What are good laser settings for wood?

It depends on the species and your machine. AtomStack’s diode fill (raster) engraving rows for pine, paulownia, mahogany, maple, beech and peach wood run 5,000–30,000 mm/min at 25–80 % power with a 0.08–0.1 mm interval — about 0.03–0.25 J/mm per line. Scale a row for the same species to your machine with the converter, then run a test grid.

What are good laser engraving settings for pine?

AtomStack’s diode pine fill (raster) engravings run 5,000–15,000 mm/min at 40–80 % with a 0.08–0.1 mm interval, about 0.05–0.17 J/mm per line; its 55 W CO2 engraves pine at 18,000 mm/min and 20 %. Pine’s grain and knots burn unevenly, so pick the most even box from a test that crosses a knot.

What is the best wood for laser engraving?

For contrast and detail, light fine-grained woods such as maple, birch and basswood. Walnut gives a subtler, darker result, open-grain oak and ash look textured, and pine is the least even because of grain variation, knots and resin (Thunder Laser).

How thick can a diode laser cut solid wood?

In AtomStack’s tables, the A20 Pro V2 (20 W) and A24 Pro / A24 Ultra (24 W) cut 12 mm pine and 15 mm paulownia in one slow pass (100–200 mm/min); the 20 W Kraft’s one-pass rows are 8 mm pine and 10 mm paulownia; and the 70 W A70 Max cuts 20 mm pine in one pass and 25 mm in 10 fast passes. These are maker values for their machines; see our “how thick can a laser cut” guide for every wattage.

Material · solid wood

Laser settings for wood: pine, maple, walnut and more

Solid wood has no glue lines, so the wood itself decides the result: density sets how much energy a cut takes, colour sets the contrast, and resin and knots decide how evenly it burns. Basswood has its own rows on the plywood page.

Walnut and maple boards with crisp, dark laser-engraved geometric patterns and a laser-cut edge

Safety first

Before you start Usually fine

Wood burns. Keep air assist on, clear scraps and dust out of the machine, and never leave it while it runs; keep an extinguisher within easy reach (Trotec).
Resin flares up. Resin-rich woods such as pine flare up more easily, and a few labs ban them (what not to laser cut). Resin varies within a board, especially around knots (Thunder Laser), and MatEdU warns that knots can flare up.
Know what is on it. Treated, painted or coated lumber is not plain wood. If you cannot find out what the treatment or finish is, do not laser it.
Run the exhaust. In a desktop CO2 test, carbon monoxide from wood reached 31.8 ppm inside the machine with the ventilation off and fell below detection with it on (O’Neill 2024). See the exhaust fan calculator.

Moving cross-section

What the beam does

Switch the material or laser and watch the same beam give a different result.

Maple · engravePine · engraveWalnut · engravePine 15 mm · cut

Blue diode ≈ 450 nm

Maple — pale, fine grain
Even dark burn

Pale, dense, fine-grained: the burn is even and dark against the light wood, so detail and contrast are strong. Maple may need more energy than soft wood (Thunder Laser).

Cross-section, not to scale.

Laser types

Which laser can process it

These are this material’s rows from our diode vs CO2 vs fiber matrix. (full matrix)

Blue diodeCuts & engraves

CO2Cuts & engraves

FiberNot suited

Not suited: it scorches wood rather than marking it cleanly.

Maker values

Maker settings on one scale

Every value is a starting point published by the maker, and the maker is the source; none of them were tested by us. Machines differ in optical power, so power % and speed are converted to the energy the beam puts into each millimetre of line (J/mm). Tap a point or a table row to see the original row, the math and a link that fills in the converter.

J/mm = optical W × power % × passes ÷ speed (mm/s) · J/mm² = J/mm ÷ line interval (mm)

This is the same formula as the converter. Between lasers of the same type, similar J/mm gives a similar burn. Cutting energy rises steeply with thickness, so compare rows of similar thickness.

