Best Laser Engravers and Laser Cutters: Guide for 2022

One of the most sought after tools in in a shop is a laser engraver and/or laser cutter. These make quick work of your projects plus who doesn't like having a freakin laser around?

Don’t have time to read the whole guide right now?

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MY Top Picks

Budget Pick
Ortur Aufero Laser 1
Ortur Aufero Laser 1
$
199
at
Ortur

The little brother of the larger Ortur Laser Master Engraver 2 Pro, the Ortur Aufero packs a big punch in a small frame and a reasonable price.

Top Pick
Makeblock D1
Makeblock D1
$
950
at
Makeblock

Makeblock recently released a brand new diode laser engraver. It's got the nicest build quality and highest-powered laser module of any machine I've tested. They have continually updated the machine and increased its abilities making it my top diode pick!

Budget CO2 Pick
OM Tech MF 50W
OM Tech MF 50W
$
2200
at
OMTech

This is the workhorse laser in my shop. I've picked the 50W version over the 40W because of the increase in build quality, work area and DSP based Ruida controller.

Runner Up
Glowforge Basic
Glowforge Basic
$
3995
at
Glowforge

The Glowforge's overall ease of use brings it in as the runner up for my favorite laser cutter/engraver.

My very first laser was a 50W import from Chinese. I call it big blue. After some tinkering and lots of trial and error it has become one of my most used tools.

OM Tech 50W Laser

The combination of speed, power and performance makes lasers an amazing tool. Even compared to a CNC Router and 3D Printer I find that lasers still take the top spot.

The goal of this article is give you a quick overview of some of the best machines out there. These aren’t aimed for a large scale professional shop (even though many of these would be great for it), but for a maker, DIYer, weekend warrior. If you want to step in the pro world take a look at companies like Epilog, Boss, Trotec and Full Spectrum.

The first section contains a breakdown of some of the most popular machines, the second section is a full comparison chart of the key characteristics of each machine and the later sections serve as a guide to laser cutting and laser engraving. This page is continually being updated and added to.

If you have any questions and suggestions let me know!

Makeblock D1
Makeblock D1
SPECS
$
950
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
17x16 in
5-20W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Top Pick
Pros
  • Small laser dot (.08x.08 mm)
  • Double Diode 10W option
  • Top speed of 10,000 mm/min
  • Steel body construciton
  • Metal wheels and rods
  • Wired, Wireless and App Support
  • Offline Control
  • Easy laser focus
  • Supports Lightburn software
Cons
  • Light on the safety features
  • Cost
Pros
Cons
  • Small laser dot (.08x.08 mm)
  • Double Diode 10W option
  • Top speed of 10,000 mm/min
  • Steel body construciton
  • Metal wheels and rods
  • Wired, Wireless and App Support
  • Offline Control
  • Easy laser focus
  • Supports Lightburn software
  • Light on the safety features
  • Cost

This is at the higher end of diode machines which offer $100 options at the low end. You'll be spending almost 5 times that amount on getting the 5W version and even more to step up to the 10W. You'll need to decide if the higher build quality, working area, and increased speeds are worth the extra money.

The D1 is positioned nicely against the Ortur Laser Master Engraver 2 Pro. Both 5W versions of those machines are priced pretty close to each other. They both have roughly the same work area, with the D1 getting a slight edge. They both come stock with a 5W laser, with the D1 having the option of higher wattages.

Glowforge Basic
Glowforge Basic
SPECS
$
3995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
19.5x11 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Runner Up
Pros
  • Easy software
  • Overall design
  • Camera System
  • 6 month warranty
Cons
  • Software is ONLINE only
  • Small work area
Pros
Cons
  • Easy software
  • Overall design
  • Camera System
  • 6 month warranty
  • Software is ONLINE only
  • Small work area

Even if you've never looked into the world of lasers before there is a good chance you've heard of Glowforge. This desktop CO2 laser took the world by storm after a massively successful Kickstarter.

The Glowforge really shines in its ease of use and constantly updating software and firmware. That also is its biggest downside since it can only operate when connected to the internet.

Glowforge Laser

This is the lowest in the Glowforge line and compares great in price to the desktop system CO2 lasers on the market.

If you want more info on the background of Glowforge I interviewed their found Dan Shapiro on my podcast:

Ortur Aufero Laser 1
Ortur Aufero Laser 1
SPECS
$
199
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
7x7 in
1.6-5.5W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Budget Pick
Pros
  • Price
  • Interchangeable Laser Modules
  • Air Assist Option
  • Great engrave and cut quality
Cons
  • Acrylic Frame Design
  • Small Work Area
  • Low maximum speed
Pros
Cons
  • Price
  • Interchangeable Laser Modules
  • Air Assist Option
  • Great engrave and cut quality
  • Acrylic Frame Design
  • Small Work Area
  • Low maximum speed

While you won't be able to engrave as large as most other diode machines (7 x 7 in), you will get the full options of Ortur's laser modules including their latest 5.5W laser that includes Air Assist to keep your cuts clean.

OM Tech MF 50W
OM Tech MF 50W
SPECS
$
2200
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
6 in
20x12 in
50
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Budget CO2 Pick
Pros
  • Cutting area
  • Max Thickness
  • Price for wattage
Cons
  • No cameras
  • Software
  • Customer support
Pros
Cons
  • Cutting area
  • Max Thickness
  • Price for wattage
  • No cameras
  • Software
  • Customer support

I recommend this as my budget CO2 pick over the cheaper OMTech 40W version because of the increase in work area as well as overall build quality. This was the first laser I purchased and has been working great for me for multiple years.

Once you get into the larger units they come with DSP based controllers which give you great control and access to the machine. These controllers also integrate great with my favorite laser software Lightburn.

I've linked to one of the machines here but be sure and shop around since all of them are basically the same, the only different typically is the color and controller. Be sure you get a Ruida style controller.

If you do decide to get an Orion Tech laser then I would recommend getting it from OM Tech, they are a US supplier for Orion Tech and the units are checked out and shipped from California.

