xTool S1 Settings & Speeds

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Kraft paper cuts cleanly at low power. Great for packaging inserts and gift tags.

Score or engrave cardstock. Creates crisp fold lines.

Standard cardstock (80-100 lb). Single pass, clean cut. Works with LightBurn and xTool Creative Space.

Engrave/score paper. Very low power to avoid burning through.

Standard copy paper. Low power keeps edges clean. Ensure paper is flat.

Slower fine-detail ceramic tile pass. Suitable for photo engraving on tile with Cermark coating applied.

Ceramic tile direct engrave — diode can etch glazed surface. Results vary by glaze composition. Test first. Cermark improves contrast on polished tiles.

Cork cut — 2 passes at moderate speed. Pin or tape edges as cork is springy and can shift.

Cork engraves easily — keep power low or it chars heavily. Light pass gives a golden-brown mark.

Higher DPI tumbler pass for fine detail or photo on powder-coated stainless. Rotary required. Keep power moderate.

Powder-coated tumbler engraving — use rotary attachment. Low power to ablate coating without gouging metal. Test on a scrap tumbler first.

Plywood engrave pass for surface marking and score lines. Adjust DPI to 300+ for photo engraving.

Generic plywood cut — 2 passes for cleaner edge. Pin material flat to avoid shift between passes. Actual passes depend on plywood thickness and glue density.

Higher DPI for fine text and logos on anodized aluminum. Slower speed with lower power gives crisper edges.

Diode lasers mark anodized aluminum directly by ablating the dye layer. No coating needed. Keep power moderate to avoid overburning.

Slower pass for deeper Cermark bond on stainless. Multiple thin coats of spray gives better adhesion.

Apply Cermark or black Molybdenum spray before engraving. Wash residue with water after. Without coating, diode lasers cannot mark bare stainless steel.

Slower pass for finer detail on glass. Mask surface with wet tissue to improve result.

Glass engraving on diode — use masking tape or wet newspaper on surface to reduce micro-fracturing.

Higher speed with full power for faster throughput on marble tile engravings.

Marble ablates cleanly. Lower power than slate — start here and increase if mark is faint.

Higher DPI for fine detail and photo work on slate coasters.

Lower speed for denser ablation on dark slate. Wipe surface clean after engraving.

Very low power to avoid burning through — washi tape is thin. No air assist. Pin sheet flat.

Very low power to avoid burning through — washi tape is thin. No air assist. Pin sheet flat.

500 DPI gives finer stamp detail. Deeper engrave = higher relief = crisper impression. Always test on scrap first.

Low power surface mark — too much power melts the surface.

EVA/craft foam cuts cleanly at low power — high power causes melting and edge fusing. No air assist. Ensure good ventilation.

Heavy cardstock — go fast and light to avoid charring. No air assist to prevent sheet lifting.

Heavy cardstock — go fast and light to avoid charring. No air assist to prevent sheet lifting.

9mm birch engraves cleanly. For deeper relief reduce speed or raise power.

9mm birch requires many passes on diode — CO2 is recommended at this thickness. Pin material flat. Air assist on all passes.

5mm plywood engraves well. Deeper relief: reduce speed or increase power slightly.

5mm plywood requires multiple passes on diode — pin material flat between passes. Air assist essential.

2mm basswood engraves with deep contrast. 300 DPI is the sweet spot — higher increases burn time significantly.

2mm basswood cuts in a single pass on most diode lasers. Air assist keeps the cut clean and reduces char.

Tinted acrylic engraves cleanly — pigment absorbs the beam well. Adjust power for contrast.

Tinted acrylic cuts cleaner than clear on diode lasers because the pigment absorbs the beam. Air assist prevents melt-back.

Ablates spray paint to reveal bare metal. Thinner than powder coat so needs less power. Reduce power if paint splatters. Clean with IPA first.

Ablates powder coat to expose bare metal. Clean with IPA first. Black powder coat gives highest contrast. No Cermark needed.

Ablates powder coat to reveal bare metal beneath. Works on powder coated panels, signs, and flat stock. Clean with IPA first. Black powder coat gives highest contrast. No Cermark needed — laser burns off the coating directly.

Engrave from the BACK side for a clean mirrored result.

Cast acrylic cuts cleaner than extruded.

Single pass, clean edge on walnut. Beautiful material for finished products.