Rows are AtomStack’s Pine, Paulownia, Mahogany, Maple / Hard maple, Beech and “Yellow peach wood” / “peach wood” (the table does not say which species that is), plus TwoTrees’ 7 mm pine. AtomStack’s “Hardwood” rows exist only for machines whose optical power we could not confirm, so they are left out. Basswood rows are on the plywood page. Rows with 8–10 passes at a high speed are the maker’s thick-stock method, not typos. The A40 Pro V2 LightBurn cuts carry S-values where a percentage belongs.

AllEngraveCut

▬ Half of Engrave rows: 0.048–0.096 J/mm▬ Half of Cut rows: 8–16 J/mmEngraveCutDiodeCO2Hollow = row that looks like a typoA40 Pro V2 is calculated at 48 W (the table does not say whether it is the 48 W or the 24 W setting).

131 rows
Software	Maker label · thickness	Job	Speed mm/min	Power	Interval	Passes	J/mm
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	5,000	50%	0.1	1	0.06	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 12mm	Cut	700	80%	—	8	5.49	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 8mm	Cut	190	80%	—	1	2.53	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	5,000	S500	0.1	1	0.06	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 12mm	Cut	700	S1000	—	8	6.86	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 8mm	Cut	190	S1000	—	1	3.16	Convert →
LightBurn	Yellow Peach Wood	Engrave	6,000	60%	0.1	1	0.06	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Yellow Peach Wood	Engrave	6,000	S600	0.1	1	0.06	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 6mm	Cut	100	80% ?	—	10	48	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 10mm	Cut	400	100%	—	10	15	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine	Engrave	6,000	S800	0.0833	1	0.08	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 6mm	Cut	100	S1000 ?	—	1	6	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 8mm	Cut	400	S1000	—	10	15	Convert →
LightBurn	Mahogany	Engrave	6,000	60%	0.08	1	0.06	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Mahogany	Engrave	6,000	S600	0.0833	1	0.06	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	20,000	80%	0.1	1	0.048	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 20mm	Cut	20,000	80% ?	—	10	0.48	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 15mm	Cut	150	100%	—	1	8	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	20,000	S800	0.1	1	0.048	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 20mm	Cut	800	S800	—	10	12	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 15mm	Cut	150	S1000	—	1	8	Convert →
LightBurn	Yellow Peach Wood	Engrave	10,000	80%	0.08	1	0.096	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Yellow Peach Wood	Engrave	10,000	80%	0.0833	1	0.096	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine	Engrave	10,000	80%	0.08	1	0.096	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 15mm	Cut	500	80%	—	10	19.2	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	100%	—	1	12	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine	Engrave	10,000	S800	0.0833	1	0.096	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 15mm	Cut	500	S800	—	10	19.2	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	S1000	—	1	12	Convert →
LightBurn	Mahogany	Engrave	10,000	70%	0.08	1	0.084	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Mahogany	Engrave	10,000	S700	0.0833	1	0.084	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine	Engrave	15,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	80%	—	1	11.5	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 18mm	Cut	650	80%	—	9	16	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine	Engrave	15,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	S800	—	1	11.5	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 18mm	Cut	650	S800	—	9	16	Convert →
LightBurn	peach wood	Engrave	20,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0576	Convert →
LaserGRBL	peach wood	Engrave	20,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0576	Convert →
LightBurn	Mahogany	Engrave	30,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0384	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Mahogany	Engrave	30,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0384	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	30,000	60%	0.1	1	0.0288	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 15mm	Cut	200	80%	—	1	5.76	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 18mm	Cut	1,000	80%	—	8	9.22	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	30,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0384	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 15mm	Cut	200	S800	—	1	5.76	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 18mm	Cut	1,000	S800	—	8	9.22	Convert →
LightBurn	maple	Engrave	15,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LaserGRBL	maple	Engrave	15,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine	Engrave	15,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	80%	—	1	11.5	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 18mm	Cut	650	80%	—	9	16	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine	Engrave	15,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	S800	—	1	11.5	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 18mm	Cut	650	S800	—	9	16	Convert →
LightBurn	peach wood	Engrave	20,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0576	Convert →