And here is a follow up featuring a few example cuts and engraves:

Comparison Table
Laser Type
CO2
CO2
CO2
Diode
Diode
CO2
CO2
Diode
Diode
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
Diode
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
Fiber
Fiber
CO2
Fiber
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
Diode
Diode
Diode
Diode
CO2
Diode
CO2
Power
40W
40W
75W
5.5W
20W
50W
40W
4W
5W
30W
30-60W
40W
50W
30W
40W
40W
45
5-20W
40
40W
40W
40W
20W
20W
75W
20W
40W
100
60W
50
1.6-5.5W
4W
4W
4.5 - 5W
45W
1.6W
60W
Cutting Area
11.75 x 19.75 in
17.75 x 27.5 in
23.62″ x 35.5″
16.14 x 15.75 in
15.75x15.75 in
15.75x13.75 in
20x12
19.66x11.81 in
19.66x11.81 in
16x12 in
24x12 in
15.7x14.8 in
23.6x14.7 in
11.8x8.2 in
19.5x11 in
19.5x11 in
19.5x11 in
17x16 in
19.6x11.8 in
20x12 in
20x12
20x12 in
4.33 x 3.94 in
3.9 x 3.9 in
48 x 12 in
7.9 x 7.9 in
12x8 in
24x40 in
20x28 in
20x12 in
7x7 in
6.3x5.9 in
17x15.7 in
15.75 x 15.75 in
20x12 in
12.6x13.8 in
23.6 x 15.7 in
Max Height
3.95 in
5.91 in
5.91 in
3 in
3 in
8 in
1.25 in
1.97 in
1.97 in
4.5 in
7.75 in
3.15 in
3.15 in
1.77 in
2 in
2 in
2 in
2 in
2 in
2.5 in
2 in
2 in
3.5 in
2.8 in
8 in
7.8 in
6 in
2 in
6 in
6 in
3 in
6.5 in
10.8 in
6.1 in
Cutting Area
11.75 x 19.75 in
17.75 x 27.5 in
23.62″ x 35.5″
16.14 x 15.75 in
15.75x15.75 in
15.75x13.75 in
20x12
19.66x11.81 in
19.66x11.81 in
16x12 in
24x12 in
15.7x14.8 in
23.6x14.7 in
11.8x8.2 in
19.5x11 in
19.5x11 in
19.5x11 in
17x16 in
19.6x11.8 in
20x12 in
20x12
20x12 in
4.33 x 3.94 in
3.9 x 3.9 in
48 x 12 in
7.9 x 7.9 in
12x8 in
24x40 in
20x28 in
20x12 in
7x7 in
6.3x5.9 in
17x15.7 in
15.75 x 15.75 in
20x12 in
12.6x13.8 in
23.6 x 15.7 in
Software
Aeon ProSMART, Lightburn
Aeon ProSMART, Lightburn
Aeon ProSMART, Lightburn
LaserGRBL, Lightburn
Lightburn
Lightburn
Dremel Software
Lightburn
Lightburn
Epilog Laser Dashboard
Epilog Laser Dashboard
Beam Studio
Beam Studio
Beam Studio
Glowforge
Glowforge
Glowforge
Laserbox Basic
Laserbox
Retina Engrave
Retina Engrave
Retina Engrave
Retina Engrave
Retina Engrave
Retina Engrave
EzCad2
Core Laser, Laser Draw
RDWorks, Lightburn
RD Works, CorelDraw
RDWorks, COrelaser
Lightburn, LaserGRBL
Laser GRBL
Laser GRBL
Laser GRBL, Lightburn
Retina Engrave 3.0
Snapmakerjs
Lightburn
Camera
No
No
No
No
No
2D
2D
2D
No
No
2D
2D
2D
2D
2D
2D
2D
No
2D
2D
3D
No
2D
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
2D
No
Full Laser Cutter and Engraver Breakdown
Aeon Mira 5
Aeon Mira 5
SPECS
$
5995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3.95 in
11.75 x 19.75 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Aeon Mira Pro 7
Aeon Mira Pro 7
SPECS
$
7495
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
5.91 in
17.75 x 27.5 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Aeon Mira Pro 9
Aeon Mira Pro 9
SPECS
$
9995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
5.91 in
23.62″ x 35.5″
75W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Atomstack A5 Pro
Atomstack A5 Pro
SPECS
$
400
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3 in
16.14 x 15.75 in
5.5W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Atomstack X20 Pro
Atomstack X20 Pro
SPECS
$
1100
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3 in
15.75x15.75 in
20W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • 20W Laser Module
  • Air Assist
  • Nice Build Quality
  • Supports Lightburn
  • App Support
Cons
  • Price
  • No Enclosure
  • Weird marketing
Pros
Cons
  • 20W Laser Module
  • Air Assist
  • Nice Build Quality
  • Supports Lightburn
  • App Support
  • Price
  • No Enclosure
  • Weird marketing
Boss LS-1416
Boss LS-1416
SPECS
$
3497
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
8 in
15.75x13.75 in
50W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Large max material thickness
  • Integrated stand
  • Ruida controller (Support RDWorks)
  • Easy to find repair parts
  • Motorized Z-Axis
  • 4 Way pass through
Cons
  • Heavy (350lbs) and bulky
  • No camera alignment
Pros
Cons
  • Large max material thickness
  • Integrated stand
  • Ruida controller (Support RDWorks)
  • Easy to find repair parts
  • Motorized Z-Axis
  • 4 Way pass through
  • Heavy (350lbs) and bulky
  • No camera alignment

Boss in another high end laser company catering towards the professional market.

Dremel Digilab LC40
Dremel Digilab LC40
SPECS
$
6499
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
1.25 in
20x12
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Camera for easy placement
  • Large workarea
  • Great build quality
  • Dremel customer support
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
Cons
  • High price point compared to Muse 2D
Pros
Cons
  • Camera for easy placement
  • Large workarea
  • Great build quality
  • Dremel customer support
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
  • High price point compared to Muse 2D

Dremel continues to enter the world of Digital Fabrication with their LC40 laser cutter and engraver. Full Spectrum actually partnered with Dremel to produce this unit (background info here).

The Digilab LC40 is basically the Muse 2D with the Dremel brand name and a much higher price.

A great overview from Tested

Emblaser 2
Emblaser 2
SPECS
$
2495
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
1.97 in
19.66x11.81 in
4W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Fume Extraction Built In
  • 3D Cutting and Carving
  • Autofocus
  • Internal Workspace Lighting
  • Material Ignition Alerts
  • Air Assist
  • 3 Year Warrenty
Cons
  • Price
Pros
Cons
  • Fume Extraction Built In
  • 3D Cutting and Carving
  • Autofocus
  • Internal Workspace Lighting
  • Material Ignition Alerts
  • Air Assist
  • 3 Year Warrenty
  • Price

The Emblaser 2 is a higher end diode laser cutter and engraver from Darkly Labs. It offers a lot of the great features from CO2 machines like a full enclosure, camera, fume extraction and autofocus. Plus its Material Ignition Alert is an awesome safety feature for a unit this size.

Emblaser notes that their 5W diode laser is equivalent to a 15-20 Watt CO2 laser.

