Laser Material Test Generator: Power & Speed (Free) · CutCatVector

Free tool · no sign-up · LightBurn file with settings

Laser material test

One small grid of squares, each with its own power and speed. Burn it on your material, pick the square you like, and you have your settings.

Your laser

Laser type
W

Optical output power, as printed on the laser module or tube. Diode means a blue diode laser (about 450 nm).

What to test

Test
mm

Illustration only. Real results depend on your machine and material.

Free, no email needed.
  1. LightBurn: File › Open (not Import). Check the layers and Preview, run Frame, then start.
  2. SVG carries shapes only, not power or speed. In your laser software give every colour its power and speed from the table, with Fill / Engrave.

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Read your test

After burning, click the square you like best: even colour, no scorched edges. For a cut test, pick the fastest square that fell out cleanly.

Pick the best square

Your settings

Material Pick a square Same laser, same focus and material, same settings next time.

How it works

  1. Choose your laser, its power, the material and Engrave or Cut. The suggested range is a starting point.
  2. Download the LightBurn file, open it, focus and run it. Every square already has its own power and speed.
  3. Pick the best square below. Too light everywhere or not cut through? Shift the range in Advanced settings and run again.

Tips

  • Focus first. A test in bad focus gives wrong settings for everything.
  • Engrave: pick even colour without black edges. Darker is not always better: it smokes and blurs details.
  • Cut: pick the fastest square that drops out by itself. Then add a little power or one pass as a safety margin.
  • Labels are scored at low power and include a test ID, the material and the settings, so the scrap still makes sense in a month.

FAQ

LightBurn has its own Material Test. Why use this one?

It works the same way. Here you also get a starting range for your laser, material and thickness, a test ID and settings engraved on the scrap, a page to read the result and refine around it, and an SVG with a settings table for other software.

Does it work with xTool Creative Space or Glowforge?

Yes, with the SVG. Each square has its own colour; set the power and speed for each colour from the table on the page.

Why can a diode laser not cut clear acrylic?

The blue diode beam passes through clear acrylic and is reflected by white and blue acrylic. Black and dark colours usually work; test a scrap first.

mm/s or mm/min?

LightBurn shows either, depending on your settings; many diode lasers use mm/min. Pick the same units in Advanced settings. 1 mm/s = 60 mm/min.