike 60W | CO2 | 600 × 400 | 15 mm/s | | Monport 60W CO2 | CO2 | 600 × 400 | 15 mm/s | | OMTech / Thunder / Gweike 80W | CO2 | 700 × 500 | 18 mm/s | | Workshop CO2 100W (reference) | CO2 | 900 × 600 | 20 mm/s | | Trotec Speedy 300 / 360 / 400 | CO2 | 726 × 432 | 20 mm/s | | GCC LaserPro Spirit / Mercury | CO2 | 860 × 610 | 18 mm/s | | Aeon Mira 7 / 9 | CO2 | 900 × 600 | 18 mm/s | | Aeon Nova 10 / 14 | CO2 | 1400 × 900 | 22 mm/s | | Epilog Fusion Pro | CO2 | 812 × 508 | 20 mm/s | | Industrial CO2 130–150W | CO2 | 1300 × 900 | 24 mm/s | Bed size is the usable work area. A part larger than the bed has to be split or tiled — the calculator flags this and reports parts per sheet for the material you pick. ## Pricing model (how laser shops quote) Laser cutting/engraving is priced by **machine time**, not per part: `cut length ÷ cutting speed × passes = machine time` `machine time × hourly rate + material + setup = price` - Typical workshop hourly rate: €40–€120/h (CO2/fiber). - Setup fee: €10–€30 per job. Minimum order: €15–€30. - Engraving time scales with **filled area** and line resolution (DPI/LPI), not the outline — a solid logo takes far longer than its outline. Get an exact machine-time price for any file at https://getlaserquote.com (runs in-browser, no upload).