Emblaser Core
Emblaser Core
SPECS
$
995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
1.97 in
19.66x11.81 in
5W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Automatic laser height
  • Large Workspace
  • Low price
Cons
  • Kit assembly
  • Air Assist is additional ($95)
  • Camera is additional
  • No enclosure
Pros
Cons
  • Automatic laser height
  • Large Workspace
  • Low price
  • Kit assembly
  • Air Assist is additional ($95)
  • Camera is additional
  • No enclosure

The Emblaser Core steps up the Diode Laser game. It includes some of the bells and whistles you get with the CO2 units like pass through slots, autofocus and a higher build quality. The core is still an open frame design so all the risks of fumes and direct exposure to the laser exist.

Unlike the more expensive Emblaser 2, the core is a kit build so you'll have a good bit of assembly time. This does help reduce the price.

While not included having the ability to add air assist and camera onto the system are great upgrade options.

Epilog Zing 16
Epilog Zing 16
SPECS
$
7995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
4.5 in
16x12 in
30W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Top Build Quality
  • Awesome customer support
  • Movable Home Position
  • All-metal laser tube design
  • Front drop down door
  • Autofocus
Cons
  • High price
  • No camera support
Pros
Cons
  • Top Build Quality
  • Awesome customer support
  • Movable Home Position
  • All-metal laser tube design
  • Front drop down door
  • Autofocus
  • High price
  • No camera support

So maybe you are asking what is the best possible laser cutter I can buy?  If price isn't an option then Epilog has you covered. All Epilog lasers are engineered and built in the USA and there build quality and customer support are top notch.

The Zing line is designed for smaller workspaces but is still priced on the very high end of the spectrum. I'd recommend joining their used machine waiting list or look for used units online if you want to step up into the high end laser world of Epilog.

They also offer a larger Zing 24 with a 24x12 in work area.

Epilog Zing 24
Epilog Zing 24
SPECS
$
10995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
7.75 in
24x12 in
30-60W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Top Build Quality
  • Awesome customer support
  • Movable Home Position
  • All-metal laser tube design
  • Front drop down door
  • Autofocus
Cons
  • High price
  • No camera support

Pros
Cons
  • Top Build Quality
  • Awesome customer support
  • Movable Home Position
  • All-metal laser tube design
  • Front drop down door
  • Autofocus
  • High price
  • No camera support

So maybe you are asking what is the best possible laser cutter I can buy?  If price isn't an option then Epilog has you covered. All Epilog lasers are engineered and built in the USA and there build quality and customer support are top notch.

The Zing line is designed for smaller workspaces but is still priced on the very high end of the spectrum. I'd recommend joining their used machine waiting list or look for used units online if you want to step up into the high end laser world of Epilog.

They also offer a smaller Zing 16 with a work area of 16x12 in.

Flux Beambox
Flux Beambox
SPECS
$
3299
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3.15 in
15.7x14.8 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Camera System
  • Integrated custom software
  • Reasonable price for wattage and work area
  • Autofocus
  • Wireless connection
Cons
  • No pass through slots
Pros
Cons
  • Camera System
  • Integrated custom software
  • Reasonable price for wattage and work area
  • Autofocus
  • Wireless connection
  • No pass through slots

Flux is another desktop laser started as a  Kickstarter. The have another successful Kickstarter with their Delta 3D printer/scanner/engraver from 2014.

The Beambox (and the upgraded Beambox Pro) seem to be in a space between a Chinese import and a more polished Glowforge or Full Spectrum Muse.

But they might have one of the best (and weirdest) promo videos of all time...

Flux Beambox Pro
Flux Beambox Pro
SPECS
$
4299
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3.15 in
23.6x14.7 in
50W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Camera System
  • Integrated custom software
  • Reasonable price for wattage and work area
  • Wireless connection
  • Autofocus
Cons
  • No pass through slots
Pros
Cons
  • Camera System
  • Integrated custom software
  • Reasonable price for wattage and work area
  • Wireless connection
  • Autofocus
  • No pass through slots

The Flux Beambox Pro is pretty much the same unit as the Flux Beambox. The only difference is it larger laser (50W) and work area.

Flux Beamo
Flux Beamo
SPECS
$
1899
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
1.77 in
11.8x8.2 in
30W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Camera System
  • Integrated custom software
  • Autofocus
  • Wireless connection
  • Size and Weight
Cons
  • Cutting Area
  • No pass through slot
Pros
Cons
  • Camera System
  • Integrated custom software
  • Autofocus
  • Wireless connection
  • Size and Weight
  • Cutting Area
  • No pass through slot

Flux promotes this as the world's smallest CO2 laser cutter and engraver. It has all the same bells and whistles as the larger Beambox and Beambox pro. This includes camera alignment, autofocus, internal water cooling and a full enclosure.

This is the most recent Kickstarter from the Taiwanese company Flux. WIth a work area of 11.8x8.2 in this does come in as the smallest CO2 laser I've found. That also means it's the most portable at only 50 lbs. While I wouldn't want to be moving it around a ton due to the mirrors coming out of alignment its interesting to see a CO2 laser at this price point.

Past podcast guest Igor Vichikov (Inspire to Make) has a good breakdown of the unit.

Glowforge Plus
Glowforge Plus
SPECS
$
4995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
19.5x11 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Easy software
  • Overall design
  • Camera System
  • 1 Year Warranty
Cons
  • Software is ONLINE only
  • Small work area
Pros
Cons
  • Easy software
  • Overall design
  • Camera System
  • 1 Year Warranty
  • Software is ONLINE only
  • Small work area

This is the middle of the Glowforge line. It is $1,500 more than the basic version and $1000 less than the Pro.

The main improvements include a 6 month longer warranty, 2x top speed and upgraded hardware.

Glowforge Pro
Glowforge Pro
SPECS
$
6995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
19.5x11 in
45
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Easy software
  • Overall design
  • Camera System
  • 1 Year Warranty
  • Power
  • Pass through slot
  • 1 Year warranty
Cons
  • Software is ONLINE only
  • Small work area
Pros
Cons
  • Easy software
  • Overall design
  • Camera System
  • 1 Year Warranty
  • Power
  • Pass through slot
  • 1 Year warranty
  • Software is ONLINE only
  • Small work area

This is the top of Glowforge line, coming in at $1000 more than the Glowforge Plus. Upgrades over the Plus include a 45W laser tube, 3x top speed (compared to 2x), enhanced cooling and a passthrough slot.

You'll find passthrough slots on large professional machines, this allows you to cut and engrave on larger pieces of materials.

Glowforge Pass through slot
Makeblock Laserbox
Makeblock Laserbox
SPECS
$
5499
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
19.6x11.8 in
40
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • User friendly software
  • Integrated compressor and water pump unit
  • Great safety features
  • AI powered material identification
Cons
  • Price
Pros
Cons
  • User friendly software
  • Integrated compressor and water pump unit
  • Great safety features
  • AI powered material identification
  • Price

The Makeblock Laserbox falls into the new Kickstarter style desktop CO2 lasers. This unit is marketed towards education and classroom settings so safety is top notch. With features like a smart smoke purifier, job pause whenever the lid is open, safety certifications and early warning systems.

