Laser Engraver Speed & Power Finder
Pick your laser wattage, material, and operation to get recommended starting speed and power settings. Save confirmed settings to your personal material library. Nothing uploaded.
Recommended starting settings
Full settings
These are starting points. Do a test burn and adjust based on your machine and material.
My material library
Learn more: dialing in laser cutter and engraver settings
Diode and CO2 speeds use different units
The tool lists diode speeds in mm/min and CO2 speeds in mm/s. That matters for comparisons. A 5W diode engraves wood at 3,000 to 4,000 mm/min, while the 40W CO2 row gives 200 to 400 mm/s, which is 12,000 to 24,000 mm/min. The CO2 laser is faster, at lower power, 15 to 25% against 60 to 80%.
OMTECH's material settings guide uses the same units. It gives 15 to 20 mm/s at 80% power for cutting 1/8 inch plywood on a 50 to 80W CO2 laser, and about 250 mm/min at 100% for a 10W diode. The tool's 40W CO2 row for 6 mm wood is 15 to 30 mm/s at 70 to 90%.
Treat the table as a starting point
The numbers here are a range to start from, not a final answer. OMTECH's CO2 wood engraving suggestion is 400 to 600 mm/s at 40 to 60% power, faster and stronger than this tool's 200 to 400 mm/s at 15 to 25%, so published settings differ between sources. OMTECH's advice is to "always run a test matrix on scrap material first".
A test matrix is a grid of small squares, each cut or engraved at a different speed and power on offcuts of your material. You pick the square that cuts through cleanly or engraves to the depth you want. Some rows need more than one pass. The 10W diode row for 6 mm plywood is 300 to 500 mm/min at 80 to 100% for 2 passes.
FAQ
Why does the tool show mm/s for CO2 and mm/min for diode?
The CO2 rows in the table are written in mm/s, which is how CO2 laser settings are normally quoted, and the diode rows in mm/min. To compare them, multiply the mm/s figure by 60.
Can I use someone else's settings for my machine?
Only as a starting point. OMTECH says settings vary with machine wattage and material density. Put the published values in the middle of your own test grid.
Why does the tool recommend air assist for cutting?
Its table marks air assist as recommended for every cutting row and not for engraving rows. If your machine has no air assist, run a test grid and watch the cut for flare-ups and heavy scorching.