Materials & Testing
Develop dependable laser settings with focus, material tests, kerf checks, test strips and documented presets.
Material Test Border: When to Cut the Grid Free
The Material Test border can be used as a separate cut around the test grid, useful when you want a portable labeled sample; it needs its own safe cut setting.
Material Test Presets: Repeat Tests Consistently
Presets reduce setup friction, but a preset is a test definition — not proof that the same result will occur on another laser or material batch.
Reducing Char: Speed, Power, Passes and Airflow
A darker edge can come from excessive heat dwell, poor air evacuation, incorrect focus or too many slow passes; power alone is not the only variable.
Cutting Preflight: Focus, Air, Frame, Preview and Test
Reliable cutting comes from a repeatable preflight: material identification, focus, air assist, clean optics, correct layer settings, Preview and Framing.
Tabs and Bridges: Keep Cut Parts Attached Until You Want Them Free
Use small uncut connections to stop released parts from shifting, falling or being disturbed before the job is complete.
Kerf Offset: Compensate for Material Removed by the Cut
Measure real cut width and compensate fit-critical parts instead of scaling the entire design blindly.
Build Material Settings Scientifically: Test, Change One Variable, Record
Turn material tuning into a repeatable experiment instead of random Speed and Power guessing.
Material Library: Build Reusable Settings Without Losing Machine Context
Store tested Cut Settings by material and operation, while keeping enough context to know which machine and thickness they actually belong to.
Focus Test: Find the Best Focus Instead of Guessing
Use LightBurn's Focus Test on supported setups to compare focus positions systematically before committing to production settings.
Layer Defaults vs Material Library: Save Settings in the Right Place
Use layer defaults for recurring palette behavior and Material Libraries for real machine/material recipes.
Material Test: Find Speed and Power for a New Material
Build a controlled test grid instead of guessing one Speed/Power pair and hoping it works.