Laser Cutting Guide

 INTRODUCTION

Have you ever wondered how a beam of light can slice through wood or carve your name into acrylic?

Welcome to the fascinating world of laser cutting & engraving! Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast, a student, or a small business owner dreaming of personalized products, understanding how a laser cutter works will open up endless creative possibilities. Universal Laser Systems, one of the pioneers in this field, has been designing computer-controlled CO₂ laser cutting and engraving systems since 1988 and manufacturing CO₂ lasers since 1997 — building more laser systems than any other company in the industry and making this incredible technology accessible for makers everywhere.

A laser cutter is a computer-controlled machine that uses a powerful laser beam to precisely cut, engrave, or mark different materials. From custom phone cases to intricate wooden signs, a laser cutter makes it possible to turn digital designs into real, tangible things — with stunning precision.

So, How Does a Laser Cutter Work?

At its core, a laser is just highly focused, amplified light — in fact, LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

In a CO₂ laser cutter (like the 75W CO₂ laser cutter you might be using), the laser beam is created inside a tube filled with CO₂ gas. This beam is then guided by mirrors and focused through a lens onto the material’s surface. Controlled by a computer, the laser head moves over the work area following the design you’ve prepared — melting, burning, or vaporizing the material exactly where needed.

Depending on the settings, you can:

1. Cut: Slice right through materials like plywood or acrylic.

•  Use RGB Red (255, 0, 0) in your design file — this tells the laser to cut all the way through.

2. Engrave: Remove just the top layer to etch patterns or text for fine detail work.

•  Use RGB Blue (0, 0, 255) — this marks single-line surface engraving that doesn’t cut through.

3. Mark (Raster Engrave): Change the material’s color or shade a large area (often used for metals or shading photos).

• Use RGB Black (0, 0, 0) — this tells the laser to do a raster engraving, which fills an area line by line.

Key Components of a Laser Cutter

Before you fire up your imagination, let’s break down what’s inside the machine:

• Laser Tube — where the laser beam is generated (CO₂ gas in our case).
• Mirrors & Lenses — guide and focus the laser beam to a fine point.
• Laser Head — directs the beam onto your material.
• Work Bed/Table — where you place your material.
• Cooling System — keeps the laser tube from overheating.
• Exhaust/Ventilation — removes fumes and smoke safely.
• Control Panel & Software — where you set up your design, power, speed, and more.

Knowing these parts helps you understand how to adjust settings for different materials and designs.

Types of Laser Machines

Not all lasers are created equal — so which one is best for your project?
Here’s a quick snapshot:

1. CO₂ Lasers (Gas Lasers) — The star of our blog! Great for cutting and engraving non-metallic materials like wood, acrylic, leather, paper, and textiles. Perfect for hobbyists and small businesses.
2. Fiber Lasers — More powerful, mostly used for engraving or marking metals and industrial applications. Very precise, but usually more expensive.
3. Crystal Lasers — High-end lasers used in specialized industrial processes. Not common for everyday users.

Vector vs. Raster in Laser Cutting

Vector Cutting / Vector Engraving

•  Vector means the laser follows a path (line or outline) — like tracing shapes or letters.

• It is used for cutting all the way through material (cutting) or lightly etching lines on the surface (line engraving).

• Use thin lines (hairline width) as it's design files.

• Common colors:

  1. Red (RGB 255, 0, 0) → Cutting (the laser cuts completely through the material)

  2. Blue (RGB 0, 0, 255) → Vector Engraving (the laser lightly traces lines on the surface without cutting through)

 Raster Engraving

• Raster means the laser scans back and forth like a printer, removing the surface layer in tiny dots to shade or fill areas.

• Used for for adding images, text fills, photos, or shading.

• Use filled shapes or images as it's design file.

• Common color:

  1. Black (RGB 0, 0, 0) → Raster Engraving (the laser engraves the entire surface area — deeper black = more engraving)

  2. Optional: Use Gray (e.g., RGB 128, 128, 128) for lighter shading — lighter colors mean less engraving depth.

Since you will be working with a 75W CO₂ laser cutter, you’re in good hands — it’s versatile, beginner-friendly, and capable of handling most hobby and light production needs.