LaserGRBL	peach wood	Engrave	20,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0576	Convert →
LightBurn	Mahogany	Engrave	30,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0384	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Mahogany	Engrave	30,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0384	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	30,000	60%	0.1	1	0.0288	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 15mm	Cut	200	80%	—	1	5.76	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 18mm	Cut	1,000	80%	—	8	9.22	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	30,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0384	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 15mm	Cut	200	S800	—	1	5.76	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 18mm	Cut	1,000	S800	—	8	9.22	Convert →
LightBurn	maple	Engrave	15,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LaserGRBL	maple	Engrave	15,000	S800	0.1	1	0.0768	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 20mm	Cut	750	S700 ?	—	9	24.2	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 14mm	Cut	200	S800 ?	—	1	11.5	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	10,000	30%	0.1	1	0.0864	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 20mm	Cut	750	S700	—	9	24.2	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 14mm	Cut	200	S800	—	1	11.5	Convert →
LightBurn	Yellow Peach Wood	Engrave	10,000	50%	0.1	1	0.144	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Yellow Peach Wood	Engrave	10,000	50%	0.1	1	0.144	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 15mm	Cut	600	S800 ?	—	10	38.4	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	S800 ?	—	1	23	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine	Engrave	10,000	50%	0.1	1	0.144	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 15mm	Cut	600	S800	—	10	38.4	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 12mm	Cut	100	S800	—	1	23	Convert →
LightBurn	Yellow peach wood	Engrave	10,000	40%	0.1	1	0.168	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Yellow peach wood	Engrave	10,000	S400	0.1	1	0.168	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine	Engrave	10,000	40%	0.1	1	0.168	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 25	Cut	1,100	90%	—	10	34.4	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 20	Cut	120	90%	—	1	31.5	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine	Engrave	10,000	S400	0.1	1	0.168	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 25	Cut	1,100	S900	—	10	34.4	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Pine · 20	Cut	120	S900	—	1	31.5	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	10,000	25%	0.1	1	0.105	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 20	Cut	800	90%	—	2	9.45	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia Wood · 18	Cut	350	90%	—	1	10.8	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	10,000	S250	0.1	1	0.105	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 20	Cut	800	S900	—	2	9.45	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Paulownia Wood · 18	Cut	350	S900	—	1	10.8	Convert →
LightBurn	Hard maple	Engrave	10,000	60%	0.08	1	0.252	Convert →
LaserGRBL	Hard maple	Engrave	10,000	S600	0.0833	1	0.252	Convert →
Bitmap	Yellow peach wood	Engrave	18,000	20%	0.1	1	0.0367	Convert →
Vector Line	Yellow peach wood	Engrave	3,000	5%	—	1	0.055	Convert →
Bitmap	Pine	Engrave	18,000	20%	0.1	1	0.0367	Convert →
Vector Line	Pine	Engrave	3,500	5%	—	1	0.0471	Convert →
-	Pine · 14mm	Cut	100	80%	—	1	26.4	Convert →
-	Pine · 15mm	Cut	100	100%	—	1	33	Convert →
Bitmap	Paulownia wood	Engrave	15,000	45%	0.1	1	0.099	Convert →
Vector Line	Paulownia wood	Engrave	3,500	6%	—	1	0.0566	Convert →
-	Paulownia wood · 18mm	Cut	200	100%	—	1	16.5	Convert →
-	Paulownia wood · 14mm	Cut	300	80%	—	1	8.8	Convert →
-	Paulownia wood · 18mm	Cut	400	80%	—	2	13.2	Convert →
Bitmap	Yellow peach wood	Engrave	8,000	80%	0.08	1	0.03	Convert →
Vector Line	Yellow peach wood	Engrave	1,000	15%	—	1	0.045	Convert →
Bitmap	Pine	Engrave	5,000	80%	0.08	1	0.048	Convert →
Vector Line	Pine	Engrave	1,000	30%	—	1	0.09	Convert →
Bitmap	Paulownia wood	Engrave	8,000	80%	0.08	1	0.03	Convert →
Vector Line	Paulownia wood	Engrave	1,000	15%	—	1	0.045	Convert →
Bitmap	Beech	Engrave	8,000	80%	0.08	1	0.03	Convert →
Vector Line	Beech	Engrave	1,000	20%	—	1	0.06	Convert →
LightBurn	Pine · 4mm	Cut	100	80%	—	2	4.8	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia wood · 4mm	Cut	150	80%	—	1	1.6	Convert →
LightBurn	Paulownia wood · 7mm	Cut	150	80%	—	3	4.8	Convert →
Bitmap	Pine	Engrave	10,000	80%	0.1	1	0.096	Convert →
Vector Line	Pine	Engrave	1,000	15%	—	1	0.18	Convert →
-	Pine · 8mm	Cut	100	80%	—	1	9.6	Convert →
-	Pine · 12mm	Cut	300	80%	—	10	32	Convert →
Bitmap	peach wood	Engrave	20,000	80%	0.1	1	0.048	Convert →
Vector Line	peach wood	Engrave	1,000	10%	—	1	0.12	Convert →
Bitmap	Mahogany	Engrave	15,000	80%	0.1	1	0.064	Convert →
Vector Line	Mahogany	Engrave	500	8%	—	1	0.192	Convert →
Bitmap	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	25,000	80%	0.1	1	0.0384	Convert →
Vector Line	Paulownia Wood	Engrave	1,000	30%	—	1	0.36	Convert →
-	Paulownia wood · 10mm	Cut	100	80%	—	1	9.6	Convert →
-	Paulownia wood · 13mm	Cut	850	80%	—	10	11.3	Convert →
-	Pine 7.0 mm · 7mm	Cut	100	100%	—	2	6.6	Convert →
-	Pine 7.0 mm · 7mm	Cut	150	100%	—	1	4	Convert →

