Very low power for clean tape cutting. Great for custom tape shapes and stickers. Leave tape on its backing — cut through tape only, not backing.

4mm is at the limit for 10W diode. Results vary depending on glue content. Consider 20W for anything over 3mm regularly.

Cork cuts cleanly and easily. Good for trivets, mats, stamps, and decorative pieces. Very forgiving material.

Slightly more power needed for silver anodizing vs black. Result is a dark mark on silver surface. Good contrast.

Suede is delicate — very easy to over-burn. Start lower than you think. Result depends heavily on suede quality and thickness. Always test.

Engrave on the BACK of mirrored acrylic for best results — protects the mirror coating. Design must be mirrored in LightBurn before engraving.

Poplar ply is cheaper than birch and cuts similarly. Grain is less attractive but fine for functional pieces and jigs.

Very low power for surface marking without cutting through. Good for personalising notebooks and journals.

Paper cuts cleanly at low power. Great for wedding invites, ornate cut-outs, stencils. Watch for fire — never leave unattended.

Very thin veneer needs very low power. Easy to burn through. High speed, low power. Beautiful result on cards and box lids.

HDF cuts cleaner than MDF with less smoke. Dark edges are normal. Good for jigs and templates.

HDF engraves with excellent detail — very consistent surface unlike plywood. Good cheap alternative to hardwood. Seal after with danish oil.

Two pass on white tile gives deeper, more permanent mark. Great for kitchen tiles and memorial markers. Seal with clear lacquer after.

Paint tile with white Rustoleum first. Laser burns away white paint revealing dark tile. High contrast result. Let paint cure 48h before engraving.

Cedar is resinous but smells incredible when engraving. Good contrast. More oil than pine — can gum up lens over time. Clean lens regularly.

Alder is underrated for engraving. Fine grain, consistent burn, beautiful warm tone. Similar to basswood but more attractive grain.

Slightly slower than some slate settings but produces a very crisp, bright white result on 10W. The sweet spot for photo engraving on slate.

White opaque acrylic engraves darker than the base — creates good contrast. Good for signs and plaques.

2 passes cuts cleanly through 2-3mm veg tan. Seal edges with edge paint or beeswax after cutting for a professional finish.

Higher speed with more power for faster production runs. Slightly lighter result than s001 but much faster cycle time. Good for batch production.

Works on powder-coated tumblers — laser removes coating to reveal metal. Rotary attachment for even engraving. Test on bottom first.

Diode engraves glass surface but results are inconsistent. Mask with wet paper towel to reduce cracking. CO2 produces far better results on glass.

Very clean cut. Faster and lower power than EVA. Good for cosplay props and gaskets.

EVA foam cuts well but produces fumes — ventilate properly. Do NOT use PVC foam — releases chlorine gas. Check foam composition before lasering.

Cuts cleanly with slightly sealed edges from the heat. Wool felt performs better than acrylic felt. Don't use air assist — blows material around.

Very fast cut. Good for gift boxes, cards, templates. Never leave unattended — cardboard is a fire risk.

Cuts cleanly and quickly. Great for prototyping before cutting wood. Low power to avoid fire risk.

Higher DPI for crisp stamp detail. Air assist mandatory — rubber smoke is toxic, ventilate well. Invert your design for a stamp (dark areas become raised).

Diode lasers can cut opaque acrylic but CO2 is far better. 3mm in 3 passes usually. Edges melt slightly — sand if needed.

Diode lasers struggle with clear acrylic but work well on coloured/opaque cast. Black acrylic reveals a lighter frost. No air assist.

Pine is resinous — produces more smoke and can gum up lens. Air assist helps. Uneven grain creates inconsistent results. Not ideal for photos.

Beautiful warm contrast on cherry. Closed grain like maple. Smells amazing when engraving. Premium gift material.

Uniform grain, great contrast, consistent results. Popular for personalised gifts. Best seller material.

Open grain — looks uneven across grain. Normal and organic. Closed-grain woods (maple, cherry) give more uniform results.

Closed-grain hardwood — excellent for fine detail with great contrast. One of the best engraving woods.

Dark wood = lower contrast. Fill engraved areas with white chalk for contrast. Air assist reduces smoke staining.

Cork is very easy to over-burn. Lower power than you think. Lower DPI works fine. Good cheap test material.

Good dark contrast. Seal with lacquer after for a finished look.

Produces a lot of smoke — good ventilation essential. Great for jigs and templates. Edges will be dark.

Laser removes anodizing revealing bright silver underneath. Invert your design. Striking contrast.

Paint tile flat black first. Laser burns away paint to reveal white tile. Wipe with damp cloth after.

3 passes with air assist usually clears. Check glue knots with a weeding tool before removing. Kerf approx 0.15mm.

Good general setting. Glue layers may show as banding on cut edges — normal.

Faux leather varies hugely. Some patches have metallic layers needing even lower power. Always test first.

Lower power prevents burning through. Post-engrave: press adhesive tape on surface and peel to remove soot.

50-60% power on 20W. Bright white result, no coating needed. Invert your image in LightBurn.

Thick basswood needs patience. Air assist essential. Check after pass 3 — some boards cut through earlier depending on density.

Clean cut with air assist. Without air assist add a 3rd pass.

Clean mid-tone engrave, good contrast. Adjust power ±10% for lighter/darker.