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Laser cutting settings for wood: plywood & MDF
There's no single "correct" setting — it depends on your exact machine, lens and the specific sheet. But these starting points get you close on plywood and MDF, and the test-grid method below dials it in for good.
Quick answer: cutting 3 mm plywood needs at least a 20 W diode (100% power / 300 mm/min / 2 passes) or a 40–60 W CO2 (70% / 12 mm/s / 1 pass) — a 5–10 W diode can do it too, but needs 3–4 passes. What size laser to cut wood depends on thickness and how many passes you'll accept: go up to a 40 W diode or 80–100 W CO2 for 6 mm plywood in fewer passes.
Price a wood cutting job →Starting points — diode lasers
Values are power % / speed (mm/min) / passes. Always test on the same sheet first.
| Material | 5–10 W diode | 20 W diode | 40 W diode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plywood 3 mm | 100% / 180 / 3–4 | 100% / 300 / 2 | 100% / 600 / 1–2 |
| MDF 3 mm | 100% / 200 / 3 | 100% / 350 / 2 | 100% / 700 / 1 |
| Plywood 6 mm | not ideal | 100% / 150 / 3–4 | 100% / 300 / 2–3 |
Starting points — CO2 lasers
| Material | 40–60 W CO2 | 80–100 W CO2 |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood 3 mm | 70% / 12 mm/s / 1 | 55% / 20 mm/s / 1 |
| MDF 3 mm | 75% / 10 mm/s / 1 | 60% / 18 mm/s / 1 |
| Plywood 6 mm | 80% / 6 mm/s / 1 | 65% / 12 mm/s / 1 |
On CO2, aim to cut through in one pass where you can — a second pass on shifted material widens the kerf and chars the edge. Slow down before you add a pass.
MDF's binder is a formaldehyde-based resin, so its smoke carries that, not just sawdust. Run air assist plus real extraction — a fan venting outside, or an enclosure with a carbon filter — and don't cut MDF in a closed room. Plywood adhesives are usually less nasty, but cheap sheets vary, and the same ventilation covers you either way.
Thickness limits and how to scale settings to your machine
These tables stop at 6 mm because that is roughly where published plywood settings stop. NC State University's laser lab, running 105–155 W CO2 tubes, publishes birch plywood settings only up to 1/4″ (6 mm), and OneLaser's published data for a 38 W machine cuts 3, 6 and 10 mm birch plywood but rates 15 and 18 mm as not achievable at that power at all. Above 10 mm the answer is usually a bigger tube, not a slower feed rate.
No column for your exact machine? Scale it with the same speed model this site's calculators use, where a 100 W workshop CO2 is 1.0: a 10 W diode is 0.2, a 20 W diode 0.3, a 40 W diode 0.4, a 40 W CO2 0.5, a 60 W CO2 0.75 and an 80 W CO2 0.9. Divide one by the other to move a speed across: 300 mm/min that works on a 10 W diode is about 450 mm/min on a 20 W one (0.3 ÷ 0.2). The speed converter does this for 26 machines, and it is a starting point either way — confirm it on a test grid.
What we buy for plywood and MDF
Two thirds of "my laser won't cut through" is the sheet, not the settings. Voids in cheap ply stop a beam dead, and cutting flat on a solid bed reflects the beam back into the underside — that is what makes the brown halo people blame on power.
Birch plywood 3 mm, laser grade: Check price on Amazon ↗
MDF sheets 3 mm: Check price on Amazon ↗
Honeycomb bed: Check price on Amazon ↗
Air assist pump: Check price on Amazon ↗
Honeycomb and air assist between them fix more edge-quality complaints than any settings change on this page. If you only buy one, buy the honeycomb.
Disclosure: some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are approximate list prices at the time of writing; always check the current offer.
Four things that matter more than the numbers
- Air assist. The single biggest win for clean wood edges — it blows away smoke and stops flare-ups. Use it always, and aim for a real compressor at 20–30 psi rather than a small built-in pump.
- Focus. An out-of-focus beam wastes power. Re-focus for each material thickness: half a millimetre out is enough to widen the kerf and darken the edge.
- Plywood quality. Cheap ply hides glue voids that stop the cut dead. Laser-grade or Baltic birch cuts far more predictably.
- Don't run 100% on CO2 to force it. Slower speed beats max power for a clean edge; max power just chars.
Dial it in with a test grid
The reliable way to find your settings: run a material test grid (built into LightBurn, or a template in LaserGRBL). It cuts a matrix of small squares, each at a different power/speed. Pick the fastest square that cuts cleanly through, and write it on the offcut for next time.
Know the cost before you cut
Once you know your speed, the price is just time × rate. Drop your file into the calculator, pick plywood or MDF and your machine, and it returns cutting time and cost.
Open the calculator →All of these charts in one printable book: The Laser Settings Handbook — 18 machines, 11 material charts, the 15 fixes and a settings log in 168 pages. Read the free 13-page sample.
FAQ
What power and speed cuts 3 mm plywood?
On an 80–100 W CO2 laser, roughly 55–60% power at ~20 mm/s in a single pass. On a 20 W diode, 100% power at ~300 mm/min over 2 passes. These are starting points — run a small test on the same sheet because plywood quality varies a lot.
Why won't my laser cut all the way through plywood?
Usually glue voids in cheap plywood, a focus that's off, or too much speed. Switch to laser-grade or Baltic birch ply, re-check focus, and slow the speed before adding a second pass. Air assist also helps the beam reach the bottom of the kerf.
How do I stop burnt edges when cutting wood?
Use air assist, cut at the lowest power that still gets through, and keep speed up rather than blasting max power. Masking the surface with paper tape also reduces soot marks on the face.
Is MDF or plywood easier to laser cut?
MDF cuts very consistently because it has no grain or voids, but it produces more smoke and a darker edge. Plywood looks nicer but quality varies. For clean, repeatable cuts, MDF or laser-grade birch ply are the safest choices.
Can I cut plywood or MDF with a fibre laser?
You can mark wood with a fibre laser, but it is the wrong tool for cutting it. A fibre laser's 1064 nm beam is built to be absorbed by metal, wood takes it unevenly, and the high peak power sets light to resin and glue lines easily, so both OneLaser and xTool warn against it. Use a CO2 or a diode for plywood and MDF.
What size laser do you need to cut wood?
A 5–10 W diode manages 3 mm plywood in 3–4 passes; a 20 W diode does the same sheet in 2 passes at 300 mm/min, and a 40 W diode in 1–2 passes at 600 mm/min. On CO2, a 40–60 W tube cuts 3 mm plywood in one pass at 12 mm/s, and 80–100 W does it faster at 20 mm/s. Go bigger than 20 W (diode) or 40 W (CO2) if you plan to cut 6 mm or thicker regularly.
What is a good laser cutter for plywood?
For hobby 3 mm plywood, a 20 W diode cutting at 100% power / 300 mm/min / 2 passes is enough. For 6 mm plywood or repeat production work, a 40 W diode or a 40–60 W CO2 machine cuts it in fewer passes and holds a cleaner edge. Laser-grade or Baltic birch ply cuts far more predictably than cheap sheet stock on any of them.