Anodized Aluminum

Finer DPI anodized aluminum pass for text and logo detail on CO2. Avoid over-powering which burns through anodize to bare metal.

CO2 engraves anodized aluminum by removing the dye layer. Bare aluminum requires Cermark — anodized surfaces work directly.

Finer DPI anodized aluminum pass for text and logo detail on CO2. Avoid over-powering which burns through anodize to bare metal.

CO2 engraves anodized aluminum by removing the dye layer. Bare aluminum requires Cermark — anodized surfaces work directly.

Finer DPI anodized aluminum pass for text and logo detail on CO2. Avoid over-powering which burns through anodize to bare metal.

CO2 engraves anodized aluminum by removing the dye layer. Bare aluminum requires Cermark — anodized surfaces work directly.

Finer DPI anodized aluminum pass for text and logo detail on CO2. Avoid over-powering which burns through anodize to bare metal.

CO2 engraves anodized aluminum by removing the dye layer. Bare aluminum requires Cermark — anodized surfaces work directly.

Finer DPI anodized aluminum pass for text and logo detail on CO2. Avoid over-powering which burns through anodize to bare metal.

CO2 engraves anodized aluminum by removing the dye layer. Bare aluminum requires Cermark — anodized surfaces work directly.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Works on black anodized. 10W gives lighter mark than 20W+ machines.

Black anodized tags. Clean legible engrave.

Works on black anodized. Results vary by coating thickness.

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

Removes anodized coating. Works best on black anodized. Silver/gold anodize needs higher power.

UV can mark anodized aluminum. Useful for mixed-material batch jobs.

12W diode can mark anodized. Not fiber quality but readable.

Diode can mark anodized aluminum. Not as clean as fiber.

Use LP4 preset for anodized. White mark at galvo speed.

UV on anodized gives clean mark. Useful if fiber head not available.

Galvo speed allows 3000mm/s. High power % needed at 2W for good mark.

MOPA pulse control gives very crisp white on black anodized.

Extra power allows faster speed. Crisp white result.

Clean white reveal on black anodized. 500 DPI for fine detail.

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Equivalent to ~350mm/s. CO2 removes anodized layer only — not bare metal. From LightBurn forum (forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/is-it-possible-to-engrave-aluminum-parameters/28508): recommendation is max speed at 70–85% power for CO2 ≥80W. DPI: 300–500 LPI. Black/dark anodizing produces highest contrast. Test with a grid at varying speeds/powers first.

Equivalent to ~330mm/s. CO2 at 10.6µm ablates the anodized dye layer — does NOT mark bare aluminum. Starting point from LightBurn forum (forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/is-it-possible-to-engrave-aluminum-parameters/28508) and CNCSourced guide. Run at max speed the machine can handle at 70–80% power. DPI: 300–500 LPI. Results vary significantly by anodizing color/thickness — always run a test strip. Light blue/black anodizing responds best.

Anodized aluminum is one of the best materials for the F1 2W — coating ablates cleanly at relatively high speed. The F1 Ultra (20W fiber) uses 2000mm/s at 75% for green anodize; 2W F1 needs lower speed and max power. xTool machinesformakers.com F1 Ultra anodize data scaled conservatively for 2W. | Freq: 50kHz, line interval: 0.05mm

White mark result on colored anodize. Short pulse (4 ns) + high frequency prevents burning. 30W reference from barchlaser.com MOPA aluminum + white aluminum setting (100% / 2000mm/s / 55kHz) adapted for mark-not-cut. | Freq: 55kHz, pulse: 4ns, line interval: 0.05mm

MOPA short pulse (4–20 ns) at high frequency ablates anodize without burning base aluminum. High speed avoids heat buildup. Based on barchlaser.com MOPA aluminum black settings and heatsign.com MOPA anodized aluminum guide. | Freq: 60kHz, pulse: 4ns, line interval: 0.05mm

Epilog Zing Material Settings PDF (official): anodized aluminum engraves at high speed, low power. 100% speed / 30% power / 500 DPI is a recommended starting point from Epilog documentation — anodized aluminum needs far less power than wood. Text is sharpest at 500 DPI; 400 DPI also acceptable. Speed expressed as Epilog percentage (1–100). Source: epiloglaser.com/assets/downloads/zing-material-settings.pdf + epiloglaser.com/support/material-settings

100W CO2 — far less power needed than for cutting. thunderlaserusa.com blog on metal engraving recommends high speed + low power to avoid burning through the anodize layer. 400 mm/s at 15% power is consistent with the general CO2 principle: scale speed up and power down as wattage increases above 60W. Background engraving examples at 500 speed / 20–40% power also noted. Source: thunderlaserusa.com/blog/how-to-engrave-on-metal-with-a-thunder-laser-nova-35 + microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/wiki/doku.php?id=thunderlaser_nova35