Single pass at full power. Consistent results across whole sheet.

High contrast engrave. Works on black, blue, red anodized. Gold anodize needs more power.

Clean flame-polished edge on clear acrylic. Remove film before cutting.

Clean dark engrave on veg-tan leather. Reduce power for thinner hides.

Bright white engrave on black slate. Invert your image.

Single pass at full power. Clean edges.

6mm MDF needs 2 passes even at 40W. No framing issues noted.

Fast fill engrave. Reduce to 4000mm/min for photo-quality detail work.

Single pass clean cut. The 40W module makes quick work of 3mm. Air assist on.

Single clean pass. Sealed edges are a bonus of laser cutting.

Resinous wood — air assist prevents flare-up.

Single pass clean cut with air assist.

40W S1 cuts leather in 2 passes at 90%. Only use vegetable-tanned leather — chrome-tanned is toxic.

40W S1 cuts 3mm veg-tan leather in 2 passes. Strong ventilation essential.

Plywood quality varies. 2 passes at 85% handles most 3mm stock.

Diode lasers struggle with clear acrylic — 4+ passes at full power. Consider frosted or coloured acrylic instead.

Cork cuts easily. Keep speed up to avoid burning edges.

Engrave at moderate power. Ventilate well — leather produces strong fumes.

40W S1 cuts 3mm basswood cleanly in one pass with air assist.

Stainless steel at 40W diode. Use marking compound.

Cork sheet 3mm at 40W diode. Fast single pass.

Marble tile at 40W diode. Subtle frosted result.

Cotton fabric at 40W. Fast light engrave.

Foam board 5mm at 40W diode.

Bamboo 3mm at 40W diode. Harder than birch. 2 passes.

Chipboard 2mm at 40W diode. 2 passes.

Corrugated cardboard at 40W diode. 2 passes.

Rubber stamp at 40W diode. Deep engrave. Invert.

Denim engrave at 40W diode. Fast pass.

HTV vinyl at 40W. Very light touch, fast pass.

Faux leather at 40W diode. Fast clean cut.

Mylar 7.5mil at 40W. Minimal power needed.

EVA foam 6mm at 40W. No air assist. Ventilate well.

Felt at 40W diode. Very fast. Air assist on.

Copy paper 80gsm at 40W diode. Very fast, minimal power.

Cardstock 300gsm at 40W. Minimal power needed.

EVA foam cuts cleanly on the xTool S1 at 50% power. Low power to avoid melting too much foam at the cut edge. No air assist. EVA releases fumes when cut — use maximum ventilation or run outdoors. Great for cosplay, packaging inserts, and stamps.

Felt cuts cleanly on the S1 at moderate speed and power. Synthetic felt melts at edges slightly — wool felt gives cleaner results. No air assist to prevent blowing the material. Good for ornaments, patches, and embellishments.

Chipboard cuts very easily on the S1 — one fast pass. Great for packaging mockups, stencils, and prototyping. Clean edges. Keep air assist on to clear paper dust. The S1's speed at 65% handles chipboard effortlessly.

Cotton fabric cuts cleanly on the xTool S1 at moderate power. Keep air assist off to avoid blowing the fabric. Use a pin mat or honeycomb bed to hold the material flat. Slightly singed edges are normal — test your specific fabric weight first.

Bamboo cuts in 2 passes at full power on the S1. Harder than wood plywood — expect slightly more char on edges. Air assist is important. Bamboo sheets cut more predictably than solid bamboo stock. Consistent results.

Bamboo is a popular S1 material — harder than wood but the 40W module handles it well. 48% at 4000mm/min gives good contrast. The S1's enclosed workspace helps contain bamboo dust. Bamboo cutting boards, coasters, and utensils are ideal projects.

Cedar cuts easily in one pass at the S1's 40W output. Soft, consistent grain cooperates well. Strong aromatic smoke — ensure your ventilation is adequate. Beautiful reddish cut edges. Great for drawer liners, jewelry boxes, and aromatic ornaments.

Cedar engraves very easily on the S1 — softwood takes the 40W diode at low power. Rich contrast with beautiful reddish-brown tones. Very aromatic — run with maximum ventilation or outdoors. Lower power to 25% if marks are too dark on lighter cedar.

