There is no single power-and-speed setting that works for every laser, material, thickness, and finish. Start with the machine maker’s recommendation, then test on scrap cut from the same material and thickness as the job. Keep focus and other variables controlled, and choose the fastest setting that cuts through reliably without scorching. For engraving, choose the combination that produces the tone and detail you want without unnecessary heat.
The workflow below applies whether your controller uses a dedicated material-test tool or a manually built grid. It explains what to change, what to observe, and how to save a setting that can be repeated safely.
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Why laser power and speed must be tuned together
Power controls the beam’s intensity; speed controls how long that energy is delivered to one area. Increasing power or slowing movement generally adds heat. That can make a cut deeper or an engraving darker, but it can also char or melt edges, create more smoke, and widen the kerf (the material removed by the beam). After a point, additional heat adds little useful depth or darkness.
The best combination therefore depends on three things: the laser itself, the material and thickness, and the result you are trying to achieve. LightBurn describes the combination as heavily dependent on those factors rather than a universal recipe (LightBurn’s Speed vs. Power explanation). A chart made for a different diode, CO2, or galvo machine is only a starting clue, not a guarantee.
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For cutting, optimize for reliable cut-through with the least heat that works. For engraving, optimize for the requested contrast, edge quality, and detail instead of simply seeking the darkest mark.
Prepare the machine and material before testing
Identify the exact setup
Write down the laser type and model, the material, its thickness, and whether you are cutting or engraving. Different machines can deliver different results at the same nominal percentage. Also note whether your controller expresses speed in millimetres per second (mm/s) or millimetres per minute (mm/min). The number is meaningless unless the unit is correct.
Look first for the manufacturer’s starting settings for that laser, material, and thickness. LightBurn’s First Material Test guide recommends manufacturer settings as the first place to look. Treat them as a starting range: material batches, coatings, moisture, and machine condition can still change the result.
Focus exactly as the machine requires
Focus has to be correct before a power-versus-speed comparison is useful. Follow the focusing method specified for your machine. Diode, CO2, and galvo systems use different focusing procedures, as LightBurn notes in its material-test instructions. If the beam is out of focus, a cell may look weak or fuzzy even when its power and speed are appropriate.
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Use matching scrap
Cut a test piece from the same stock as the production job, with the same thickness and surface treatment. Settings are material-specific, so repeat the test when you change species, brand, coating, or thickness. A test blank that merely looks similar can produce a misleading recipe.
Check ventilation, air assist, and restrictions
Set up the exhaust and enclosure required by your machine. Use air assist only in the way the machine and material support; it can reduce soot and charring and help a cut clear smoke, but some systems do not provide controllable air assist (LightBurn cut-settings guidance). Follow the manufacturer’s material restrictions. Boss Laser specifically warns against cutting PVC, vinyl, or unknown plastics and recommends exhaust, a closed enclosure, and supervision (Boss Laser safety guidance).
Build a controlled material test
A grid lets you compare combinations quickly, but it only works when the variables you are not studying stay constant. LightBurn’s Material Test tool can vary power and speed and, where supported, other parameters such as passes and line interval (Material Test documentation).
- Choose a test range within machine limits. Use the manufacturer’s suggested range as your starting point. Do not create cells that exceed the laser, controller, or material limits.
- Set the job’s focus and work height. Use the same focus you will use for the real work. Do not refocus between cells.
- Select the variables. A basic grid changes speed along one axis and power along the other. If your process uses multiple passes or a filled engraving, you can test those as additional parameters, but change only what you can interpret.
- Confirm the speed unit. Verify that the software and controller agree on mm/s or mm/min. LightBurn cautions that mixing units can produce far too little or far too much output and can even create a fire risk (Material Test documentation).
- Preview and frame the test. Check the preview, then frame the job on the scrap so you know its exact location before firing. This catches an incorrectly sized or positioned test.
- Stay with the machine. Watch every test cell. Low speeds and high powers are especially hazardous on flammable stock. Never leave a material test or production job unattended; the warning is explicit in LightBurn’s material-test guide.
- Label the result immediately. Mark the scrap or keep a matching digital record of the speed, power, passes, interval, focus, and air-assist state. A visual mark without its settings is not a reusable recipe.
How to select a cutting setting
Start with cut-through, not darkness
Inspect each cell from both sides. A useful cutting cell passes through the entire sheet consistently, including corners and small internal features. A surface groove or a piece that separates only when bent is not reliable cut-through.
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Among cells that cut through, prefer the fastest movement and lowest power that remain reliable. This minimizes the time heat is applied and usually reduces charring, smoke, and kerf growth. LightBurn gives the same objective in its Speed vs. Power documentation: seek the highest speed and lowest power that still cut through without scorching.
Compare the edge, kerf, and repeatability
After eliminating cells that fail to cut, compare the edges. Look for limited discoloration, a narrow and consistent kerf, and no melted ridges. Check several portions of the test, not just one straight edge. A setting that works once in a large open area but fails on a corner is not a production setting.
| Cutting check | What to inspect | What a preferred cell shows |
|---|---|---|
| Cut-through | Whether the entire outline separates consistently | Complete separation on straight sections, corners, and small features |
| Edge condition | Charring, melting, soot, and smoke residue | The least scorching among cells that cut through |
| Kerf | Width and consistency of the removed material | A narrow, even kerf appropriate for the fit of the parts |
| Process efficiency | Speed and number of passes | The fastest reliable result with no unnecessary heat |
When one pass is too hot
If a high-power, slow cell cuts but leaves charred or melted edges, do not keep raising power to force a cleaner result. Test multiple passes within the machine’s limits. Several lighter passes can remove the material while putting less heat into any one instant, though they add run time and require stable positioning. Compare the edge and reliability of the multi-pass cells against a single-pass cell rather than assuming either method is always superior.
