Which leather you put under the beam matters more than any setting. Vegetable-tanned leather is the laser leather; chrome-tanned is on the avoid lists; faux leather is usually plastic you must not laser at all.
Safety first
Before you start Depends on the type
Use vegetable-tanned leather. Chrome-tanned leather is on the avoid list: chromium from the tanning can be released, and Trotec and Glowforge advise against it (what not to laser cut).
A 2024 study of desktop CO2 laser cutting (Niu et al., ACS Chemical Health & Safety) found high concentrations of hexavalent chromium — a known carcinogen — from chrome-tanned leather when the ventilation was off (abstract). That is a reason to avoid chrome-tanned leather, not a sign that ventilation makes it safe. Every tannage gave off fine particles, so extraction matters for all leather (exhaust fan calculator).
Never laser faux leather. “Pleather” is often PVC, which releases hydrogen chloride; PU versions are listed as releasing hydrogen cyanide. The type of laser does not change that.
If the seller does not say how the leather was tanned, ask before you laser it. Dyed or coated leather can be refused by workshops too — check the finish.
Moving cross-section
What the beam does
Switch the material or laser and watch the same beam give a different result.
Blue diode ≈ 450 nm
Grain (top layer)
Fibre layer
Charred, slightly shrunken groove
Chrome-tanned leather
Fumes: high hexavalent chromium with ventilation off
PVC or PU plastic coat
Fabric backing
The grain layer browns and darkens where the beam passes, and pulls in slightly as it chars. This is the usual laser leather.
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
FiberSources disagree
Two sources say it engraves leather, two say it cannot.
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.
Neither maker says how its test leather was tanned. The cutting rows cover 0.7–5 mm leather. Two rows look odd: the Kraft cuts 5 mm at 3,000 mm/min in one pass (about 0.3 J/mm, far below every other cut), and the A40 Pro V2 LightBurn cut carries an S-value where a percentage belongs.
▬ Half of Engrave rows: 0.0339–0.0768 J/mm▬ Half of Cut rows: 1.92–9.36 J/mmEngraveCutDiodeCO2IR 1,064 nmHollow = 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).
Cuts and engraves well with a strong smell. Check dyes and coatings.
Chrome-tanned
Avoid
Chromium from the tanning; Trotec and Glowforge advise against it.
Faux leather (PVC, PU)
Never
PVC releases hydrogen chloride; PU is listed as releasing hydrogen cyanide.
Results also vary hide to hide: one Glowforge user found that some chrome-tanned leathers cut cleanly while others “shriveled” (Glowforge community). That is one more reason to stick with leather sold as vegetable-tanned.
Prep and finish
General shop practice (no source):
Lay it flat and hold it down. Leather curls toward the heat; pins or weights at the edges keep the focus even.
Focus on the grain side you are engraving, not the bed — thick leather moves the focus a lot.
Keep smoke off the face. Air assist and a layer of transfer tape keep smoke stains off the grain; peel the tape after. Wipe soot from engraved areas with a barely damp cloth.
Expect a smell that lingers for a while after cutting, even on veg-tan.
How to run a leather test
Use an offcut of the same hide — thickness and finish change from hide to hide.
For engraving, run LightBurn’s Material Test with power against speed (LightBurn); stop at the lightest box that is evenly brown.
For cutting, cut small squares at one speed and raise the passes until they drop out. Leather cuts at far less energy than wood of the same thickness in the maker rows.
Scale a maker row to your machine with the power & speed converter before you start the grid.
FAQ
What are good diode laser settings for leather?
Maker diode rows engrave leather at 6,000–20,000 mm/min with 20–80 % power and a 0.08–0.1 mm interval — about 0.02–0.15 J/mm per line — and cut 0.7–2 mm leather at roughly 0.3–4 J/mm in one pass (one A24 row is near 12). Scale a row from a machine like yours and test on an offcut.
Is it safe to laser chrome-tanned leather?
It is on the avoid list. Trotec and Glowforge advise against it, and a 2024 study found high concentrations of hexavalent chromium from chrome-tanned leather when the ventilation was off. Ventilation is not a reason to use it: use vegetable-tanned leather, and run extraction for any leather.
Can you laser faux leather or PU leather?
No. Faux leather is often PVC, which releases hydrogen chloride, and polyurethane versions are listed as releasing hydrogen cyanide. This applies to diode, CO2 and fiber lasers alike.
How do I stop smoke stains on engraved leather?
A common shop practice (we found no source that tests it): use air assist, cover the face with transfer tape before engraving and peel it after, and do not over-burn — the lightest even setting from your test leaves the least residue. Wipe soot gently with a barely damp cloth.