Materials & settings

One pass only. A second pass breaks through to bare metal and goes grey.

Gentle air only — hard airflow frosts the edge and kills the polish.

Single clean pass. Tape both faces to keep edges pale.

Wet newspaper mask, air assist OFF or the paper dries mid-job.

This is paint removal, not metal marking. Lower power than you'd think.

Mask with painter's tape and peel while warm — no smoke halo.

Dampen the surface first. Wipe soot off with a damp cloth after.

Edge-lit signage: shallow and dense. Deep grooves read grey when lit.

Photo work with Stucki dither. Compress tonal range before export.

One slow pass beats three fast ones for edge clarity.

Lower DPI than you'd expect — fine lines merge into grey mush.

Two passes beats one slow pass — less charring on the second face.

Leave top film on, remove bottom film. Kerf 0.15mm.

Sand lightly and oil after. Food-safe oil only.

Laminated to 3mm acrylic. Engrave veneer only, don't reach the glue line.

Wipe with IPA before and after — fingerprints show as blotches.

Dark grain hides fine detail — bolder line weights read better.

Rotary at 20oz straight wall. Wipe with IPA after.

Slightly defocus (0.5mm) to spread the spot and avoid chipping.

Great practice material — cheap and forgiving.

Engraves very dark with little power. Start low.

Bleaching effect, not burning. Very low power, one pass, test on a hem.

Slower than the LX2 — check flatness, bowed sheets won't cut through.

Softer than birch — drop power slightly or edges char.

Riven slate varies in height — check flatness or you'll lose focus.

Watch for flare-ups. Air assist on, never unattended.

Smells awful and needs real extraction. Edges will be dark, that's normal.

Cuts fine, engraves badly (dull, not frosty). Use cast for anything visible.

School settings — consistent across three batches of stock.

Needs serious extraction. Mirror your artwork.

Works on light glaze; dark glaze barely marks. Test the exact tile.

Open grain takes power unevenly; expect variation between growth rings.

Wool only — synthetic felt melts and stinks.

Cut from the acrylic side, never the mirror side. Reflections are real.

Dampen the surface first for cleaner edges.

Only laser-grade silicone. Unknown silicone can contain fillers.