Burning Stuff on Purpose

A beginners guide to getting started with a laser

When I say laser, I can never get the sound of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers talking about his laser-beam sharks out of my head. Definitely a different kind of art. Lasers are widely used for all kinds of things, from making art to creating practical tools for around the house and so much more. The cutting accuracy and versatility never fail to impress. Let’s take a closer look.

How Laser Cutting Works

1. Design Creation

The process begins with a digital design or even a copy/paste from a clipart collection. You don’t need to be a digital artist to get into this stuff. Next, you’ll typically bring that image into your laser’s design software, such as xTool Studio, or something more universal, like LightBurn.

2. Material Selection

Different materials can be used for laser cutting, including wood, acrylic, metal, fabric, and paper. Each material has its own characteristics and requires specific settings—and sometimes a specific type of laser.

3. Laser Cutting Process

These are the final steps before you end up with either a wonderfully thought-out design or a small pile of scrap that you swear you will repurpose one day.

Benefits of Laser Cutting

Well, there are a lot, but here’s the main one I like: it’s not done with a saw or scissors. Trying to cut some of these designs by hand would take hours, and your design might turn out... or it might not. A laser can make extremely detailed and repeatable cuts without making your hands hate you in the process.

Choosing the Right Material

Selecting the right material is crucial for achieving the result you want. There are a lot of things to consider depending on the material, your laser, and the project.

Wood

The classic choice for laser cutting. Wood can be used for signs, home decor, toys, games, gifts, and about a thousand other things you’ll suddenly decide you need to make. Different types of wood, such as plywood, MDF, and hardwood, can produce very different results. That’s why it’s a good idea to make a material tester for everything.

You can make your own or check laser-cutting communities for one. Atomm.com is a good resource, and Cuttle.xyz is another great one. This applies to most materials. Sometimes you’re just going to have to sacrifice a few pieces figuring out the settings that work best.

Acrylic

Acrylic is a versatile material that comes in lots of colors and thicknesses. It’s often used for signage, awards, decorative items, and illuminated designs. Acrylic can be cut and engraved to create some really impressive effects, especially when paired with lighting.

Just remember that different types and colors of acrylic can behave differently depending on the type of laser you’re using.

Metal

Laser engraving can also be done on metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, and brass. Make a custom pet tag, engrave a tumbler, or etch a design onto the edge of a knife.

Actually cutting metal takes the right kind of laser and enough power, so make sure you have the right tool for the job if that’s something you want to do. Depending on your laser and the type of metal, you may also need a marking spray or coating to get the effect you’re looking for.

Fabric and Paper

For textile and paper projects, laser cutting can create incredibly intricate patterns and designs. This technique is commonly used in fashion, sewing, paper crafts, home decor, and even homeschool projects.

It’s also where working area starts to matter. If you’ve ever bought a fish tank, the “go as big as you can” rule applies here too. The larger the working area of the laser you buy, the more options you’ll have later.

What If I Don’t Have a Laser Yet?

As I just mentioned, go big, if you can. Of course, everything has to be factored in. How much space do you have? Are you trying to turn this into a business, or is it just a hobby? How are your funds?

Buying a bigger laser doesn’t mean you have to start with bigger projects, so that’s a positive. You can still start small. I started with a Cricut cutter. Not a laser, but it created a bug in me that made me want more.

Next, I moved on to the little Amazon-special lasers in the $200–$400 range. I tested three of them. I quickly realized they were just missing something. They did the job, but I knew it could be better, and the working area just wasn’t large enough for the things I wanted to make.

So I went right to the top of the Google search results, and xTool was everywhere. I started reading reviews, and there weren’t a lot of negatives other than the obvious one: it’s a pretty big financial commitment if you aren’t sure you’ll use it.

I started small with the F1 Lite. That gave me the precision and software experience I didn’t even know I was missing and it wasn't the most expensve one on the list. When I started dreaming about what I would cut next, I got the S1 from xTool. After trying 4 different brands, I have to say this one is the best for the hobbist.

