Laser settings by material and machine

Air assist on. Multiple cooler passes beat one slow scorched one.

Mask with tape to avoid the burn halo. Interval 0.08–0.1 mm.

Dense wood needs more energy. Test the underside first.

Jarvis/Stucki dither, 0.08 mm interval. Diode gives the darkest blacks of any laser on wood.

Dampen lightly before engraving for a crisper mark.

Marks pale-on-dark. Oil the whole coaster afterwards for contrast.

Coating washes off with warm water.

Marks the anodised layer, not the metal beneath.

Bonded surface mark, not deep engraving. Wash residue after.

Cork darkens fast — start low. A light touch keeps detail crisp.

Silica content makes bamboo tougher than it looks.

Ablates the powder coat to reveal bright metal beneath. Rotary needed for round vessels.

Work on the painted back, not the front — the beam won't mark the reflective face usefully.

Marks light on dark like slate. Polished stone gives the best contrast.

Dark granite gives the strongest light-on-dark result. The plaque and memorial staple.

Air assist on. Honeycomb or pin bed for clean underside.

Interval 0.08–0.1 mm. CO2 browns rather than blacks on photo work.

Glue line makes it tougher than ply of the same thickness.

Cast frosts white; engrave the reverse mirrored on clear. LOW air assist.

Extruded gives flame-polished edges.

Damp sponge first reduces scorch.

Smelly but non-toxic when veg-tan.

Damp paper towel over the area controls micro-cracking. Rotary for glasses.

Norton White Tile method gives near-photographic black on white.

Bright mark where the coating lifts.

Permanent bonded black ceramic-style mark.

Natural fibres cut clean; polyester edges melt-seal.

Low power — cork chars easily.

Dense — slower and hotter than plywood of the same thickness.

The cosplay staple. Bevel-cut by defocusing for seamless armour joins.

Great for scales, hammered-metal and stone textures.

Crisp mechanical edges — a favourite for gears and jigs.

Engraves to a frosted white. Fill with paint or coloured epoxy for contrast. Too thick and mineral-loaded to cut on a hobby laser.

Removes the coating cleanly. Rotary for round; keep the surface at focus across the curve.

Flip the mirror and engrave through the rear paint and silvering — the design reads bright from the front.

Bold designs beat fine detail; a paint or oil fill lifts contrast.

Lower frequency digs deeper and rougher; higher smooths.

Defocus 2–3 mm below focus, 0.01–0.02 mm interval. Smooth black, corrosion-safe if not over-driven.

Cross-hatch rotating angles, 0.02 mm interval, cool between sets.

Aluminium engraves grey, not black — use an oxidiser or laser ink for black.

Defocus +1.5–2 mm broadens the beam for a bright white.

Very tight interval, 0.001–0.002 mm.

0.02 mm interval, rotate hatch 0/45/90 degrees per pass.

Frequency shifts oxide thickness — reds, blues, golds, purples.

Degrease first — oil blotches the mark.

Strips coating to a crisp metal contrast without marking the steel.

Bare copper is one of the hardest fibre materials; expect to push power.

Focus 2–3 mm INTO the material. Frost-white, no cracking — UV's signature trick.

Marks clear acrylic directly — the job diode physically can't do.

Deep permanent black on white plastic, zero melt — the flagship UV use case.

Paint pale tile dark first for strong contrast.

Alters the coating without touching the substrate.

Crisp marks with no burn-through. Marking, not cutting.