It has the majority of the same features as the other higher end desktop style lasers: cameras, autofocus, image extraction and is accessible over both Wifi and USB.

Plus custom software which is designed with kids in mind so its very user friendly and accessible.

Muse 2D
Muse 2D
SPECS
$
4999
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2.5 in
20x12 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Camera for easy placement
  • Large workarea
  • Great build quality
  • American based Company
  • Removable Floor
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
  • 1 Year Warranty
Cons
  • No Autofocus
  • Price
  • Software can be fincky
Pros
Cons
  • Camera for easy placement
  • Large workarea
  • Great build quality
  • American based Company
  • Removable Floor
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
  • 1 Year Warranty
  • No Autofocus
  • Price
  • Software can be fincky

While I've done a full review of the 3D camera version in the Muse line I'm putting the Muse 2D as my number one pick for a laser cutter/laser engraver. While the 3D camera is awesome for autofocusing as well as live z-axis adjustments during cuts it might not be worth the extra $1000 for your situation.

The Muse 2D strikes a great balance between the much higher end professional machines and the lower Chinese imports.

The camera system allows you to get a live view of your laser bed for alignment and placement of artwork. Plus it is integrated directly into Retina Engrave for remote viewing while the laser is firing.

Retina Engrave is an awesome piece of software that allows you to not only control the laser but create custom design without external vector editing tools like Adobe Illustrator.

Even if the 2D version is outside of your needs (or budget) check out the Muse Core which is the exact same unit minus the camera imaging.

Full Spectrum has a great video describing the differences between the units:

What about the Glowforge?

The best comparison between the two lines of lasers would be the Muse 2D ($4,999) and the Glowforge Pro ($3,995). While I haven't personally used any Glowforge system the biggest drawback seems to be the inability to use it without the internet. I really like that Retina Engrave 3.0 lives on the system and the Muse has a slightly larger cutting area.

Plus Full Spectrum has experience on the professional side of laser cutting with their higher end machines. You can only expect software and hardware features to be more integrated between the lines in the future.

Muse 3D
Muse 3D
SPECS
$
6249
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
20x12
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • 3D Camera
  • Autofocus
  • Overall build
  • Looks awesome!
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
  • 1 Year Warranty
Cons
  • Price
  • Software can be fincky
Pros
Cons
  • 3D Camera
  • Autofocus
  • Overall build
  • Looks awesome!
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
  • 1 Year Warranty
  • Price
  • Software can be fincky

Anytime someone asks if they should get a certain laser my answer is always the same…it depends. The Full Spectrum Muse 3D is no different.

It is on the higher end, especially if you opt for the camera abilities of the 2D and 3D units. I would recommend the Muse Core to anyone who wanted to use a machine in a more professional setting, like creating small scale products or in a maker space because of its ease of use. Especially if you don't have much experience with lasers in the past. The Muse 3D is my favorite laser I've ever tested.

The combination of the camera system, ease of use and just overall fit and finish makes the 3D unit in the Muse line stand out. The only downside is that it comes at a pretty hefty price tag.

There are much cheaper options to get into the world of lasers, like the popular K40 CO2 imports from China or my larger 50W version. But these will require lots of upgrades and tinkering. You won't be able to start cutting and engraving right out of the box like with the Muse.

Plus it's pretty hard to beat a machine that is all black...

Also if you want to get more background on Full Spectrum as a company I had Walker from their marketing team on my podcast to chat.

Finally if you do pick a Muse 3D or Fiber unit up use the promo code: MAKEORBREAK to save $100!

Muse Core
Muse Core
SPECS
$
2999
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2 in
20x12 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Large workarea
  • Great build quality
  • American Company
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
  • 1 Year Warranty
Cons
  • No camera system
  • No Autofocus
  • Price
  • Software can be finicky
Pros
Cons
  • Large workarea
  • Great build quality
  • American Company
  • Integrated Water Pump and Compressor Unit
  • 1 Year Warranty
  • No camera system
  • No Autofocus
  • Price
  • Software can be finicky

The Muse core is the same as the Muse 2D and Muse 3D just without a camera system. It still have the great build quality, awesome software (Retina Engrave 3) and general functionality as its more expensive brothers.

Full Spectrum Muse Touch Screen

Do you really need a camera?

The imaging system seems to be one of the biggest selling points for the Kickstarter inspired desktop systems like the Glowforge and Flux. You can still achieve the exact same results without a camera system using trace function and L brackets for finding the zero point on your workpiece.

In fact most of the professional system I've seen don't include an imaging system.

It could be worth it for your situation if you are really going for ease of use as well as the ability to draw directly on something and then have the software engrave/cut it out.

If you do decide to pick up a Muse then use the promo code: MakeorBreakSeason to save $150 off of a Muse 3D!

Muse Open Galvo
Muse Open Galvo
SPECS
$
7600
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
4.33 x 3.94 in
20W
Fiber
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Muse Pandora
Muse Pandora
SPECS
$
9595
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3.9 x 3.9 in
20W
Fiber
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Muse Titan
Muse Titan
SPECS
$
8670
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3.5 in
48 x 12 in
75W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
OM Tech 20W Fiber
OM Tech 20W Fiber
SPECS
$
3099
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
7.9 x 7.9 in
20W
Fiber
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
OM Tech 40W
OM Tech 40W
SPECS
$
390
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
2.8 in
12x8 in
40W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Cheapest CO2 entry point
  • Great work area for the price
  • Active unofficial online support communities
Cons
  • Build Quality
  • It WILL break
  • You WILL need to tinker
Pros
Cons
  • Cheapest CO2 entry point
  • Great work area for the price
  • Active unofficial online support communities
  • Build Quality
  • It WILL break
  • You WILL need to tinker

Also known as the K40. Just like with the upgraded 50W version there many Chinese companies that are putting out the same machine. While this is the cheapest way to get into a CO2 laser be ready to spend money and time on upgrades.

If you love to tinker and modify then a K40 is an awesome option, there are great unofficial K40 communities to help you through the upgrade process.

OM Tech AF 100W
OM Tech AF 100W
SPECS
$
5299.99
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
8 in
24x40 in
100
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
OM Tech AF 60W
OM Tech AF 60W
SPECS
$
2500
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
7.8 in
20x28 in
60W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Low cost for laser power
  • Huge work area
  • Active unofficial online community
Cons
  • Actually wattage is lower than listed (50W)
  • Issues with Chinese manufacturing/shipping
  • No included camera support
  • Software (but can be changed)
  • Size (this thing is MASSIVE!)
Pros
Cons
  • Low cost for laser power
  • Huge work area
  • Active unofficial online community
  • Actually wattage is lower than listed (50W)
  • Issues with Chinese manufacturing/shipping
  • No included camera support
  • Software (but can be changed)
  • Size (this thing is MASSIVE!)