Lately, I’ve been watching videos about CO2 cutters and admiring those much larger working areas. Yes, I will have you, CO2 cutter. When? I’m not sure. But you ARE in my future.

My most recent purchase, currently on order, is actually a step backward in the cutting world... or maybe forward. I don’t know. It’s the Omni Printer by xTool, and I am patiently/impatiently waiting for that thing to show up on my doorstep.

The First Thing You Make Is...

So now you have a laser. What’s next, and how do you decide what to make? Browsing YouTube was where I started. Then, little by little, I started hearing the inside scoop on where everyone was finding their designs.

One of the best resources I’ve found so far is right inside xTool Studio, and there are tons of ideas on Atomm.

Start With a Problem—or Art You’re Missing

Think of something you need. Maybe you want to make a task easier or organize your life a little better. Got a bunch of pens? Make a pen holder. Have a junk drawer? Make drawer dividers. Need hangers for your underwear? Design to your heart’s content.

If that doesn’t spark an idea, just go straight to the cute stuff. Holiday coming up? Time to decorate. Friend getting married? Him-and-her stuff. Someone having a baby? Head straight for the “It’s a Girl” or “It’s a Boy” designs. There are so many things this hobby is good for.

The Detail in the Design

When I’m designing, I approach it like I approach dieting. Chunky, but not too chunky. If the details are too fine, half your design may go up in smoke. If it’s too chunky, it might look like a preschooler’s coloring page.

If that’s what you’re going for, awesome. Big and blocky it is. That’s certainly better than ashes.

Test Your Design

If your software has a preview option, use it. Save the material if you can help it. Or dig through that pile of scraps you swore you were saving for something and use a small piece for a test run.

You don’t need to cut the entire project to discover that your engraving is too light or that part of your design disappears completely. Save the Bass...wood.

Remember, G.I. Joe said it first: “Knowing is half the battle.” And really, who likes learning the hard way? Don’t forget your test run.

The Laser Cutting Process

With your design ready, it’s time to move on to the actual laser-cutting process.

Setting Up the Laser Cutter

1. Prepare the Machine

Make sure the laser cutter is clean and properly set up. Check the lens and any other maintenance points recommended for your particular machine. Different lasers have different needs here. This is not a manual you should skip.

2. Load the Material

Place your material on the cutting bed and make sure it is secure and positioned correctly. Also make sure your base is safe and you’re not about to laser a hole through the bottom of your machine—or your table.

Look up recommended settings for your laser and material. You can also ask AI for a starting point. ALWAYS confirm information you get from any AI source before running your laser.

3. Upload the Design

Transfer your design into the laser software and adjust your settings based on the material type, thickness, and the result you want.

Cutting and Engraving

1. Start the Process

Good software will help you organize the order of operations. For example, if you need to score and cut the same piece, you generally want the scoring or engraving done first and the final cut done last so your material doesn’t move before the detail work is finished.

2. Post-Processing

Once the job is complete, carefully remove your piece from the machine. Depending on the material, you may need to sand edges, wipe away residue, remove masking, or seal the finished piece.

For some materials, such as unfinished wood, isopropyl alcohol can help remove residue—but test it on a scrap first because finishes and materials can react differently. You can also seal wood with something like shellac if that works for the project.

And if you’re engraving metal, remember: it’s hot when it’s done. Don’t go gettin’ grabby with that stuff until you know it’s cool.

Time to Get On It

You are only limited by your imagination, so let go and get creating. Your first project probably won’t be your best project. It may not even survive. That’s okay. Keep the scraps—you’ll swear you’re going to use them later anyway.

Start with something simple, learn what your laser can do, test your materials, and don’t be afraid to mess up a few pieces along the way. Before long, you’ll be looking at random objects around your house thinking, I could probably make that with my laser.

And that’s when you know the laser bug has officially gotten you.

If you have a favorite place to find laser files, a project you’re proud of, or something you wish you’d known before buying your first laser, drop it in the comments. I’d love to add more resources for the next person who catches the bug.