Which wood engraves best

Maple

Strongest contrast, fine detail; may need more energy

Walnut

Dark burn on dark wood: subtle

Oak

Open grain: more textured

Cherry

May darken over time

Pine

Grain variation, knots, resin: uneven

Paulownia

Light; cuts on less energy (maker rows)

Contrast and grain as Thunder Laser’s wood guide describes them; the paulownia note is from the AtomStack cut rows below. Swatch colours are schematic.

Thunder Laser’s wood guide sums up what changes between species. Light woods such as maple, birch and basswood give the strongest contrast; dark woods such as walnut give a subtler result. Fine-grained maple and birch suit small text and photos; open-grain oak and ash look more textured. Pine has strong grain variation and knots. Cherry may darken over time. Denser woods need more energy or slower speeds.

Basswood is the usual laser sheet, but AtomStack’s Basswood rows are on the plywood & basswood page, next to the glue question that decides plywood cuts.

Pine vs paulownia: energy per millimetre of cut

A20 Pro V2diode · ratio 0.53Pine 12 mm · 1Paulownia 15 mm · 0.53

A24 Prodiode · ratio 0.4Pine 12 mm · 0.96Paulownia 15 mm · 0.38

A24 Ultradiode · ratio 0.4Pine 12 mm · 0.96Paulownia 15 mm · 0.38

A40 Pro V2diode · ratio 0.43Pine 12 mm · 1.92Paulownia 14 mm · 0.82

A70 Maxdiode · ratio 0.38Pine 20 mm · 1.58Paulownia 18 mm · 0.6

HurricaneCO2 · ratio 0.33Pine 14 mm · 1.89Paulownia 14 mm · 0.63

Kraft (20 W diode)diode · ratio 0.8Pine 8 mm · 1.2Paulownia 10 mm · 0.96

J/mm ÷ thickness (J per mm of line, per mm of wood) for one-pass cuts, the lowest per machine. Calculated from AtomStack’s rows; the A40 Pro V2 is calculated at 48 W.

Divide a cut row’s J/mm by its thickness and you get the energy each millimetre of wood needed. Take every machine where AtomStack lists a one-pass cut for both pine and paulownia (the light wood called kiri in Japan): paulownia needed about a third to half the energy per millimetre on six of them, and 0.8 times on the Kraft. That is a calculation on the maker’s own rows, not a test — but it is why paulownia shows up in the tables at greater thickness and higher speed than pine on the same machine. For how thick each wattage cuts, see how thick can a laser cut.

