A well-adjusted laser cutter is the difference between a sharp, professional result and a disappointing project. But how do you know which settings are best for your material and machine?
In this blog, you'll learn how to find the right settings for your laser cutter step-by-step. We cover the four most important factors that together ensure a clean result without excessive smoke, discoloration, or frustration. You'll get practical tips, useful tools, and insight into common mistakes. This way, you'll get the most out of your laser cutter!
Contents: How to find the perfect settings for your laser?
- Why optimizing settings is important
- The three key factors for perfect results
- Testing: a step-by-step guide
- Common problems and solutions
- Fire safety with settings
- Machine maintenance for the best results
- Material choice: pay attention to these things
- Learn from experienced laser cutters
- Download free test cards
1. Why optimizing settings is important
Using the wrong settings on a laser leads to burnt edges, a lot of soot, or cuts that aren't completely through. Your parts won't look good and will require a lot of time to rework, or you might even have to throw them away. A real waste.
Good settings ensure clean cuts, sharp engravings, and less material waste. This leads to beautiful final results and is better for both the environment and your wallet.
What the best setting is depends on your machine, material, and design. There isn't one best setting, so the skill to optimize it yourself is essential for every laser cutter. Once you master this, you can easily experiment with new materials or switch between different machines.
Please note: incorrect settings can also pose a danger. For example, if you cut too slowly or with a machine with too little power, the material will overheat, risking a fire. You can read more about this under the heading "Fire safety with settings".
2. The three key factors for perfect results
To achieve clean cuts and crisp engravings, three elements must be well-tuned:
The right machine settings
These are the four proverbial knobs you can turn to find the right setting:
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Speed: how fast the laser moves
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Power: how much energy the laser uses
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Air assist: air supply from your laser head
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Number of passes: how many times the laser goes over the same line
You are looking for a balance where the material is completely cut through, the edges are not too dark, and as few smoke traces as possible are visible. Do not cut unnecessarily slowly, as this creates more smoke. During cutting, the material vaporizes due to the laser beam; the air assist blows away the vaporized material, thus reducing residue and fire hazard. Preferably use a powerful pump, around 20 PSI. You can go over the same cut line multiple times, but we advise against this due to fire hazard.
When engraving, you should turn off the air assist. This prevents smoke from being blown into the engraving area, resulting in a much sharper outcome.
The snail was cut too slowly, the edge is charred and has residue on the surface. The rabbit was cut quickly: the edge is brown, and you can see the layer structure of the wood through it, there is no loose soot on the side, and no residue along the edge on the surface.
Airflow under your material
The airflow under your material largely determines how clean your underside remains. If you place your workpiece directly on a plank or base plate, smoke builds up under the material. This often causes black discoloration on the back.
A simple solution is a honeycomb bed, which allows air circulation and faster smoke extraction. Want it even cleaner? You can make a raised holder yourself, for example with small blocks. This prevents the laser beam from reflecting (so-called 'flashback') and keeps your bottom edges super crisp.
Tip: laser-cut mushroom-shaped pins that fit into your honeycomb bed to raise your workpiece. This ensures your surface is flat and your airflow is optimal.
Laser focus
Incorrect focus causes your beam to scatter and weaken, making your cut impure or not fully penetrating. Ensure your laser is correctly calibrated. Many machines (like the xTool D1 Pro) have a built-in accessory to perfectly adjust the distance between the lens and the material.
Also, make sure your lens and mirrors are clean; only then can they produce a sharp beam.
3. Testing: a step-by-step guide
Step 1: Create a test card
Use a test card where speed and power gradually increase in small steps. You can create such a test yourself, download our free test cards (at the bottom of this article), or buy test card files online.
Do you work with an xTool? Then you can use the Material Test Array function in Creative Space. Go to this blog for a detailed explanation.
Lightburn also has a function to generate test cards. We currently don't have a tutorial for this ourselves, but good ones can be found on YouTube.
