Laser engraving settings: how to find the right ones

There is no universal settings chart. The right speed, power, line interval and number of passes depend on your laser's wattage and type, the exact material and even the production batch. Instead of copying numbers, understand how the variables interact and run a quick material test grid for each new material — it takes minutes and saves ruined workpieces. As one real example, on our CO2 test setup a photo on light wood ran around 400 mm/s at 20–35% power with a 0.1 mm interval, but treat that as a starting point, not a rule.

• No chart works across different lasers and materials
• Understand the variables, then test on your machine
• Run a material test grid for each new material

Five settings shape almost every result. Speed is how fast the head moves; power is the laser output. Together they control how much energy reaches the material. Line interval (or DPI) sets how close the engraved lines are — finer interval means more detail but more heat. Passes repeat the job for deeper cuts or marks. And for photos, the image preparation (contrast, tone and dithering) matters as much as the machine numbers.

• Speed + power = energy delivered
• Line interval / DPI = detail and heat
• Passes = depth; image prep = photo quality

A setting that works on a 20 W diode laser can burn straight through the same material on a 10 W one, or barely mark it on a 5 W one. CO2, diode and fiber sources behave differently, lenses and focus vary, and even the same wood species differs by moisture and finish. That is why a number copied from a forum or another machine is a guess, not a setting — it might waste material or be a fire risk.

• Wattage and source change everything
• Focus, lens and material batch vary
• Copied numbers are a guess, not a setting

The dependable method is a material test grid: engrave a small matrix of squares, varying speed along one axis and power along the other, then pick the square that marks your material best. It takes a few minutes, costs a scrap of material, and gives you settings that are actually right for your machine. Do it once per new material and save the winner.

• Vary speed on one axis, power on the other
• Pick the best square for your material
• Repeat once per new material

Vextrify gives you a material-based starting point rather than a blank box, then lets you save the values that work as a reusable recipe — material, tones, dithering and machine settings together — so you never re-guess. For photos, the Photo Studio prepares contrast, tone and dithering so the image itself is engraving-ready before you touch the speed and power. The machine test still matters; Vextrify just removes the chaos around it.

• A sensible starting point, not a blank box
• Save winning settings as a reusable recipe
• Photo Studio prepares the image for engraving