Slate, Stone, Paper, Cardstock: Diode
Slate is the diode's most-impressive surprise, instant white-on-black mark with no special prep. Paper and cardstock work well for crafts / packaging / cards.
Slate
Naturally fractures into clean white mark areas where the laser hits.
| Engrave | 2500 mm/min · 30-40% · 1 pass · 0.08 line |
| Photo / portrait | 3000 mm/min · 25-35% · Jarvis dither · 0.10 line |
- No prep needed.
- Use a damp paper towel for slightly cleaner engrave (similar to glass technique).
- Sources: kitchen-supply (cheese boards), craft suppliers, tile suppliers.
Marble, granite, limestone
Diode handles dark / colored marble; struggles with light marble (low contrast).
- Dark marble: 2000 mm/min, 35-45%, 1-2 passes. Watch for cracking.
- Light marble: poor contrast on diode. Use CO2 instead.
- Granite (dark, fine-grained): 1800 mm/min, 40%, 1-2 passes. Coarse-grained granite gives speckled inconsistent results.
Cardstock & paper
| Material | Speed | Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardstock 250-350gsm cut | 800 mm/min | 35% | Single pass |
| Cardstock score / fold | 2000 mm/min | 15% | For card folds |
| Cardstock engrave | 3000 mm/min | 10-20% | Subtle relief |
| White copy paper cut | 1500 mm/min | 25% | Edges may scorch |
| Black/dark paper cut | 1000 mm/min | 35% | Diode prefers dark colors |
Greeting card production
One of the diode's perfect use cases, fast, low-power, high-detail cuts on cardstock.
- Design with three layers: engrave (faces), score (folds), cut (perimeter).
- Set Order By → Layer in Optimization Settings: engrave → score → cut.
- Run on a sheet of cardstock; use weights or magnets to keep flat.
- Pop out completed cards; fold along scores.
Stencil cutting
Mylar / polyester sheets cut beautifully for stencils.
- 0.125mm Mylar: 1500 mm/min, 100% power, single pass.
- 0.25mm polyester: 800 mm/min, 100%, 1-2 passes.
- Beware of: PVC-based "stencil vinyl", toxic. Mylar / polyester only.
Cork
| Cork sheet 3mm cut | 600 mm/min · 70% · 1 pass |
| Cork engrave | 3000 mm/min · 25% |
Cork can flare up. Watch carefully; keep extraction running.
Felt (wool)
Wool felt cuts and engraves cleanly. Synthetic felt = NO (off-gas).
- Cut 3mm wool felt: 400 mm/min, 75%, 1 pass.
- Engrave: 3000 mm/min, 20%.
Common craft projects
- Greeting cards (with folds + cuts + engrave details)
- Wedding invitation suites
- Slate coasters (4-set)
- Slate house signs
- Layered paper art
- Quilling templates
- Stencils for paint / spray-paint art
- Box / package mockups