Glowforge Plus Settings & Speeds

Where to buy

Buy the Glowforge Plus — check current price & availability

Engrave from the BACK side for a clean mirrored result.

Cast acrylic cuts cleaner than extruded.

Invert design for good stamp relief.

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

Very low power — use Set Focus on paper surface.

Plywood glue layers may need 2 passes for reliability.

Cork at low power, no air assist.

Bamboo cuts in one pass at full power on the Plus.

Baltic birch in one pass on Glowforge Plus.

Cardstock cuts very cleanly on CO2. Low power, high speed.

Cardboard cuts cleanly at low power. Disable air assist to prevent fire risk.

CO2 55W stainless steel engrave.

CO2 55W on cork sheet.

CO2 55W on marble tile.

CO2 55W on cotton fabric.

CO2 55W on foam board.

CO2 55W on 3mm bamboo.

CO2 55W on 2mm chipboard.

CO2 55W on corrugated. Single pass.

CO2 55W rubber stamp blank.

CO2 55W on denim fabric.

CO2 55W on HTV vinyl. Near instant score.

CO2 55W on faux leather.

CO2 55W on mylar stencil. Near instant cut.

CO2 55W on EVA foam 6mm. Fast clean cut.

CO2 55W on acrylic felt. Fast and clean.

CO2 55W on 80gsm paper. Near instant cut.

CO2 55W on cardstock. Near-instant cut.

40W CO2, identical tube to Basic. Speed 1000 GF units / full power / 340 LPI is the community starting point. Plus shares the Basic's power ceiling. Source: community.glowforge.com/t/lines-per-inch-on-anodized-aluminum/27972 + community.glowforge.com/t/settings-for-anodized-aluminum/122071

Great contrast on bamboo. Popular for personalised kitchen gifts. Glowforge's enclosed bed handles cutting boards well.

Proofgrade Draftboard equivalent settings. Full power, consistent single pass. MDF fumes — ensure Glowforge filter or external venting.

Bright white engrave on slate. Invert image in Glowforge App. Wipe surface with damp cloth after.

Rich dark engrave on veg-tan. Proofgrade Leather settings. Good for personalised goods and accessories.

Proofgrade Medium Clear Acrylic — full power single pass. Flame-polished edge. Remove protective film before cutting.

Thicker plywood. Occasional voids in core may require a 2nd pass. Drop to 150 speed if not cutting cleanly through.

1000 speed / 75 power / 270 LPI. Good detail engrave for fills and graphics. Plus handles longer jobs without thermal throttling.

Proofgrade Medium Basswood settings. Clean single pass. Glowforge speed units = 1–500. Plus model has better cooling for extended production runs vs Basic.

Single pass clean cut. Glowforge has great leather cutting results. Keep masking on surface to prevent smoke marks.

Glowforge settings use their own speed scale. This is approx equivalent to medium engrave setting. Very even result. Great for photos.

What materials can the Glowforge Plus engrave or cut?

The Glowforge Plus has community-tested settings for 3mm Mirrored Acrylic, 3mm Clear Acrylic (Cast), 3mm Maple Plywood, Rubber Stamp Material, 6mm MDF, 3mm Walnut Plywood, Ceramic Tile, Kraft Paper, and 38 more. Results vary by material batch, focus, and ambient conditions — always test on scrap first.

What settings should I use to cut Rubber Stamp Material on the Glowforge Plus?

A community-tested starting point is speed 12 mm/s, power 75% in a single pass. Always run a test cut on scrap to confirm before committing to your project.

What can a CO₂ laser like the Glowforge Plus cut that a diode laser cannot?

CO₂ lasers can cut and engrave clear acrylic, glass (with care), fabric, and thicker wood more cleanly than diode lasers, because the CO₂ wavelength is absorbed by materials that are transparent to diode light. This makes the Glowforge Plus more versatile for craft and production use.