Pine, resin and knots

Schematic of what Thunder Laser and MatEdU describe: grain variation and knots give dark patches; resin-rich knots can flare up.

Resin — sources split on which woods. Thunder Laser says pine and cedar carry more resin than maple, birch, cherry or alder, and that resin varies within a board, especially around knots (Thunder Laser). MatEdU instead names cherry and alder as higher-resin woods that burn to deeper tones and are more likely to catch fire (MatEdU). Either way, resin means more smoke and residue — test your own board.
Knots. MatEdU says knots are harder to cut, can stop a cut going through, and can flare up, scorching and darkening the surface. Keep air assist on and stay at the machine.
Uneven tone. Grain variation and knots give dark patches and uneven fine detail (Thunder Laser). Put a test across a knot, not only on clear wood.
Engraving rows. AtomStack’s diode pine fill (raster) engravings run 5,000–15,000 mm/min at 40–80 % with a 0.08–0.1 mm interval, about 0.05–0.17 J/mm per line.

Prep and finish

1 · Mask

Low-tack laser masking on the face

2 · Engrave

Smoke residue lands on the tape

3 · Peel

Clean edges; wipe what is left

Masking, as Thunder Laser and Epilog suggest. Test the adhesive first on oily or rough wood.

Mask the face. Low-tack laser masking reduces smoke staining, but its adhesive may affect oily, rough or delicate surfaces — test it first (Thunder Laser). Epilog also suggests masking wood (Epilog FAQ).
Clean the residue with a citrus cleaner or a mild household cleaner, as Epilog suggests.
Check flatness. Solid boards cup and twist; focus on the top face and check the corners on a big board (general practice).
Joints and fit: the kerf & joint-fit calculator sizes slots for your kerf.

How to run a wood test

Test on the exact board you will use: species, cut and the knots in it all change the result (Thunder Laser recommends testing on the exact sample).

1
Offcut of the same board, including a knot if the board has one.
2
Grid power against speed (LightBurn, or our material test grid generator).
3
Centre it on a maker row for the same species, scaled with the power & speed converter.
4
For cuts, fix power and speed and add passes until a small square drops out.
5
Pick the most even box, not the darkest.

FAQ

What are good laser settings for wood?: It depends on the species and your machine. AtomStack’s diode fill (raster) engraving rows for pine, paulownia, mahogany, maple, beech and peach wood run 5,000–30,000 mm/min at 25–80 % power with a 0.08–0.1 mm interval — about 0.03–0.25 J/mm per line. Scale a row for the same species to your machine with the converter, then run a test grid.
What are good laser engraving settings for pine?: AtomStack’s diode pine fill (raster) engravings run 5,000–15,000 mm/min at 40–80 % with a 0.08–0.1 mm interval, about 0.05–0.17 J/mm per line; its 55 W CO2 engraves pine at 18,000 mm/min and 20 %. Pine’s grain and knots burn unevenly, so pick the most even box from a test that crosses a knot.
What is the best wood for laser engraving?: For contrast and detail, light fine-grained woods such as maple, birch and basswood. Walnut gives a subtler, darker result, open-grain oak and ash look textured, and pine is the least even because of grain variation, knots and resin (Thunder Laser).
How thick can a diode laser cut solid wood?: In AtomStack’s tables, the A20 Pro V2 (20 W) and A24 Pro / A24 Ultra (24 W) cut 12 mm pine and 15 mm paulownia in one slow pass (100–200 mm/min); the 20 W Kraft’s one-pass rows are 8 mm pine and 10 mm paulownia; and the 70 W A70 Max cuts 20 mm pine in one pass and 25 mm in 10 fast passes. These are maker values for their machines; see our “how thick can a laser cut” guide for every wattage.

Sources

Sources for the laser-type verdicts

Last checked 2026-11-02 · Maker values and calculations; we did not process this material ourselves.

Other materials

SlSlate AnAnodized aluminum LeLeather AcAcrylic PwPlywood & basswood SSStainless steel GlGlass BbBamboo CbCardboard & paper