Alder cuts in 2 clean passes at full power. Medium hardness makes it more reliable than oak at 40W diode. Air assist helps with edge quality. Consistent results across the S1's large work area.

Alder's fine grain gives crisp engraving detail on the xTool S1. 42% at 4000mm/min produces consistent medium-brown marks. One of the cleanest-engraving hardwoods. Popular for awards, plaques, and gift items. Use LightBurn's bi-directional scan for speed.

Pine cuts cleanly in 1 pass at 40W — one of the easier softwoods for diode. The S1's air assist handles the resin smoke well. Check sheet flatness first. Fast single-pass cutting is one of the S1's strengths for softwoods.

Pine engraves fast on the S1 — softwood absorbs the diode well. 35% at 5000mm/min gives a warm medium-brown mark. Resin in pine produces a slightly glossy engrave. Ventilate well. Increase power to 50% for darker results.

Cherry cuts cleanly in 2 passes on the xTool S1. Less dense than oak so edges are cleaner. The S1's stiff frame and linear rails give consistent depth across the full cut. Air assist on. Wipe edges with IPA after for a clean finish.

Cherry engraves beautifully on the xTool S1 — tight grain and the right density for crisp detail. 40% at 4500mm/min gives a warm caramel color. Excellent for personalized boards, boxes, and signage. One of the best material choices for this machine.

Cutting oak at 40W diode requires 2 passes at full power. Air assist is critical for oak to prevent charring and manage smoke. The S1's built-in air assist helps. Results are decent but CO2 handles hardwoods better. Clean up cut edges with a fine brush.

xTool S1 40W handles oak engraving well. Dense grain requires moderate power for clean contrast. 4000mm/min at 45% gives a rich brown mark without burning. The S1's enclosed design helps contain the oak smoke. Use dynamic power mode in LightBurn.

Confirmed by multiple S1 40W reviewers: 90% power / 300mm/s / 1 pass / 100 lines/cm produces excellent results on slate coasters in approximately 6.5 minutes. This is a well-tested, widely-cited setting across the community. Higher speed (400mm/s) at same power produces lighter contrast. Use XCS 'Rock Coaster' preset as a starting reference. Air assist not required for slate. Source: 3DWithUs xTool S1 review (3dwithus.com/xtool-s1-review); xTool slate coaster engraving guide (xtool.com/blogs/how-to/engrave-a-slate-coaster); rufflesandrainboots.com laser engrave slate guide; Facebook xTool S1 40W slate coasters community post.

The 40W module requires much higher speed than lower-watt machines to avoid burning leather. Recommended community starting point: 40% power / 300mm/s / 1 pass for surface engraving on veg-tan. For chrome-tan or thinner leather, reduce power to 25–30%. For deeper engrave add a second pass rather than slowing down (prevents heat buildup). Brildor xTool leather guide recommends always running a test swatch and adjusting power in 5% increments. Do NOT use air assist for leather engraving. Source: Brildor xTool leather engraving parameters guide (brildor.com/blog/en/how-engrave-leather-xtool-parameters-tip/); xTool leather laser engraving guide (xtool.com/blogs/xtool-academy/leather-laser-engraving); 3DWithUs S1 settings.

Cardboard cuts very easily with the 40W S1. Community support threads and the xTool official cardboard guide suggest 80% power at 300mm/s cuts corrugated cleanly in 1 pass. For thinner chipboard/craft board (~1–2mm): 50% power at 400mm/s is sufficient. Air assist recommended to prevent scorching and flare-up on cardboard fibers. Adjust power down for single-ply cardstock and up for double-wall corrugated. Source: xTool laser cutting cardboard guide (xtool.com/blogs/xtool-academy/laser-cut-cardboard); xTool support community cutting speed/power thread (support.xtool.com/community-support/detail/1872); 3DWithUs S1 review material settings.

Blue 450nm diode lasers ablate the anodized oxide layer on aluminum, producing crisp, permanent marks. 3DWithUs review tested the S1 40W on anodized aluminum using the power/speed test grid and reported the 40W module at 60% power / 350mm/s produced clean contrast. For darker marks: reduce speed to 200mm/s or increase power to 80%. For tumblers (curved): use rotary + slower speed. Do NOT use air assist (can blow away oxide debris into lens). Note: raw/bare aluminum requires a fiber or CO2 laser; anodized only for diode. Source: 3DWithUs xTool S1 review and settings (3dwithus.com/xtool-s1-review); xTool aluminum engraving guide (xtool.com/blogs/xtool-academy/aluminum-laser-engraving); hobbylasercutters.com S1 review 2026.

