Atomstack A5 Pro Settings & Speeds

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Engrave from the BACK side for a clean mirrored result.

Cast acrylic cuts cleaner than extruded at 10W.

2 passes for clean cut through maple at 10W.

Invert design — black areas engrave deep for stamp relief.

2 passes for full cut at 10W.

Disable air assist. Sealed edges are a bonus.

Disable air assist. Pin fabric flat.

Apply white paint or Cermark, let dry, laser, wipe off.

Clean cut on craft felt. No melting at 60%.

Hardboard needs 3 passes. Air assist prevents re-ignition.

Fast clean cuts on cardstock. No scorching at 25%.

Diode engraves cast coloured acrylic well at 30%.

Cork cuts cleanly with 2 passes.

Light engrave on cork coasters. Charring at higher power.

Full power with air assist for clean faux leather cuts.

Clean detail on faux leather. Remove protective film first.

Good contrast on end-grain bamboo. Use higher DPI for photos.

Even engrave on bamboo. Dark contrast, minimal smoke.

Baltic birch may need 3 passes on denser sheets.

Clean cut. Cherry has tight grain, needs consistent speed.

Clean cut with air assist. Score line first at 50% to reduce charring.

Glass engraving on 5W A5 Pro — wet paper towel method for best contrast.

5W A5 Pro engraves leather at moderate power.

5W diode needs 2 passes for cork. Keep power high but disable air assist.

5W diode surface mark only; hardwood may char at edges

5W diode surface mark only; hardwood may char at edges

2mm balsa cuts in 2 passes at 5W. Balsa is the most cuttable material for low-power diodes — the open cell structure absorbs the beam well. Use a pin bed to hold down the light balsa sheets during cutting. Great for model aircraft parts and scale prototypes.

Cork engraves with a clean warm mark at low power. Too much power burns the cork and creates a rough, uneven texture. The A5 Pro is ideal for cork coasters and trivets — the low power is actually an advantage here as it prevents over-burning.

Removes anodising cleanly to reveal bright aluminium underneath. Even 5W is sufficient for anodised aluminium — the anodised layer is very thin and absorbs the diode wavelength well. Excellent for dog tags, tumblers, and phone cases. No coating needed.

Kraft paper cuts cleanly at speed. The A5 Pro handles paper extremely well — low power and high speed prevent scorching. Great for stencils, labels, and paper decorations. Use a pin bed or honeycomb to support the paper.

Single-wall corrugated cardboard cuts well at 5W. Good for prototyping, gift boxes, and paper crafts. Keep power at 80% — going to 100% at slower speed risks ignition. Never leave the machine unattended when cutting cardboard.

Slate engraves white at these settings. Invert your image so engraved areas appear bright. Even a 5W diode produces excellent contrast on slate — this is one of the A5 Pro's best use cases. Wipe clean with a damp cloth after to remove dust.

Leather engraves well at 50% — the 5W diode is more than enough for surface marking. Vegetable-tanned leather gives a rich dark brown. Keep power at 50% maximum; the thin diode beam concentrates a lot of energy and can cut through thin leather.

5 passes at full power barely cuts 3mm basswood — results are unreliable and edges are heavily charred. The A5 Pro is not a cutting machine at 5W. For anything thicker than 2mm balsa, use the A5 Pro for engraving only and cut on a more powerful machine.

At 5W the A5 Pro engraves beautifully — its limitation is cutting, not engraving. 60% at 3000mm/min gives a warm brown mark on basswood. For photo engraving drop to 50% and use Stucki dithering in LightBurn. A great beginner engrave machine at this price point.

4 passes required without air assist. Slow but functional. Adding air assist upgrade makes a big difference.

Easy clean cut on cardboard. Great for templating and prototyping.

What materials can the Atomstack A5 Pro engrave or cut?

The Atomstack A5 Pro has community-tested settings for 3mm Mirrored Acrylic, 3mm Clear Acrylic (Cast), 3mm Maple Plywood, Rubber Stamp Material, Bamboo 3mm, Cotton Fabric, Denim Fabric, Chipboard 2mm, and 31 more. Results vary by material batch, focus, and ambient conditions — always test on scrap first.

What settings should I use to cut Bamboo 3mm on the Atomstack A5 Pro?

A community-tested starting point is speed 300 mm/min, power 100% in 2 passes. Always run a test cut on scrap to confirm before committing to your project.

Can the Atomstack A5 Pro engrave metal?

Diode lasers can mark anodized aluminium, coated metals, and powder-coated surfaces without any spray. For bare steel, brass, or copper you need a marking compound like Cermark or Dry Moly. Fiber lasers mark bare metal directly without any coating.