Just like with it's 40W and 50W brothers a 60W Chinese laser is an awesome way to get size and power and relatively cheap price. Most machines you'll find are pretty much the same so be sure and shop around to find the best price. The main thing to look out for is a Ruida DSP controller. This will allow for the use of my favorite laser software Lightburn.

At 60W the speed and power of this CO2 laser will stand out. This is a great option for a Makerspace or other higher used shop spaces

Here is a great walkthrough from Ben Myers.

If you do decided to get an Orion Tech laser then I would recommend getting it from OM Tech, they are a US supplier for Orion Tech and the units are checked out and shipped from California. Also you can save 5-10% with the promo code: MAKEORBREAK.

Ortur Laser Master
Ortur Laser Master
SPECS
$
175.99
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
6 in
6.3x5.9 in
4W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Small and light
  • Less than $200
  • Easy to use with Lightburn
Cons
  • Misleading wattages listing (not 15W)
  • Gantry is only supported on end.
  • Tech support
Pros
Cons
  • Small and light
  • Less than $200
  • Easy to use with Lightburn
  • Misleading wattages listing (not 15W)
  • Gantry is only supported on end.
  • Tech support

The ORTUR Laster Master is a much more portable and smaller iteration compared to V2. I love the front print of this unit and it is a great option if you are looking to engraver smaller items or even larger surfaces since you can place the laser directly on top.

This is a 15W diode laser but that is a bit of a misnomer since the 15W is actually the power going into the laser unit. It is really a 4W laser.

Ortur Laser Master 2
Ortur Laser Master 2
SPECS
$
179
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
6 in
17x15.7 in
4W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Large work area for a diode laser
  • Great price.
  • Fairly portable
  • Easy to use with Lightburn
Cons
  • Hard to adjust z-axis (multiple screws)
  • Misleading wattages listing (not 15W)
Pros
Cons
  • Large work area for a diode laser
  • Great price.
  • Fairly portable
  • Easy to use with Lightburn
  • Hard to adjust z-axis (multiple screws)
  • Misleading wattages listing (not 15W)

If you are want to laser cut and produce a higher volume of things then stepping up to a CO2 laser (like my 50W) would be a better way to go. You’ll get more power, repeatability, plus the safety features that will make it easier to run in a busy shop.

But if you are looking to get into the world of lasers for not much money this is an awesome entry point. While diode lasers aren’t nearly as powerful, they start to open you up to the possibilities, especially if you are looking to engrave.

And for a diode laser machine moving forward this will be the one I recommend.

Best Laser Engraver

It’s at a great price point paired with a large work area.

Plus if you want to save space then the first version is still a great option.

Ortur Laser Master Engraver 2 Pro
Ortur Laser Master Engraver 2 Pro
SPECS
$
449
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
3 in
15.75 x 15.75 in
4.5 - 5W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • Large work area for a diode laser
  • Laser Cover for eye protection
  • Z-Axis adjustment attachment
  • High speeds
  • Fairly portable
  • Easy to use with Lightburn
Cons
  • More expensive than most
Pros
Cons
  • Large work area for a diode laser
  • Laser Cover for eye protection
  • Z-Axis adjustment attachment
  • High speeds
  • Fairly portable
  • Easy to use with Lightburn
  • More expensive than most

The Ortur Laser Master Engraver 2 Pro is a great update to the non pro version. It adds in great features like higher overall speeds, smaller laser focus, increased safety detection and longer service life.

You can also upgrade the machine with a Z-Height Adjuster, rotary as well as the new LU2-4 FAC laser module which is one of the strongest you can get in this price range.

PS20 Pro
PS20 Pro
SPECS
$
4995
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
6.5 in
20x12 in
45W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • 7in LCD Touchscreen
  • Motorized Z-Table
  • Pass Through for large sheets
  • Auto Focus
  • Build Quality
  • Knife Edge Workbed
Cons
  • No Camera
  • Higher price compared to Chinese machines
Pros
Cons
  • 7in LCD Touchscreen
  • Motorized Z-Table
  • Pass Through for large sheets
  • Auto Focus
  • Build Quality
  • Knife Edge Workbed
  • No Camera
  • Higher price compared to Chinese machines

If space and weight isn't as much of an issue and you want to step up from a desktop based machine then the PS line from Full Spectrum is a great option. While they aren't a quite the same quality as the very high end CO2 lasers they woudl more than meet the demands of a high use Makerspace or small business.

While they don't have the integrated cameras like the muse line, they more than make up for it with laser power and work area size. The ability to have a pass through slots iis also a great option once you get to machines this size.

If you want an even larger work area and power Full Spectrum also offers large and more expensive units:

Snapmaker 2.0 A350
Snapmaker 2.0 A350
SPECS
$
1319
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
10.8 in
12.6x13.8 in
1.6W
Diode
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
  • 3 in 1 System (Laser, 3D Printer, CNC)
  • All metal construction
  • Wifi
  • Opensource Snapmakerjs Software
  • Touchscreen Controls
  • Autofocus
  • Modular design to expandability
Cons
  • 3 In 1, master of none?
  • Version 1
  • Expensive for laser power
Pros
Cons
  • 3 in 1 System (Laser, 3D Printer, CNC)
  • All metal construction
  • Wifi
  • Opensource Snapmakerjs Software
  • Touchscreen Controls
  • Autofocus
  • Modular design to expandability
  • 3 In 1, master of none?
  • Version 1
  • Expensive for laser power

This is the second version in the Snapmaker line and is currently on pre-order. The Snapmaker 2.0 comes in 3 different sizes: A150, A250, A350. Were including their largest (A350) in this comparison.

Snapmaker Sizes

The Snapmaker is unique in that it is a 3D Printer, CNC Router and Laser Cutter/Engraver. It includes three interchangeable heads on the same machine gantry. It also takes the crown as the most funded technology project ever on Kickstarter and version 1.0.

The various modules attach through a unique CAN (Controller Area Network) bus system that allows for one integrated system.

Since the second version doesn't come out till September of 2020 its hard to give a recommendation. To get an idea of how the first one performed take a look at my friend Ben Myers review.

Thunder Nova 24
Thunder Nova 24
SPECS
$
6900
Laser Type
Max Thickness
Price
Cutting Area
Laser Power
6.1 in
23.6 x 15.7 in
60W
CO2
BUYREVIEWYouTUBE
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons

How to Choose the Best Laser

With such a wide range of laser cutters and laser engravers, how should you pick one? It’s helpful to think through five different criteria:

1. Laser Type:

There are a few different ways that a laser beam is generated: Diode, CO2 and Fiber.