The Gadgeteer's xTool S1 review confirmed 13mm/s at 100% power cuts 3mm MDF cleanly in 1 pass with significantly less soot/char than lower-power machines. Air assist is included with the S1 and should always be used for MDF cuts — reduces char and smoke contamination of the lens. Some users report 15mm/s possible with very clean MDF. Use honeycomb table. Source: The Gadgeteer xTool S1 40W review (the-gadgeteer.com/2023/10/18/xtool-s1-laser-engraver-and-cutter-review); xTool MDF laser cutting guide (xtool.com/blogs/xtool-academy/laser-cut-mdf); LA Hobby Guy xTool S1 settings thread (lahobbyguy.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6852).

Cardboard cuts instantly at very low power. Keep power down — even at 25% the 40W module is more than enough. Good for prototyping designs before cutting real materials. The S1 camera makes it easy to use the full bed space on large sheets.

6mm MDF in one pass at 88%. MDF fumes contain formaldehyde from the binders — run full extraction even with the enclosed S1 lid. Edges will have some char; sand lightly if painting. The enclosed design helps with fume management compared to open-frame machines.

Walnut is denser than basswood — 70% and 300mm/min cuts through cleanly. The natural dark grain means minimal visible char on cut edges. Beautiful for personalised gifts and premium products. The 40W easily handles walnut in one pass where a 20W might need two.

Removes powder coat in one pass to reveal bare metal. Use a rotary attachment and ensure the wrap template matches your tumbler diameter. The enclosed S1 keeps fumes contained when engraving coated tumblers. Clean with IPA before marking.

Crisp white engrave on slate. Invert your image so engraved areas appear light. Wipe with a damp cloth after to reveal full contrast. The S1's camera makes it easy to align artwork on irregularly shaped slate pieces.

Fast and light — leather burns easily at 40W so keep power low. 30% at 6000mm/min gives a rich dark mark on vegetable-tanned leather without going through. For photo portraits on leather, drop to 254 DPI and use Newsprint dithering.

Baltic birch cuts cleanly at 65%. The void-free core means consistent results across the whole sheet — no mid-cut failures from internal voids. The tight grain holds fine detail well. Good for jig templates and production parts.

Very fast raster engrave at 8000mm/min. The 40W module at 35% gives a clean warm mark without burning. For photo engraving drop DPI to 254 and use LightBurn Stucki dithering. The S1's camera helps align artwork precisely on each piece.

6mm basswood in one pass — the 40W module handles this cleanly. Increase focus depth to the centre of the material (3mm). Air assist prevents flareup inside the deep kerf. Consistent results across the full sheet with the S1's enclosed design.

The 40W S1 cuts 3mm basswood in a single pass at 60% — significantly faster and cleaner than the 20W version. Air assist is built in and should always be on for cutting. Clean edges with very little char. Drop to 50% for pale woods to preserve colour.

HDF is dense — 2 passes even at 40W diode. Good for jigsaw puzzles, frames, and backing boards.

Deep clean relief. 500 DPI for fine detail. Invert image — white areas should be dark in file.

Fast clean engrave on bamboo. Good for personalised gifts.

Apply Cermark spray, let dry 5 min, laser, wash off. Permanent black mark.

Clean cut. No air assist needed for cork — can cause blowout.

What materials can the xTool S1 engrave or cut?

The xTool S1 has community-tested settings for Kraft Paper, Cardstock, Paper, Ceramic Tile, Cork, Coated Stainless Steel Tumbler, Plywood, Anodized Aluminum, and 68 more. Results vary by material batch, focus, and ambient conditions — always test on scrap first.

Is the xTool S1 compatible with LightBurn?

The xTool S1 uses xTool Creative Space. LightBurn compatibility may be possible via a community-built device profile.

What is the work area of the xTool S1?

The xTool S1 has a work area of 498×330 mm (approximately 20×13 inches).

What settings should I use to cut Kraft Paper on the xTool S1?

A community-tested starting point is speed 3000 mm/min, power 18% in a single pass. Always run a test cut on scrap to confirm before committing to your project.

Can the xTool S1 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.