xTool M1 Settings & Speeds

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Kraft paper on xTool M1.

Cardstock on xTool M1 laser module. Blade module often gives cleaner cardstock cuts.

Paper on xTool M1. The M1 also has a blade module - consider blade for very clean paper cuts.

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 for stamp relief.

PU faux leather only. 2 passes.

Disable air assist.

Disable air assist.

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

Thick bamboo — engrave only.

2 passes at full power.

Easy cut for packaging cardboard.

Slate engraves well on 10W M1 diode. Good contrast results.

3mm plywood in 3 passes at full power on 10W M1.

Clear acrylic very challenging for 10W diode — 5+ passes, inconsistent results.

Cork cuts in one pass on M1 10W. No air assist.

Bamboo dense — 3 passes at full power on 10W M1.

10W M1 needs 3 passes for baltic birch. Air assist essential.

Cork 3mm on xTool M1 10W diode. No air assist.

Tape or wet paper towel over glass surface to reduce micro-fractures

Hardwood needs many passes; air assist essential

Hardwood needs many passes; air assist essential

BLADE CUT ONLY — do not use laser on vinyl/HTV (toxic fumes from PVC). In XCS select 'Blade Cut' and select 'PU Heat Transfer Vinyl' or 'Adhesive Vinyl' from material library. Official xTool recommended settings: pressure 320g, speed 80mm/s, 1 pass for standard HTV. For printable HTV: pressure 85g, speed 80mm/s, 1 pass for outline cut. Place HTV shiny-side-down on cutting mat; mirror your design before cutting. Use fine-point blade. Source: xTool official HTV cutting guide (xtool.com/blogs/how-to/cut-iron-on-vinyl); Creative Ramblings vinyl cutting with M1 (creativeramblingsblog.com); Silhouette School M1 vinyl cut guide; Alanda Craft HTV with M1.

Leather needs moderate power and moderate-to-high speed to avoid burning. Community-confirmed range: power 20–60%, speed 60–80mm/s, 1 pass. ShawnMosch M1 guide documents power ~20% at 80mm/s for light surface mark on patches; Keeping It Simple Crafts used power 60% for a deeper engrave on thick genuine leather. Start at 40% power / 70mm/s and adjust — leather type (veg-tan vs chrome-tan) significantly affects results. Veg-tan takes deeper marks; chrome-tan burns faster. Do NOT use air assist for leather engraving (spreads char into the grain). Source: ShawnMosch xTool M1 laser engraving settings (shawnmosch.com/laser-engraving-settings/); Keeping It Simple Crafts leather logo guide (keepingitsimplecrafts.com); xTool leather laser engraving guide.

Blade cut mode — laser is NOT used for cardstock cutting on the M1 (fire risk with paper). Use the fine-point blade (not the standard blade; fine-point is rated for materials up to 1.5mm). In XCS select 'Blade Cut' and choose cardstock from the material library — the software auto-populates cut pressure ~300g and speed ~80mm/s. One community user confirmed pressure 300g / speed 80mm/s successfully cuts cardstock. For heavier cardstock (300 gsm+) increase pressure to 350–380g. Use the cutting mat; mirror your design if needed. Source: xTool support article 'Use the Cutting Blade to Process Materials with xTool M1' (support.xtool.com/article/1817); xTool community support thread M1 220gr cardstock (support.xtool.com/community-support/detail/3842); Creative Ramblings M1 vinyl cutting guide.

Community-established baseline for M1 10W on 3mm MDF: 100% power, 4mm/s, typically 2–3 passes depending on MDF density and glue content. Air assist strongly recommended — reduces char, clears smoke from kerf, and improves cut-through. The Gadgeteer M1 review noted 4mm/s as the typical cut speed vs 13mm/s on the 40W S1. Without air assist expect 3 passes minimum; with air assist 2 passes often sufficient. Always use honeycomb table to allow air through the cut. Source: xTool MDF laser cutting guide (xtool.com/blogs/xtool-academy/laser-cut-mdf); The Gadgeteer M1 review; xTool support community cut settings thread.

Settings confirmed by an M1 10W user in the xTool community support thread for photo engraving on slate coasters (support.xtool.com/community-support/detail/8197). Power 30%, Speed 180mm/s, 1 pass. Low power + high speed produces best contrast on slate — going darker tends to over-ablate and lose detail. For vector/line art you can push to 50% power at 150mm/s. Source: xTool community support (M1 10w engraving photo on slate / rock coaster); ShawnMosch M1 settings; xTool official slate coaster guide.

Diode lasers cannot engrave clear/transparent acrylic — the 450nm wavelength passes straight through. Use tinted or opaque acrylic only. At 100% power / 60mm/s / 1 pass, community users report clean surface engraving on colored xTool acrylic sheets. Reduce speed to 40mm/s for deeper bite. Air assist not recommended for engraving acrylic (can cause flare-up on thin material). Source: xTool official acrylic engraving guide (xtool.com/blogs/xtool-academy/acrylic-engraving); Pigskins & Pigtails M1 acrylic review; ShawnMosch M1 settings guide.

Works well on black anodized dog tags and business cards.

Easy cut for packaging cardboard.

Dark engrave, sharp detail. Test power — leather varies widely by tannage.

Good detail engrave for the 10W module.

10W module needs 3 passes. Ensure material is flat to the bed.

M1 enclosed design makes leather engraving much more pleasant — no smoke smell. Same settings as D1 Pro.

xTool M1 settings in XCS. Enclosed machine so smoke management is better. Same settings as D1 Pro as laser module is equivalent.

What materials can the xTool M1 engrave or cut?

The xTool M1 has community-tested settings for Kraft Paper, Cardstock, Paper, 3mm Mirrored Acrylic, 3mm Clear Acrylic (Cast), 3mm Maple Plywood, Rubber Stamp Material, Faux Leather, and 31 more. Results vary by material batch, focus, and ambient conditions — always test on scrap first.

What is the work area of the xTool M1?

The xTool M1 has a work area of 300×300 mm (approximately 12×12 inches).

What settings should I use to cut Kraft Paper on the xTool M1?

A community-tested starting point is speed 1000 mm/min, power 55% in a single pass. Always run a test cut on scrap to confirm before committing to your project.

Can the xTool M1 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.