We’ll get into more details on how they work, but generally lasers go up in price and performance as you move from Diode -> CO2 -> FIber.

A lasers power is given in Watts. Not only will higher wattages allow you to cut through thicker materials but higher wattages also allow for the machine to engrave and cut at faster speeds.

2. Cost

Let’s be serious. This is the first thing we all look at right? Prices for lasers range from $100 up to multiple thousands (if not tens of thousands).

In this comparison article, the highest is a $10,000 desktop fiber laser used to engrave metal. In general, the CO2 and Fiber lasers will be more expensive than a diode laser.

Also the build quality, software and customer support factor into the price.

3. Work Area Size

Unlike typical power tools like a table saw or handheld router, the biggest workpiece you can use with a laser is defined by the maximum length and width of its bed. This is why the cutting area is listed for every laser cutter and engraver in this review. Also, many lasers include adjustable z-axis which allows for thicker pieces of material, this value is listed as the max thickness.

4. Application

I get wanting a laser just to have a laser.

I mean it’s a freakin laser, right?

But it’s good to keep in mind what your end goal is. In general, the diode lasers listed in this review will be great for engraving but not cutting. CO2 lasers, which are more expensive, are great for both cutting and engraving but are more expensive.

And a Fiber laser is specifically used for engraving on metal and the most expensive.

5. Software

The final criteria is how you’ll communicate with the laser. Typically you’ll use a USB connection and run laser software on your computer. While the Chinese laser imports are much cheaper than their American counterparts you’ll run into some issues around their software.

There are many open-source and paid solutions to use instead of the software that comes with those Chinese lasers. Just know that you’ll need to do a little bit of tinkering out of the box to get everything working.

This is compared to custom solutions created by companies like Glowforge and Full Spectrum which come preinstalled on the lasers themselves (or in the cloud like Glowforge).

Laser History

The first laser cutting machine was developed by Western Electric Engineering in 1965. It was used for drilling holes in diamond dies. Lasers started to make their way into smaller shops in the ’80s when Epilog came out with their first machines. Then the technology started to open up to the hobbyist when Epilog released their Zing line (which is included in this review).

Western Digital Laser Cutter Demonstration

Now we have an embarrassment of riches with the type of machines you can buy, with various price points and the applications for a typical hobby shop.

How Does a Laser Cutter Work?

Let’s start with the basics. LASER is an acronym from “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. Any easy way to think of them is that magnifying glass you used as a kid to try and torch ants (or maybe that was just me..and Sid.)

You take a light source (in this case the sun) and focus it with a lens (our magnifying glass). As that beam of light gets smaller and more focused the power (and burning ability) goes up.

This is the same process as with a laser. Unlike the light from the sun which has low coherence (a fancy way of saying the light is spread out out), a laser has a very high coherence. The light generated from a laser is very focused. It is focused further from a final lens element at the end of the beam to create an incredibly small and intense beam of light (.004” diameter).

Laser Coherence

The laser beam is then attached to a CNC gantry. Through a process of computer commands known as Gcode, a laser cutter and engraver then moves the laser beam around your work material to generate the final result.

While the result of a laser is the same across all types of machines, how the beam is generated comes in a few different flavors. This will affect the machine's size, cost, power, and use cases.

Different Types of Laser Cutters

There are several different types of laser cutters and laser engravers. So when you are looking for a machine keep in mind what your end goal is. Just like with other tools, different types of lasers are great at different types of things.

CO2 Laser Cutter/Engraver

When you think of laser cutter/engraver most likely this is the style of laser you think of. This is the holy grail of most maker spaces and comes in a wide range of powers and sizes. Laser power can range from 25 Watts up to 150 Watts and even higher for industrial applications.

Because of their high power, one of the huge advantages of CO2 lasers is the ability to cut through nearly anything…except for metal (more on that later).

The laser beam is generated from a long glass laser tube that is typically in the back of the machine. This tube is filled with CO2 gas (hence the name), Nitrogen, Helium, and Hydrogen.

Laser Glass Tube

Electricity is passed through the tube and excites the gas particles giving off light. The laser beam then emerges from the end of the glass tube and enters the main cutting area of the machine.

The beam is reflected and focused out of the laser head that is attached to a large gantry. Because of the size of the laser tube and the need for the reflection of the laser beam the size and weight of CO2 lasers are large. Also, the mirrors must be perfectly aligned which makes moving them difficult since it’s easy to knock them out of alignment.

Once the beam hits the material a very small area is heated for an extremely short period. This is what causes the material to either melt, burn or vaporize.

In terms of wavelength, CO2 lasers produce infrared light (9.4 to 10.6 micrometers), you won’t be able to see the beam while it is running.

Diode Lasers

The science of Diode Lasers

After CO2 lasers the next most common laser you’ll find in a typical maker space or hobby shop setting is a diode laser. These are much smaller in size and there is a good chance you’ve got a few of their relatives on in your house right now. That’s because these work much like an ordinary LED (light-emitting diode).

LED’s work kind of like a semiconductor sandwich. The “bread” is made from two different types of treated silicon. Each side is treated differently. The p-type is rich with holes by lacking electrons. The n-type is the reverse with more electrons. When these are combined a p-n junction diode is created.

A current is then passed through the junction and the electrons combine with the open holes. As those free electrons combine with the holes they give off energy in the form of light.

Diode lasers work like an LED except the silicon is replaced with an aluminum alloy. As electrons are pumped into the p-n junction they combine with the holes and give off excess energy. That excess energy interacts with more incoming electrons helping to produce more energy in the form of photons.

Laser Graphic

The photons are emitted out of the side of p-n junction through a lens. The lens then focuses the beam of photons.

Ok so enough science. What does that mean?

Since the laser beam isn’t generated by a long glass tube, diode lasers are much smaller than a typical CO2 laser. But just like a lamp or a TV is made up of multiple LED’s you can stack laser diodes together. This results in a huge range of wattages and sizes.

When I’m talking about diode lasers I’m referring to single diodes that are much lower in wattage (10-watt optical power max). But on the positive side, they are also much smaller in size and weight plus more robust since there are no mirrors like a CO2 laser. An easy way to get into the world of lasers, especially if you already have a CNC is to attach a laser diode to the gantry.

Laser Diode Engraver

Diode Lasers have a wide wavelength spectrum, but typically you’ll find them between 400-1080 nm which falls into the visible light spectrum. Most diode laser engravers emit a purple light.

Here is a good overview of what a laser diode unit looks like and its different components from Endurance Robots.

Fiber Lasers

So a Fiber Laser isn't technically a different type of laser. Instead, it’s a tricked out diode laser. A bank of laser diodes is combined and channeled through a fiber optic cable. The light coming out of the fiber optic cable is then focused by a lens towards the material.

