Laser Engraving Font Settings for Wood
Wood is the most common material for laser-engraved text. Different wood species absorb laser energy differently, and single-line fonts have different optimal settings than raster engraving. This guide covers the most common combinations.
Why single-line settings differ from raster
Raster engraving scans back and forth like a printer, with the laser on only where the image has content. Vector single-line engraving traces paths continuously at full speed. This means the laser dwell time per millimeter is determined by speed, not by raster density. Single-line fonts need higher speed and/or lower power than raster engraving of similar visual depth — because the laser is continuously moving, not pulsing.
Birch plywood (3mm) — most common
CO₂ 40W: Speed 400mm/s, Power 18–22%. CO₂ 60W: Speed 500mm/s, Power 15–18%. CO₂ 100W: Speed 600mm/s, Power 10–12%. Diode 10W: Speed 3000mm/min, Power 60–70%. Diode 20W: Speed 5000mm/min, Power 40–50%. Birch plywood engraves cleanly with moderate power. Higher power at slower speed risks scorching the surrounding wood. Single-line fonts at 1-inch cap height with Laser preset settings will show tight, clean strokes.
Walnut and dark hardwoods
Dark hardwoods absorb more laser energy and require lower power or faster speed. CO₂ 40W: Speed 500mm/s, Power 12–15%. Diode 20W: Speed 6000mm/min, Power 30–40%. The dark contrast of walnut makes laser-engraved text highly legible at lower power settings. Fine-tip fonts (script, handwritten) look particularly good on walnut — the dark wood and single-stroke letterforms create a premium effect.
Softwoods (pine, cedar)
Softwoods engrave deeply at moderate power but can char or burn rather than cleanly engrave. Use minimum power to achieve desired depth: CO₂ 40W: Speed 600mm/s, Power 10–14%. Diode 20W: Speed 7000mm/min, Power 25–35%. For pine specifically, very high speed (close to maximum) with low power prevents the grain from wicking laser heat and causing uneven burning between grain lines.
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