NEJE 3 Max with A40640 module (dual-beam, ~10–15W output). Community and product documentation confirm anodized aluminum as a supported surface engrave material. 4000 mm/min at 100% power is consistent with other 20–30W diode machines at this wattage class. NEJE wiki and LightBurn material chart reference. Source: neje.wiki/doku.php?id=neje_3_max + forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/material-settings-chart/94292

33W diode; scale up from S9 baseline — community recommends staying under 85–90% max power to preserve tube life. 3000–4000 mm/min at 85% power produces clean marks on black anodize. S30 Pro has built-in auto air assist (LightBurn controlled). Source: forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/i-can-use-a-little-guidance-with-new-sculpfun-s30-pro/109853 + sculpfun.com/blogs/news/settings-guide

Sculpfun official settings guide and LightBurn forum: 10W diode on anodized aluminum starts at 1000–2000 mm/min, 80–100% power. 1500 mm/min at 100% is a reliable midpoint. Black anodize marks well; lighter colors need slower speed or extra pass. Dynamic power mode in LightBurn recommended. Source: sculpfun.com/blogs/news/settings-guide + forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/sculpfun-s9-engraving-cutting-settings/64039

Ortur's own capacity test and community data: anodized/painted aluminum at 5000 mm/min, 100% power gives good contrast with shiny finish after wiping. Machine max is 20,000 mm/min. For finer detail reduce speed to 3000–4000 mm/min. Source: ortur.net/blogs/ortur-blog-center/ortur-laser-master-3-20w-engraving-and-cutting-capacity-test + forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/material-test-generator-setting-for-ortur-lm3-20w/106304

xTool EasySet library and community guides: 20W diode on anodized aluminum at 4000 mm/min, 100% power, 1 pass. The 455 nm blue diode can ablate the anodize dye layer cleanly. Black anodize gives highest contrast. Clear/natural anodize is very difficult without marking spray. Air assist recommended to clear debris. Source: easyset.xtool.com (D1 Pro collection) + xtool.com/blogs/xtool-academy/aluminum-laser-engraving + cncsourced.com/guides/laser-engraving-anodized-aluminum-etching

LightBurn forum: K40 users report 250–300 mm/s at 8–9.5 mA (roughly 20–25% of a 40W tube) for anodized aluminum raster engrave. K40 Whisperer equivalent is ~6–8 mA on the dial. Black anodize works well; violet/purple anodize may not absorb the 10.6µm wavelength cleanly. Stock K40 typically has no air assist. Source: forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/engraving-anodized-type-ii-aluminum-k40-laser/38334 + funinthefalls.gitlab.io/k40/cats/Materials%20and%20settings

Monport 40W CO2 is mechanically similar to K40-class and OMTech 40W machines; apply the same baseline: 200 mm/s, 20% power, 0.08 mm line interval in LightBurn. Machine top speed is ~350 mm/s. Air assist built-in. Source: monportlaser.com/blogs/40w-lightburn-ready-co2-laser-engraver + cncsourced.com/guides/laser-engraving-anodized-aluminum-etching

OMTech official documentation for 60W (Pronto series): 200–250 mm/s, 18% power, 0.08 mm line interval. Higher wattage allows faster speed at same or lower power vs 40W. Black anodize preferred; clear anodize typically needs marking spray with CO2. Source: help.omtech.com/en/training-center/metal-processing + omtech.com/blogs/tips/how-to-engrave-metal-with-co2-laser

OMTech Help Center recommends 200 mm/s, ~18–20% power, 0.08 mm line interval for coated/anodized metals on their 40–60W CO2 machines. Start at 20% and reduce if the anodize burns through or flakes. Source: help.omtech.com/en/training-center/metal-processing

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

Same baseline as Basic (both 40–45W CO2); Pro's extra 5W gives slightly more headroom — can push speed to 600 mm/min on black anodize. Full power, 340 LPI recommended. Source: community.glowforge.com/t/settings-for-engraving-anodized-aluminum/25585 + community.glowforge.com/t/solved-help-with-anodized-and-powder-coated-aluminum/36181

Community consensus from Glowforge Owners Forum: speed 1000 (GF units) ≈ 500 mm/min, full power, 340 LPI. Black anodize engraves cleanly; lighter anodize may need a second pass. Some users defocus slightly for darker marks. Source: community.glowforge.com/t/settings-for-engraving-anodized-aluminum/25585

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.

Creality Falcon2 22W official wiki (wiki.creality.com/en/laser-engraver/falcon2/22W-recommended-parameters) and Scribd 661034488: 80% power, 800 mm/min, 1 pass for 3mm anodized aluminum engrave. LightBurn forum (t=152427) and golasergo.com review both confirm 22W can mark anodized aluminum cleanly at these settings. eu.crealityfalcon.com aluminum engraving guide notes anodized aluminum is markable at lower power than raw aluminum.