Before You Get Started: Prepare a 2D Sketch from Your 3D CAD Design

• Before you begin the actual laser cutting process, it’s important to have a clean 2D sketch ready. Most laser cutters work with 2D files — so if you’ve designed your project in 3D CAD software, you’ll first need to extract a 2D view of your design.
• Depending on the CAD software you use (such as SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Onshape, or AutoCAD), you should be able to create a 2D drawing from your 3D model. Once you have your 2D sketch, export it in a PDF format.
• This PDF will then be opened in a design software like CorelDRAW, which is commonly used for preparing files for laser cutting. In CorelDRAW, you can check the dimensions, adjust the layout if needed, and make sure the file is ready for the laser machine.
• Taking time to prepare your 2D sketch properly saves you time, material, and frustration later during cutting.

Getting started with the Universal Laser cutter

Introduction to the Universal Laser System

The Universal Laser System (ULS) VLS Platform Series includes three versatile freestanding models: the VLS3.75, VLS4.75, and VLS6.75. Each is designed for precision, flexibility, and ease of use, offering CO₂ laser power options ranging from 10W up to 75W. All models support either the 10.6 µm or 9.3 µm laser wavelengths, making them suitable for a wide variety of materials and applications.

For our case, we’ll be using the VLS6.75, equipped with a 75W CO₂ laser — the highest power configuration available in the series. It features a spacious 32" x 18" (813 x 457 mm) material processing area, ideal for both intricate detailing and larger projects. With this setup, users gain access to fast cutting speeds, deeper engraving capabilities, and the ability to work efficiently on a broad range of materials.

 CO₂ universal laser machine cuts:

• Wood

• Paper

• Cardboard

• Fabric

• Leather

• Acrylic

• Rubber (laser-safe)

• Some plastics (like Delrin, Mylar)

• Foam (like EVA, PE foam)

Laser Cutting Procedure

Step 1- Basic funtions of a laser cutter

A laser cutter works in three main ways:

• Cutting (Red): The laser fully cuts through the material.

• Single Line Engraving (Blue): The laser marks the surface with a fine line but doesn’t cut through.

• Raster Engraving (Black): The laser moves back and forth to engrave filled areas.

Step 2- File Preparation (part1)

You’ll prepare your designs using CorelDRAW, which is installed on the lab computers connected to the laser cutters.

You can create your design files in programs like Rhino 3D, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, SolidWorks, Inventor, or Fusion 360.
Always export your files in 2D using formats such as .dxf, .ai, .eps, .svg, .pdf, or .bmp (raster only).
CorelDRAW will open any of these formats for final preparation.

Step 3- File Preparation (part2)

When importing your file into CorelDRAW, always check:

• Correct Size:
  Select your artwork, then check the dimensions shown in the top-left toolbar.
  To resize proportionally, lock the padlock icon before changing dimensions.

• No Duplicate Lines:
  Double lines cause the laser to cut twice — which wastes time and can damage material or create fire risk.
  To check, select and delete a line; if there’s another line underneath, it stays visible. Use Edit > Undo to restore it if needed.

Step 4 — File preparation (part 3

• Set all cutting or single line engraving paths to Hairline lineweight:

  • Open the Object Properties panel (go to Window > Dockers > Object Properties if it’s not visible).

  • Select your line, then set the lineweight to Hairline from the dropdown.

  • Use RGB colors to define operations:

    • Red (255, 0, 0) → Cutting

    • Blue (0, 0, 255) → Single line engraving

    • Black (0, 0, 0) → Raster engraving

  Use the right-side color swatches in CorelDRAW:

  • Right-click to set the outline color (for cuts and single lines).

  • Left-click to set the fill color (for raster fills).

Step 5 — File preparation (part 4)

You can also manually enter colors:

• In Object Properties, use the dropdown to input RGB values.

• Click the paint bucket icon to set fill colors (for raster).

• Click the pen nib icon to set outline colors (for cuts/engraves).

Step 6 — Powering on the laser cutter

• Turn on the laser cutter using the small black switch.

• Wait for the machine to initialize — the cutting head will move through a brief routine.

  • Important: Log in to the computer before powering on the laser.
    If the cutter freezes, restart the process with the computer logged in first.

Step 7 — Focusing the laser (part 1)

• Open the cover and place your material on the bed.