Fiber Laser Cutter

Unlike a CO2 laser, fiber lasers don’t require the use of mirrors to reflect the light because of the fiber optic cable. This makes them more rugged and energy-efficient because the laser beam isn’t exposed.

Fiber lasers produce an extremely small focal diameter (up to 100 times smaller than CO2 lasers), that intensity makes them ideal for cutting and engraving metals.

On the downsides, fiber lasers are much more expensive compared to CO2 lasers, even at the same wattages.

How to use a laser cutter

So you’ve picked a laser cutter and now it’s time to make something. The process of using a laser vs a CNC router is more simple but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Prepare the Material

Depending on what you are cutting/engraving you might want to apply some type of coating or covering to the surface. When woodcutting especially I like to use masking tape, this keeps the burn marks down and is easy to remove once finished.

For CO2 lasers you can use a spray like CerMark on metal to give a laser-etched effect. While a CO2 laser can’t directly cut or etch a metallic surface, the spray allows the laser to remove it to give a similar look

Material Placement

For an enclosed laser the material is placed on the bed. These beds come in different styles and can often be replaced. Since one of the key safety components is an exhaust system having airflow underneath your material is key.

A few different types of laser cutter beds:

Honeycomb: This design allows you to support the material while not cutting a ton into the bed. Honeycomb beds are fairly cheap and will eventually wear out. Think of them like a consumable when making a purchase decision. A cheap and DIY approach is to use a radiator grid.

Laser engraver honeycomb bed

Knife Bed: This is the style bed found on higher-end machines. It’s a series of metal knives spaced evenly across the machine. Compared to honeycomb beds they are much more robust. You will just need to be careful when cutting out pieces that are smaller than the distance between the knives since they can fall through the bed.

Laser engraver knife bed

Pin Bed: These are becoming more popular as a DIY solution especially to people modifying their Chinese laser like the K40. The bed is a series of small metal pins spaced out to support the material. Some designs have the pins permanently attached, with others they can be moved around on a piece by piece basis.

This is a great easy (and cheap) DIY solution

Laser cutter pin bed

Flat Bed with Slots: This is the style bed that came with my 50W Chinese laser cutter. The slots are pretty minimal meaning that I’m cutting on a flat surface. This has led to lots of scoring on the bottom of my pieces as well as melted plastic building up when cutting acrylics. If your laser comes with a bed like this you will either want to replace it or prop your material up when cutting it out.

Laser cutter slot bed

Nothing: The majority of diode lasers in this review are just a gantry without an enclosure. The materials that you are working with will be laid directly on a work surface and the diode laser is placed either on top of or around it.

Material Alignment

With the material in place, you’ll need a way to line the design up to the specific area on the material you want to cut and engrave. This also is done in several different ways depending on what laser you’re using.

Tape

This is the simplest and least precise way of doing it. You can run a test cut/engrave and then use tape to mark out the area that was cut out directly on the bed or a sacrificial piece underneath. Then the workpiece is placed to the tape for the actual cut/engrave.

Paper mask over wood on laser
laser engraving process
Epilog Lasers

Physical Fence

It’s also pretty common to create a physical fence along the x and y-axis. The laser is then aligned to that fence in software so that you have a point of reference when placing artwork.

Trace

This is the most common approach and is software-driven. Either the laser itself or the laser software will have a trace function. This will jog the laser head around the border of the artwork. You can then align either that art in the software or the actual piece of material.

Also, most lasers will either have a second laser pointer (CO2) or a lower power function to the laser itself (diode) that turns on during the trace function. This makes it easier to line up since the laser head is typically a few inches above the workpiece.

Cameras

These days higher-end desktop machines come with camera systems that give a live view of the workpiece in the laser software. You can then align the artwork “directly” on the material to be cut. When available this is by far my favorite means of lining up the artwork.

Machine Settings

The material is treated and in place, now it’s time to set a few variables in the laser software. Here are the things that will need to be adjusted:

Power

Just because you have a 40W laser doesn’t mean that you will run it full power. A good rule of thumb is to never run a CO2 laser over 50% power to help preserve the life of the glass laser tube. In addition to longevity, power will affect how deep a cut or engrave will go.

Power and speed work hand in hand when setting up the project.

Speed

The speed refers to the speed of the laser head. Again this can be changed and works alongside the power setting. Want to have a deeper cut? You can either decrease the speed, increase the power, or both.

There is always a balance in finding the best power/speed settings to give the best results and take the least amount of time.

Frequency

Frequency affects the number of laser pulses per second. Some machines can set this while others come with a stock setting. Different materials cut and engrave at different frequencies. While this can vary between machines and specific setups settings, wood is optimized between 500-1000 Hz and acrylic between 5000-20000 Hz.

Focus

The final variable is the laser beam focus. This is the focus of the actual laser beam and is adjusted with the Z-axis on the machine. Some machines have an automatic z-axis and can autofocus the beam by moving the entire bed up and down.

In other machines, the z-axis or the laser head itself can be adjusted up and down. While you won’t have to set this up every cut you will need to make sure the laser head is the correct distance above your workpiece as the thickness changes.

Laser Cutting and Engraving Techniques

When you are using a laser cutter or laser engraver you’ll be doing one of two different types of operations (which are in the names).

Laser Cutting

During this process, the laser beam will follow the line or outline of a shape. Vector artwork is used to create these designs meaning that the artwork can be scaled without the loss of resolution.

Full Spectrum Muse engraving

Vector editing software like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape uses a mathematical formula to represent the shapes that are created on the screen. Regardless of how large or how small the artwork is scaled, there won’t be any loss of resolution.

While vector cuts will most likely but used for cutting through a piece of material you can also use to engrave outlines of shapes or give definition to the edges of a raster engrave.

Laser Engraving

This process is very similar to a typical inkjet (or laser) printer. The laser will go back and forth along the gantry and slowly build up the design. This process is used to fill in shapes.

Engraving can be done with both vector and raster artwork. Just like with vector cutting, by using a vector to create an engrave you won’t have a loss of resolution in the artwork itself. Instead, the limit to your resolution will be from the laser cutter/engraver itself.

Laser Engraving

Nearly all machines give you the ability to engrave up to 1000 DPI (dots per inch). A typical high-quality photo from a printer is around 300 DPI. The only real limitation with a laser is that it can only reproduce one color.

There are ways to adjust the power so you get different depths of cut to simulate different shades of grey. The most popular way to reproduce a greyscale image is with dithering. Dithering uses lots of very small dots that have different spacings to produce different shades of grey.

You can laser cut and laser engrave regardless of the type of laser (CO2, Diode, Fiber). The majority of the CO2 lasers included in this review can easily perform both operations depending on the material. The cheaper and less powerful diode lasers in this review will mostly be used for engraving.