Creality 10W official parameters (Scribd 651622034) list anodized aluminum at 100% power, 200 mm/min, 1 pass for 10W. LightBurn forum (forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/eangrave-i-computer-lid-anodicized-alu/152427) reports Falcon 10W successfully etching anodized aluminum. The 5W has limited ability to mark anodized aluminum — community notes suggest 100% power at 400–600 mm/min; results are faint compared to 10W+. Rated lower confidence as 5W is marginal for this material.

A20 Pro shares identical 20W optical output with X20 Pro; same community settings apply. Atomstack officially lists 'aluminum oxide' as an engravable material for both machines. Source: forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/need-some-speed-power-settings-for-atomstack-a20-pro/107898 and general 20W diode community guidance at lahobbyguy.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=33.

Community-sourced from LA Hobby Guy / LightBurn forum discussions. Atomstack X20 Pro user reported 4000mm/min at 55% power giving good results on anodized aluminum — low power + fast speed gives cleaner marks vs. high power + slow speed which digs in and looks rough. Source: diode laser community consensus at lahobbyguy.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=33 and forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/diode-laser-speed-and-power-guide/43192. Diode lasers ablate the anodized coating only; they do not mark bare aluminum.

Removes anodising at 85%. At 6W it's slower than higher-power machines but the result is the same — bare aluminium revealed cleanly. No coating needed. Good for occasional dog tags and keyrings, but not fast enough for high-volume tumbler production.

Strips anodising cleanly in one fast pass. No coating needed. The 33W module handles anodised aluminium quickly — batch dog tags or branded accessories efficiently. Use the P2's array feature in LightBurn to fill the bed with items for each run.

Removes anodising cleanly. No Cermark needed on anodised aluminium — the diode wavelength strips the layer efficiently. Great for dog tags, tumblers, and keyrings. Use a rotary attachment for cylindrical pieces.

Removes anodising to reveal bare aluminium. At 5W results are good but slower than a higher-power machine. No coating needed on anodised aluminium. Dog tags and small anodised pieces work well. For tumblers the Ray5 is too slow for production use but fine for occasional personal projects.

Removes the anodised layer to reveal bright aluminium. No coating needed — diode lasers remove anodising cleanly. Great for dog tags, tumblers, and branded accessories. Use a rotary attachment for cylindrical items like tumblers.

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.

Removes anodising to reveal bright bare aluminium. Exceptionally fast on anodised aluminium — the contrast is excellent on coloured anodised blanks. Works on all colours. Great for dog tags, tumblers, and phone cases.

Diode lasers remove the anodised layer cleanly, revealing bare silver aluminium underneath. High contrast on black or coloured anodised blanks. Works well for dog tags, tumblers, and phone cases. No Cermark needed on anodised aluminium.

Clean mark on black anodized dog tags, keychains, and small signs. Increase to 75% for lighter anodize colours.

High contrast removal of anodize coating. Works on all anodize colours. 33W gives good throughput for batch production.

Removes anodize coating — bright contrast on black anodized dog tags and keychains. Fast and portable.

High contrast removal of anodize coating. Works on all anodize colours. Fast throughput makes 40W ideal for batch production.

Works on black anodized. Clean legible mark. Increase power to 75% for lighter anodize colours.

Removes anodized coating — reveals bare metal underneath. High contrast result. Wipe with microfiber cloth after to reveal detail. Works best on black anodized; gold/silver anodize may need more power. Does NOT work on bare (non-anodized) aluminum.

High contrast removal of anodizing. Fast throughput at 30W. Works on all anodize colours.

Removes anodizing to reveal bare aluminum. High contrast. Works on all anodized colours.

Works well on black anodized dog tags and business cards.

What are the best laser settings for Anodized Aluminum?

A top-rated community setting for Anodized Aluminum on the Glowforge Pro is speed 250 mm/s, power 40%. There are 97 community-tested settings for Anodized Aluminum across 57 machines on this page.

Can a diode laser engrave or cut Anodized Aluminum?

Yes — there are 48 community settings for Anodized Aluminum on diode lasers and 30 on CO₂ lasers. CO₂ lasers generally cut faster and cleaner, but modern high-wattage diode lasers handle most metal work well.

Do I need air assist for Anodized Aluminum?

9% of the community settings for Anodized Aluminum use air assist. Air assist is optional for most operations but can improve edge quality on cuts.

Do I need a fiber laser for Anodized Aluminum?

Fiber lasers can mark Anodized Aluminum directly without any coating. There are 15 fiber laser settings on this page. Diode and CO₂ lasers may require a marking compound (like Cermark) to achieve a visible result on bare metal.