• Before moving the cutting head, check visually that the cone can clear the material height.

  • If not, adjust the Z-height:

    • On the control screen, select Z, press OK, then adjust using the arrow keys.

    • Lower the table until there’s enough clearance.

• Return to the control panel’s home screen. Select X/Y, press OK, and use the arrow keys to move the cutting head over your material.

Step 8 — Focusing the laser (part 2)

• Place the focus tool flat against the face of the carriage.

• Check the gap between the angled edge of the tool and the bottom of the carriage:

  • If the carriage doesn’t touch the tool’s angled edge, adjust the table height.

• Use the Z controls to raise or lower the table until the carriage lightly pushes the tool’s top edge away.

• Lower the table just enough for the tool to sit flat again.

• Confirm the tool is flush and stable. Remove it and store it near the control panel.

Your laser is now correctly focused.

Step 9 — Creating and Assigning Cutting Settings (part 1)

• In CorelDraw, go to File > Print, pick ILS9.150D as your printer.

• Click Preferences.

• In the Materials Database tab, pick what material you’re cutting.

• Enter the material thickness — this makes sure the laser knows how deep to cut.

• Click Apply to save.

Choosing the right material and thickness makes the laser use safe and proper speed & pow

Step 10 — Creating and Assigning Cutting Settings (part 2)

• Go to the Manual Control tab.

• Make sure:

  • Red & Blue colors = Vector (Vect) (cutting or line engraving).

  • Black = Raster (Rast) (surface engraving).

• Set Z axis = OFF and Laser = Both.

• Always select one color at a time, adjust, then deselect to avoid mistakes.

• Click Set, then OK, then Print.

Each color tells the machine what to do: cut, engrave a line, or engrave an area

Step 11 — Send to Laser Control Software

• when you hit Print, the Universal Control Software opens.

• Drag your file to where you want it to cut on the laser’s table.

  • Use the Move Tool to drag.

  • Or use Focus View to point the laser head.

• Snap your artwork’s corner to the pointer.

This makes sure your design cuts exactly where you placed your material.

Step 12 — Verifying settings and pre-cutting checklist

• Open Settings to confirm your power/speed are correct.

• Close the laser cover.

• Turn on the exhaust fan — very important!

You must vent out smoke and fumes — never cut without the exhaust on.

Step 13 — Cutting (finally) and making adjustments (part 1)

• Click the big green Play button to begin cutting.

• Never leave the laser alone!

• If needed, press Pause in software or on the machine.

• When done, wait a bit for smoke to clear.

• Check if cuts went all the way through before moving the piece.

Moving the piece mid-cut ruins alignment — you’d waste material.

Step 14 — Cutting (finally) and making adjustments (part 2)

• If it didn’t cut through:

  • Increase Power OR Reduce Speed in small steps (max 10%).

• If engraving is too light or dark:

  • Adjust Power up or down.

  • For rasters, you can run it again over the same spot.

Small adjustments prevent burning or fire.

Step 15 — Cutting (finally) and making adjustments (part 3)

• To re-run only part of the job (e.g. just raster):

  • In Settings > Manual, turn off processes you don’t want by setting them to Skip.

  • Click Set, OK, then Play again.

This saves time & material if only one part needs fixing.

Step 16 — Further troubleshooting/things to look for

• If the cut line is too wide or too much smoke:

  • Re-check the focus (Steps 7–8).

  • If still bad, the optics might be dirty — shut down, mark it, and report to the respective technician.

• If fire happens:

  • Hit Pause and open the lid.

  • Use the oven mitt to smother flames.

  • If that fails, use the small fire extinguisher.

• If your artwork is missing in the software:

  • Check that lines are Hairline weight.

  • Confirm RGB colors match the operations you set.

Note:

• Focusing keeps cuts clean. Safety is top priority.
• Wrong lineweight or colors = laser won’t “see” parts of your design

Congratulations!  You’ve just unlocked the power to turn your ideas into real products with your laser cutter. With every cut and engrave, you’re bringing your creativity to life faster than ever before. Keep experimenting, keep creating — you’ve got the skills to make anything you imagine. Now go out there and make something amazing!

References

1.  VLS Platform User Guide

2. CO2 laser cutting machine

3. Universal Laser Engrave Tutorial