Laser Types Compared
Three families of laser dominate the small-business and prosumer market: fiber, CO2, and diode. Each excels at a different category of materials. Pick the wrong one for your work and you'll fight physics every day. Here's how to think about which to use.
The 30-second summary
| Type | Wavelength | Best at | Can't do | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 1064 nm | Marking and engraving metal; color anneal; relief coins; photo on metal | Cut wood, cut acrylic, engrave clear materials | $3K-15K |
| CO2 | 10,600 nm | Cutting and engraving wood, acrylic, leather, fabric, paper, glass, tile | Mark bare metal directly (needs spray); engrave reflective metal | $3K-15K (small biz) |
| Diode | 405-455 nm | Engraving wood, dark leather, anodized AL; cutting thin wood/leather/cardstock | Bare metal (needs spray); clear acrylic; white materials | $200-1.5K |
Why wavelength is the whole game
Lasers don't engrave material, they deliver photons that the material absorbs and converts to heat. Different materials absorb different wavelengths. Wood absorbs 10,600 nm beautifully but reflects 1064 nm. Metal absorbs 1064 nm well but reflects 10,600 nm. So:
- Fiber laser hits a piece of wood → most of the energy reflects, almost nothing happens.
- CO2 laser hits a piece of bare aluminum → most of the energy reflects, almost nothing happens.
- Diode laser hits a sheet of clear acrylic → energy passes straight through, nothing happens.
This isn't a software setting you can override. It's physics. Pick the laser whose wavelength matches your most-common material.
Fiber lasers: for metal work
1064 nm near-infrared. Source types matter: MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) lets you tune pulse width 2-500 ns, which unlocks color annealing, fine plastic marking, and clean dark marks on anodized aluminum. Q-switched fiber has a fixed pulse width (~80-140 ns) and costs less but can't color-anneal.
- Construction: doped fiber + diode pump + galvo head. No moving gantry; the beam is steered by two tiny mirrors.
- Workspace: small (typically 100×100mm to 175×175mm depending on lens), part placed in a jig under the head.
- Best at: stainless steel (black mark, color anneal, deep engrave, photo), anodized aluminum, brass, titanium (color anneal), surface-marked plastics.
- Limitations: can't cut wood (wavelength reflects), can't engrave clear acrylic, struggles with copper and silver (high reflectivity), can't mark bare aluminum without spray.
- Common brands: OMTech, ComMarker, Cloudray, Thunder Laser (Bolt), xTool (F1).
CO2 lasers: for organic materials
10,600 nm far-infrared. Two main tube types: glass tube (cheaper, ~2-3 year life, OK beam quality) and RF metal tube (3-10× pricier, ~10+ year life, premium beam quality, fast modulation).
- Construction: tube + mirror chain + moving X/Y gantry head. The bed is the workspace.
- Workspace: larger (300×500mm typical entry, up to 1500×3000mm industrial).
- Best at: wood (engrave + cut), acrylic (cut with flame-polished edge on cast acrylic), leather, fabric, paper, slate, marble, glass (etching).
- Limitations: won't mark bare metal directly, needs a marking spray such as CerMark LMM-14. Not for clear materials. Vinyl/PVC release toxic chlorine. Never cut.
- Common brands: Glowforge, xTool (P2, S1), Thunder Laser (Bolt, Nova Plus, Titan), OMTech (Polar+, AF series), Aeon, Boss, Epilog (premium).
Diode lasers: entry tier
405-455 nm visible blue. Solid-state diode array focused through a lens. Cheapest, smallest, simplest.
- Construction: open-frame X/Y gantry, head with diode + lens + air assist nozzle.
- Workspace: typically 400×400mm; some go to 600×600mm.
- Best at: engraving wood, dark leather, anodized aluminum, slate, painted/coated surfaces. Cuts thin wood (3-6mm) and leather slowly. Marks coated metal cleanly.
- Limitations: can't engrave clear or white materials (insufficient absorption). Bare metal requires LBT-100 / CerMark spray. Slower than CO2 on cuts.
- Power caveat: diode "watts" usually = electrical input, not optical output. A "20W" diode delivers ~5-6W optical. Marketing varies wildly.
- Common brands: xTool (D1 Pro, S1), Sculpfun (S30, S9), Atomstack (X40, X20), Ortur, OneLaser, Creality.
Decision matrix: what laser for what work
| Your primary work | Recommended laser | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pet ID tags, jewelry, dog tags | Fiber (MOPA preferred) | Metal substrate; need fine spot. |
| Tumblers (powder-coated) | Either fiber or CO2 | Both ablate the coating cleanly. |
| Knives, hatchets, multi-process pieces | Fiber MOPA | Color anneal + deep engrave both needed. |
| Wedding rings. Watch backs, slides | Fiber (MOPA preferred) | Metal; depth + color often combined. |
| Wood plaques, signs, awards | CO2 | 1064nm reflects off wood; CO2's wavelength is purpose-built for it. |
| Acrylic signs, displays, awards | CO2 (RF tube preferred) | CO2 produces flame-polished edges on cast acrylic. |
| Leather goods, fabric / textile | CO2 | Diode works for thin leather but is slow. |
| Paper crafts, cardstock cutting | CO2 or diode | Both work; CO2 is faster. |
| Tile (Norton white method) | CO2 | The Norton method is CO2-specific. |
| Hobby budget under $500 | Diode | Only laser type in this price range. |
| Production photo on metal | Fiber MOPA | Smallest spot + finest dither at 1064nm. |
| Relief coins / 3D engrave on metal | Fiber MOPA | 3D Sliced mode + galvo precision. |
| Relief on wood | CO2 | Grayscale image mode + multi-pass. |
The two-laser shop
Most established shops eventually own both a fiber AND a CO2. Reasons:
- Fiber covers metal, CO2 covers organics, combined, you can engrave anything a customer brings in.
- The two lasers don't compete for the same jobs, so adding the second one expands your catalog without cannibalizing.
- Fiber + CO2 + a small diode (~$300) for paper/cardstock = the complete kit. Total: $7K-15K depending on tier.
Software
All three laser types are well-supported by Lightburn (paid; pricing and licensing model have changed. Verify current pricing on the Lightburn website before budgeting):
- Fiber → Galvo edition (separate license).
- CO2 → DSP/Ruida edition.
- Diode → GCode edition.
Some lasers ship with proprietary software (Glowforge's web app, xTool Creative Space) which works but is more limited. Most prosumer/pro setups standardize on Lightburn.
For deeper coverage of each laser type, switch the toggle at the top of the page (Fiber / CO2 / Diode) and explore that section's Foundations modules.