Step 2: Analyze the result
Are all squares cut through? Then your power was too high or your speed too low. Don't cut unnecessarily slowly, as this causes a lot of smoke and increases the risk of fire.
Are none of the squares cut through? Then you need to cut slower or increase your power if possible. It might be that your material is too thick for your machine's power.
Step 3: Optimize
Find the square with the best cut appearance and refine from there. Optionally, create a second test card with smaller steps around the best result. Pay attention to the neatness of the edges, and always check the back as well.
Step 4: Note your settings
Found the perfect result? Save the settings in your software or logbook. This way, you don't have to test again next time.
4. Common problems and solutions
Burnt edges
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Cause: Too low speed, insufficient air assist, or too high power.
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Solution: Use or increase air assist, increase speed, or reduce power.
Incompletely cut material
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Cause: Too high speed, too low power, or too thick material.
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Solution: Try maximum power, reduce your speed.
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If this doesn't work, choose a thinner material.
Soot residue on the back
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Cause: Insufficient airflow and insufficient smoke extraction.
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Solution: Use air assist, use a honeycomb or raised platform. Check your smoke extraction.
Depending on how much you laser, your smoke extraction system should be thoroughly cleaned every month to every six months to operate optimally and safely.
Uneven cut results across the work area
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Cause: Dirty lens, incorrect focus, or non-flat bed.
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Solution: Clean your lens, adjust your focus according to your machine's manual, and ensure your material lies flat.
Inconsistent results between materials
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Cause: Differences in material density or moisture content.
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Solution: Always make a test cut with a new material.
Unsharp or smoky engraving
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Cause: Focus is not set correctly, or air assist was on.
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Solution: Adjust focus, turn off air assist when engraving.
If these tips don't help prevent smoke stains, use masking tape around your engraving or cut; you can easily cut through it and gently peel it off after cutting. The tape protects your material from smoke stains.
5. Fire safety with settings
You might not expect it, but: the slower you cut, the hotter your material becomes, and the greater the risk of fire. The same applies to using multiple passes: the more often your laser goes over the same spot, the hotter the material becomes, and the greater the risk of fire.
Therefore, always cut as quickly as possible and with sufficient power. Also, always ensure that smoke and heat can escape properly. Air assist helps with this, and good smoke extraction is essential.
Cutting unsuitable material and material that is too thick can also pose a danger.
Important tips for safe laser cutting:
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Always cut with sufficient power
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Cut at a speed of at least 5–10 mm/sec
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Set your Air assist strong enough
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Smoke extraction must function properly
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Stay with your laser while it's working
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Place a CO₂ extinguisher next to your machine
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Cutting over the same line multiple times to get through? Then this material is not suitable for your machine; choose another material
Disclaimer: The tips in this blog are intended as general guidelines for safe laser cutting. Always consult your laser cutter's manual and follow the manufacturer's safety instructions. Laser cutting involves risks; you remain solely responsible for a safe working environment and correct use of your equipment.
6. Machine maintenance for the best results
The best results are achieved with a clean and well-maintained machine. During laser cutting, material vaporizes, creating soot and fumes. The smoke extraction removes this debris. However, some of it will still settle in your machine itself and in the exhaust duct. A dirty machine is less precise, breaks down faster, and poses a greater fire hazard. Here's what you need to do to keep your machine in top shape:
Cleaning the lens
Regularly clean your lens and mirrors – this keeps your laser in top condition and ensures optimal performance. A clean lens provides a sharp beam and clean cuts.
Cleaning the extraction system
Cleaning the entire extraction system is very important because if it gets contaminated, it will extract less smoke and can even create a fire hazard. Depending on how much you laser, you should thoroughly clean your extraction system every six months or every month.
Cleaning the base bed
Smoke also settles in a honeycomb or on the slats where you place your material in your machine. Clean this regularly to reduce soot on your parts.
