Laser Cutting Materials Guide

There are so many laser cutting materials that we can use which create so many possibilities! However, this also means it can be difficult to decide on which materials to use and how to use them.

Every material reacts differently under a laser and you should be prepared. Knowing what to expect will ensure your safety while laser cutting.

Serious Note: Never laser cut anything without doing extensive research on the material first, as some materials (especially plastics) can release harmful gasses.

Laser Cutter Power and Speed

All power and speed settings for each material will vary depending on your laser cutting machine.

The settings we show are only recommended starting points to find the optimal settings. Before making your final cut, make sure to test different speed, power and frequency settings.

Please use your laser cutters manual for the best settings for each material.

Safe Laser Cutting Materials

Woods

Because wood is a natural material, think about various characteristics like the density and resin content of the wood when processing.

Woods that are oily/resinous are more likely to catch fire.

List of Woods That Are Safe to Cut

Material	Laser power	Speed	Notes
Hard wood	High	Low	Makes dark engravings.
Soft wood	Low	High	Can be engraved and cut quickly. Makes light engravings.
Plywood	High	High	May contain glue that prevents good cuts. Use plywood that is made specifically for laser cutting.
MDF	Medium	Low	May char a lot when cutting. Contains a lot of glue so avoid fumes.
Paper/cardstock	Very low	High	Different types of paper and card stock react differently. Trial and error is best to find the right power setting.
Cardboard	Low	High	Flimsy but great for testing and prototyping. Make sure it's held down.
Veneer	Test	Test	Veneers have similar properties of the wood it's made from. Test to find the optimal speed and power settings.

What is the Best Wood For Laser Cutting?

The best wood for laser cutting depends on your goal.

Cardboard

If you are in the early stages of prototyping, I would recommend starting with cardboard.

Cardboard is cheap, easy to cut and easy to come by. It can also be engraved on. I wouldn’t recommend it for later stages of prototyping or a final product, however.

Plywood

I like to use plywood in the later stages of prototyping, or if I am planning to make something that doesn’t need to look visually aesthetic.

Plywood is stronger than cardboard and it is still easy to cut, but it’s not as cheap or easy to find.

Plastics

Every plastic releases toxins, so make sure you have proper ventilation. Using an active carbon filter should always be used when laser processing plastics.

Vynil type plastics are especially dangerous because they release fumes that are known to make people faint.

List of Plastics That Are Safe to Cut

Material	Power	Speed	Notes
Acrylic	Medium	Low	Best and most popular plastic used for lasercutting.
Polycarbonate Sheeting	High	High	Stronger than acrylic, but not easy to use. Use acrylic instead if you can.
Derlin	Low	Low	Commonly used to make gears. Releases fumes and could catch fire.
Kapton tape	Medium	Medium	Commonly uesd for for solder masks.
Teflon	High	Medium	Must have a good air filter system becuase teflon is toxic. Telfon also corrode your lens.
Mylar	Low	High	Used to make stencils.
Depron foam	Low	High	Commonly used to make model aircrafts and other toys. As with all foams, watch for flames.
Foamcore	Low	High	The cardboard of wood lasercutting. Foamcore is used usually for temporary displays or mockups.
Gatorboard	Low	High	Similar to Foamcore but more durable and more expensive.

Best Plastics For Laser Cutting

Acrylic (Plexiglas, Lucite, PMMA)

Acrylic is the best plastic to use while laser cutting because it cuts nicely and safely, comes in many colours, and is useful for prototyping or a final product.

Most places that have laser cutters will use acrylic.

Foams

There are so many great uses for different types of foams. They are lightweight and cheap, which makes it good for prototyping, signs, and models.

My favourite use for it is laser cutting case inserts.

Laser Cutting Foam

Laser cutting foam is usually not recommended, but it can be done. The problem with foam is that it melts easily and can catch fire, so it must always be watched. A lot of toxic fumes are also released.

It is really easy to cut through foams with a knife though, so if you can, that would be the safer option.

Other Materials You Can Laser Cut

Materials	Power	Speed	Info
Leather	Medium	Low	Only cut real untreated leather. Other types release toxic chemicals when lasered.
Cloth/felt/hemp/cotton	Low	High	These materials are easy and cut well.
Magnet Sheet	Medium	Medium	Make sure the sheet is not coated in PVC as it could damage your cutter.
Rubber	High	Low	Use rubber made for laser cutting that contain no chlorine.
Thin carbon fiber mats.	Medium	Very low	Only carbon fibre mats without epoxy coating can be cut.

Laser Cutting Materials You Should Not Use

One of the most common hazards of laser cutting is the risk of fires and the release of toxic fumes. A lot of materials are also highly flammable or melt. Be careful not to use these.

List of Materials Not to Laser Cut

Material	Notes
Coniferous woods	Uneven grain structure with soft and hard areas. Hard to find good power setting.
Oily/resinous woods	May catch fire.
ABS	Emits dangerous cyanide gas and melts. It's safe to 3D print but not to laser cut.
PVC	Emits pure chlorine gas which will ruins optics and corrode metal of the machine.
Thick Polycarbonate	Cuts poorly and could catch fire.
HDPE	Melts and catches fire.
Polystyrene foam	Melts and very liekly to cause fire
PolyPropylene foam	Melts and catches fire
Fiberglass	Emits fumes. Epoxy releases toxic fumes.
Coated carbon fiber	Cannot cut when coated.
Glass	Generally doesn't cut well without special lasercutters.
Stone	Cannot be cut with lasers.

If you’re going to be cutting or engraving items around the house, make sure you know exactly what the material is beforehand.

Can You Laser Cut or Engrave Metal?

Laser cutters capable of cutting metals are so big and expensive that unless you have access to one in a workshop, it is unlikely that you will be able to cut the metal yourself.

Common laser cutters that hobbyists use cannot cut metal, but you can send your files to a laser cutting service.

Cut or Etch?

All of the materials that you can laser cut can be laser etched or engraved. You can also etch on some materials that you can’t cut such as:

• Glass (flat for best results)
• Ceramic tiles
• Painted/coated metals
• Stone

Finding The Best Laser Cutting Settings

Why You Should Find The Optimal Settings

Most materials will have optimal speed and power when used on your machine. Using those settings will make a clean, smooth cut in most cases.

Not using the optimal settings could lead to charred or bent edges. Even worse, too much power on certain materials could create flames.

How To Find The Optimal Settings

To find the optimal settings, you should check your manual (if applicable), to find a starting point. You can also use my recommendations.

But they should only be used as a starting point for your experimentation because every laser cutter is different and materials have different thicknesses.

Check this article for the next steps on how to quickly find the optimal settings.

Conclusion

Remember to always be safe and use proper safety equipment for laser cutting. It is highly rewarding as long as you are protected from the possible hazards.

Did we miss anything in our lists? Let us know in the comments below!