How to select an engraving setting
Define the mark before changing settings
Decide whether the job needs a light, high-detail mark, a dark contrast, or a broad filled area. The “best” cell is the one that meets that visual requirement with clean edges and repeatable detail. A darker cell is not automatically better if it has halos, melted corners, or lost fine lines.
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Higher power or slower movement generally darkens an engraving by adding heat. If the mark is too pale, move toward more delivered energy within the safe test range. If it is too dark, smoky, or soft, move toward less energy. Judge the result under the lighting in which the finished item will be viewed.
Control line interval for filled areas
Filled engraving has a third important setting: line interval, the spacing between scan lines. Closer lines can improve coverage, but overlapping heat can overburn the surface. The appropriate interval depends on the laser and material. LightBurn describes .100 as a reasonable starting point, not a universal prescription, in its beginner cut-settings documentation.
When testing an interval, keep power and speed fixed so you can tell whether a change in coverage or scorching came from the spacing. Inspect small text and corners as well as a large filled patch; a broad patch can look even while fine detail has already burned away.
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|---|---|---|
| Darkness or contrast | Tone compared with the intended design | The requested contrast without excess heat |
| Edge quality | Sharpness of outlines, corners, and small details | Clear edges without halos or melted features |
| Line interval | Coverage, banding, and overlap in filled areas | Even coverage without overburn |
| Run time and residue | Smoke, soot, and time required | A repeatable mark with no unnecessary processing |
Troubleshoot a failed test without guessing
No cell cuts all the way through
- Recheck focus and material thickness; an out-of-focus beam can make every cell appear weak.
- Confirm the speed unit in both the software and controller. A mm/s versus mm/min mismatch can change output by a large factor.
- Verify that the test range is appropriate for the machine and material.
- Test a suitable range of passes or power within machine limits. Do not assume that one slow, high-power pass is the only solution.
Edges are black, melted, or heavily sooted
- Move toward the fastest speed and lowest power that still cut through.
- Try multiple passes rather than continually increasing power, then compare edge quality.
- Check that air assist and exhaust are operating as specified for the machine and material.
- Make sure the stock is permitted by the machine maker; never experiment with PVC, vinyl, or unknown plastics.
Engraving is uneven or loses detail
- Confirm focus and keep it unchanged while comparing cells.
- Reduce delivered heat if edges are soft or details disappear by using a faster speed or lower power within the test range.
- For filled work, test line interval separately. Overlapping scan lines can overburn even when the power and speed look reasonable.
- Check the material surface for coatings or unevenness and retest on matching stock.
Output is unexpectedly weak or unexpectedly full power
On controllers that use an S-Value Max setting, verify that LightBurn’s value matches the controller’s configured maximum. LightBurn documents this scaling issue in its Device Settings documentation; a mismatch can cause under-output or unexpectedly full output. Correct the scaling before trusting any material-test result.
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The job moves or the result cannot be repeated
Keep the material fixed, use the same origin and focus method, and record the complete recipe. A result is not repeatable if the machine, stock, thickness, speed unit, or passes changed without being noted.
Record a recipe that another job can use
Save the chosen test cell as a named preset or job note. LightBurn supports saving material-test presets, but a saved number is useful only when its conditions travel with it. Record:
- Laser type and machine model
- Material identity, surface treatment, and thickness
- Focus method and working height
- Speed value and unit (mm/s or mm/min)
- Power value and whether the controller interprets it as a percentage or another scale
- Number of passes
- Line interval for filled engraving
- Air-assist and exhaust state
- Date, test-piece identifier, and the visual result you accepted
Use the recipe only for the same machine and materially equivalent stock. Retest after a meaningful change in material, thickness, focus, optics, controller settings, or air-assist setup. A recipe is a record of one controlled result, not a universal chart.
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- Preview and frame the job so its position is clear before the beam fires.
- Keep the enclosure, exhaust, and other safeguards configured as the machine maker specifies.
- Attend the machine for the entire run, especially at low speeds and high powers where flammable stock can ignite.
- Use only materials approved by the machine maker. PVC, vinyl, and unidentified plastics can release hazardous products and should not be cut.
- Do not rely on a test grid to make an unsafe material safe; stop if the stock smokes excessively, flames, or behaves differently from the expected test.
Boss Laser summarizes the operating approach plainly: start conservatively, test, and stay with the machine while it runs (support guidance). That discipline matters as much for a small engraving test as for a full sheet.
Quick Recap
A practical decision sequence
- Start from the machine maker’s settings for the exact laser, material, and thickness.
- Focus using the machine-specific method and prepare matching scrap.
- Build, preview, and frame a test grid while keeping non-tested variables fixed.
- Confirm speed units and controller scaling before firing.
- For cuts, reject every cell that fails cut-through, then choose the fastest reliable cell with the least scorching and kerf.
- For engravings, choose the tone and detail you need; test line interval for filled areas and avoid overburn.
- If edges are damaged, try lighter multiple passes and verify air assist and exhaust instead of simply adding power.
- Save the full recipe and retest after changes to the machine, material, thickness, focus, or process.
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