Wipe the collection tray after each job
Scraps can fall into the bottom of your machine during cutting. This is not a problem, but if there is a lot of debris, it can pose a fire hazard. Therefore, wipe the base bed clean after each job.
Machine maintenance and cleaning are less fun than laser cutting, but very important for your machine to continue functioning optimally.
7. Pay attention to your material choice
Every material reacts differently to laser cutting. Always check first whether a material is suitable for laser cutting; all materials in the Lasersheets assortment are suitable for laser cutting.
Unsuitable materials
There are materials that are absolutely unsuitable and dangerous to laser. One example is PVC, which is processed in vinyl (records for your turntable), faux sky leather, and sticker foil. When you laser this, chlorine gas is released, which is very toxic and harmful to your health. Even good extraction will not protect you against this. Never cut material containing PVC on your laser!
Only cut material that you are sure is safe. If in doubt? Don't do it.
Approved materials
The materials you can buy at Lasersheets are suitable for laser cutting. The LaserGrade quality mark indicates whether it can be cut with a CO2 laser, diode laser, or both. It is still possible that a material is too thick for your machine, in which case even the correct settings won't get you through it.
What to pay attention to when laser cutting wood?
Most wood types are a great option for laser cutting. However, the settings can vary significantly per wood type due to density.
A good example is the difference between Basswood and Birchwood. The density (how tightly packed the cells are) of birch is higher, making it heavier and requiring more power to cut through compared to Basswood. Do you have a 10 or 20-watt laser? Then we recommend using basswood.
Knots in wood
This is a knot in a wooden sheet, also known as a burl or knothole
When laser cutting wood, you also encounter knots; the density and hardness of a knot differ from the rest of the sheet. This causes it to react very differently to the laser, which can lead to extra soot or prevent the laser from cutting through. Knots make finding the right settings more difficult because the sheet reacts irregularly to the laser.
Knots frequently cause parts to fail. This is a pity and cannot be solved with better settings. We have 15 years of experience laser cutting large volumes, and we use these types of wood because they cause fewer knot-related problems:
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MDF: homogeneous structure, no knots
View MDF for laser cutting → -
Birch plywood: produced especially for us with fewer internal knots
View Birch plywood for laser cutting → -
Veneered MDF: the advantages of MDF, between two beautiful veneer layers of real wood
View Veneered MDF for laser cutting → -
Bamboo plywood: our alternative to common side-pressed bamboo, fewer tough knots due to the thin layer structure
View Bamboo plywood for laser cutting →
Want to read more about the benefits of bamboo as plywood? Check out this blog
Want to try different materials? Then choose one of our starter kits, such as the Diode Starter Kit – ideal for anyone with a diode laser cutter.
View Diode Starter Kit for laser cutting →
View all Starter Kits for laser cutting →
8. Learn from experienced laser cutters
Laser cutting is an experimental field, and exchanging knowledge with others provides a wealth of information. We recommend checking out these online communities for tips, inspiration, or to share something yourself.
Recommendation: Check out this comprehensive guide: 10 Tips and Tricks for Laser Engraving and Cutting. We find this blog so useful and well-documented that we highly recommend it. Frankly, we couldn't explain it better ourselves!
9. Download free test cards
You can create test cards yourself with Creative Space (xTool) or Lightburn. If you prefer to work with a ready-made file, these test files will help you get started.
Test files for download
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Wood 0.5 - 3 mm score_0.5-3.0mm_wood.xcs
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Wood 4 - 9 mm score_4.0-9mm_wood.xcs
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Plastics 0.5 - 3 mm score_0.5-3.0mm_plastics.xcs
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Foam 1 - 20 mm score_1.0-20mm_foam.xcs
1 comment
Wat is het fijn om dit in begrijpelijke taal te kunnen lezen.
Nog bedankt voor het extra bij de 9000 ste bestelling
Jullie zijn Toppers