Laser Cutting Software

There are several different software packages for controlling a laser.

Lightburn

Outside of the custom solutions built and integrated by the laser manufacturers, Lightburn is my favorite.

I met the developer at Maker Faire NYC a few years back and was blown away on how he had turned a cheap K40 CO2 laser into an easy to use machine.

Lightburn is quickly becoming the standard piece of software even from the Chinese manufactures, as they have started to include a license with purchase. Lightburn offers a 30-day full trial if you want to test it out and a one-time license fee of $40 (GCode) or $80 (DSP).

Lightburn Laser Cutting Software

You can control a cheaper GCode based diode laser with it to a more powerful DSP controller-based CO2 laser. If you have ever used image or vector editing software you’ll be up and running pretty quick.

Plus the Lightburn community is very active in their forums and Facebook support groups.

Chinese Software

I’m going to group several pieces of software into this category. Many of the Chinese imports will come with software like Corel Laser, Lasercut or Laser Draw. These can work but often the characters will show up in Chinese (or worse) and are pretty buggy.

The great part is that most Open Source software (as well as LIghtburn) can be used interchangeably. One thing to look out for is a Ruida based controller if you are getting a 50W and higher Chinese import. I made that mistake with mine so Lightburn wasn’t supported when I first got it.

Laser GRBL

Laser GRBL is a free and open-source piece of software that often gets included with the cheaper diode lasers. It works great but the interface is a bit clunky.

Laser GRBL

Propriety Software

Most of the American made machines will include their software. Full Spectrum Muse uses Retina Engrave, Glowforge runs its own and Dremel uses Digilab.

Retina Engrave

Each of these pieces of software will have its learning curve and strengths and weaknesses. I’ve found that most of them are pretty similar to Lightburn with a few tweaks here and there.

How do I create designs for a laser cutter?

There are tons of way to get designs into your laser software. First, you can search for free graphics online and most laser software will accept .jpg, .png, etc.

There are two different types of files you’ll work with:

First are files containing pictures. These can be full color or greyscale and the laser software will convert them to an image to be rastered.

Laser Engraved Design

Second are vectors. They can be but cut and engraved since the lines are defined by math.

Laser Cut Design

I tend to stick with vector editing software when I’m generating new images so that I can both cut and engrave.

Here are the free options.

Here are paid

Most laser software will come with the ability to generate new designs directly. So even if you don’t want to learn a brand new piece of software you can still create new designs.

How to Build a Laser Cutter

Want to take a DIY approach? There are lots of resources on how to build a laser from scratch.

I had Rob Chesney of Further Fabrication on my podcast to talk about his custom CO2 laser build. He offers full plans if you want to follow along with his process.

Watch the full series here:

DIY Laser Build

Open Builds is a great community of makers creating digital fabrication machines. Often they will include 3D printed parts and a full bill of materials.

Rotary Attachments

Many lasers will include a rotary attachment. These allow you to engrave things like tumblers and cups. With my 50W Chinese laser, this was included but you can also buy them for all types of machines.

Laser rotary
Lasers vs 3D Printing and CNC

So how does a laser cutter and engraver compared too the other two tools in the Digital Fabrication holy trinity?

Laser Cutter vs 3D Printer

The advantage of a 3D printer over a laser is in the complexity of shapes that they can create. They truly are 3D through a process of additive manufacturing. The shape is built from the ground up. This allows you to get much more complex and intricate final products than what you would get from a laser.

3D Printing

3D Printers are also very slow in comparison. If you want to create a basic 3D shape like a box than a laser cutter is going to be a great option. There are many free box generator sites online that will give you designs with tabs that allow you to build a box at various sizes. Plus a laser will knock this out in a few minutes compared to a 3D printer which could take hours.

Also, a laser can replicate images through raster engraving. While there are some pretty crazy ways to reproduce images on a 3D printer that’s not the most common (or efficient) use case.

Laser Cutter vs CNC Router

It’s important to note that a laser is technically a CNC. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. Since the gantries of both a laser and CNC router are similar if not the same, there are many similarities between the two.

A CNC router is going to be more powerful and can cut through a much thicker material since it is using an actual router bit. The laser will still win out in speed tests, plus you don’t have to have elaborate systems of holding materials down since there is very little force placed on the workpiece.

CNC cutting letters

CNC Routers do open up the ability for 2.5D carvings. You can create incredible shapes and designs because of the routers ability to carve in 3 dimensions. While you can vary the z-axis height on a laser it is very hard (if not impossible) to get the same type of carving effect.

Since there are tons of similarities between a CNC router and laser it is pretty common to replace the router with a diode laser module.

J-Tech is a common addition to the X-Carve, Shapeoko, and Open Build CNC designs. If you already have a CNC Router in your shop then the addition of a laser diode module is a great first step into the world of lasers.

If you are interested in getting into CNC then the Ortur Aufero CNC Engraver is a greatl desktop unit for under $300. Check out the full review here.

J Tech Laser
Safety

While lasers can be the most fun tool in the shop, they can also be the most dangerous. Here are a few areas to keep in mind when comparing different machines.

Laser Beam Protection

Companies will approach keeping you safe from the laser beam in a couple of different ways. The most basic (and effective) is placing an enclosure around the entire laser. All CO2 and Fiber lasers listed in this review will include a full enclose. The cheaper diode lasers will often be out in the open and that is the biggest drawback to those machines.

Most machines will come with safety glasses. They can either be tinted for diode lasers or clear for CO2. There are many times these aren’t rated for protection against a laser beam, so just like the sun, you won’t want to look directly at the beam and be mindful of any reflective surfaces that the laser could bounce off of.

Fumes

When using a laser you’re going to generate fumes. This could be simple smoke with wood or more toxic when working with acrylics. More expensive machines will be fully enclosed and provide a fan and port to duct the fumes outdoors.

My lasers are set up next to a window to run the smoke and fumes outside.

You can also purchase a separate air filtration system that removes the need for outside ventilation.

Air Assist

The most dangerous aspect of a laser is the risk of fire. Since you will often be cutting and engraving flammable materials an air assist is a common feature on most CO2 and Fiber machines. The air assist is attached right next to the lens at the end of the laser beam. It pushes compressed air directly onto the work surface to reduce flameouts.

Diode lasers typically don’t come with this to not only save on cost but also due to the lower wattages. I’ve yet to have any type of flame ups when using my diode laser.

Regardless you should never leave a laser unattended and have a fire extinguisher on hand.

Laser Engraving Services

What if you don’t want to drop all that money on a laser cutter/engraver but would rather get an idea of what it can do with some projects? There are several laser cutting and laser engraving services to use.