Free tool
Laser, CNC and 3D printer settings by material
Pick your machine and material. Get a starting point and a test grid to dial it in.
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use it
1Pick your machine
Diode, CO2 or fiber laser, CNC router or FDM printer, then the power class.
2Find your material
Filter by material or job to see starting power, speed, passes, interval and notes.
3Plan a test grid
Set a power and speed range; the grid shows every combination and its relative energy.
4Run it in LightBurn
Copy the grid for LightBurn's Material Test, run it on scrap, and keep the settings from the best cell.
Starting settings at a glance
These are the same starting points the settings finder above uses, for the three most common machines. Speeds are what LightBurn shows in its Speed box. Treat every row as the centre of a test grid, not a final answer: lens, focus, air assist and the batch of material all move the result. Other power classes, CNC feeds and FDM settings are in the finder.
10 W diode laser
| Material | Job | Power | Speed | Passes | Line interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plywood 3 mm | Cut | 100% | 300 mm/min (5.0 mm/s) | 1 | |
| Plywood 6 mm | Cut | 100% | 150 mm/min (2.5 mm/s) | 2 | |
| Basswood 3 mm | Cut | 100% | 400 mm/min (6.7 mm/s) | 1 | |
| MDF 3 mm | Cut | 100% | 250 mm/min (4.2 mm/s) | 2 | |
| Cardboard 3 mm | Cut | 100% | 1,200 mm/min (20 mm/s) | 1 | |
| Black acrylic 3 mm | Cut | 100% | 150 mm/min (2.5 mm/s) | 3 | |
| Wood | Photo engrave | 35% | 6,000 mm/min (100 mm/s) | 1 | 0.08 mm (318 DPI) |
| Wood | Line or fill engrave | 60% | 3,000 mm/min (50 mm/s) | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Wood | Depth map relief | 80% | 3,000 mm/min (50 mm/s) | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Leather | Engrave | 25% | 6,000 mm/min (100 mm/s) | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Slate | Photo engrave | 60% | 4,000 mm/min (67 mm/s) | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Cork | Engrave | 25% | 5,000 mm/min (83 mm/s) | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Anodized aluminium | Mark | 100% | 1,500 mm/min (25 mm/s) | 1 | 0.08 mm |
40 W CO2 laser
| Material | Job | Power | Speed | Passes | Line interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plywood 3 mm | Cut | 60-70% | 10-15 mm/s | 1 | |
| Plywood 6 mm | Cut | 70-80% | 5-8 mm/s | 1 | |
| MDF 3 mm | Cut | 65% | 12-15 mm/s | 1 | |
| Cast acrylic 3 mm | Cut | 60-70% | 8-12 mm/s | 1 | |
| Cast acrylic 5 mm | Cut | 75% | 4-6 mm/s | 1 | |
| Cast acrylic | Engrave | 15-20% | 300 mm/s | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Wood | Engrave | 20-30% | 300 mm/s | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Wood | Depth map relief | Min 10%, max 60% | 200 mm/s | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Leather 2 mm | Cut | 40% | 20-25 mm/s | 1 | |
| Leather | Engrave | 15% | 300 mm/s | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Paper and card | Cut | 12-18% | 50 mm/s | 1 | |
| Glass | Engrave | 20% | 300 mm/s | 1 | 0.1 mm |
| Anodized aluminium | Mark | 25-30% | 300 mm/s | 1 | 0.08 mm |
20 to 30 W fiber laser
| Material | Job | Power | Speed | Passes | Line interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Dark mark | 80% | 800-1000 mm/s | 1 | 0.01 mm |
| Stainless steel | Deep engrave | 90% | 300 mm/s | 20+ (clean pass every 5) | |
| Anodized aluminium | White mark | 40-50% | 2000-3000 mm/s | 1 | 0.03 mm |
| Brass and copper | Engrave | 90% | 500 mm/s | 1 | 0.01 mm |
| Coin blank or medal | 3D relief (3D Sliced) | 60-80% | 1000 mm/s | Match your depth map's levels | 0.01-0.02 mm |
| ABS and painted plastic | Mark | 20% | 1500 mm/s | 1 |
Using a test grid
A test grid is the fastest way to real settings: one run on the exact sheet you will use, with power rising across the columns and speed across the rows. Pick the lightest cell that gives the result you want, which keeps jobs fast and eases wear on the laser. More in laser power and speed settings.
Questions
Are these settings exact?
No. They are conservative starting points. Lens, focus, air assist, module age and the material batch all change the result, which is why the tool includes a test grid.
Why do diode settings change with power class?
Cutting speed scales roughly with optical power, and engraving power percentages drop as the module gets stronger. The diode values are scaled from a 10 W module and labelled as approximate.
What should I never laser?
PVC, vinyl, chrome-tanned leather and unknown plastics. They release toxic or corrosive fumes.
Read next
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