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Did you know that the type of wood you choose for laser engraving can dramatically affect the result?
Some woods produce crisp, detailed engravings, while others burn easily or interfere with the design. But if you understand wood types and how they differ, you can avoid mistakes like these in your work.
In this post, we'll look at each type of wood in detail and show you how to choose the best wood for your next laser engraving project.
By the end, you'll know how to choose the right wood for your project to get the beautiful results you're looking for. So let's get started!
What's inside:
- What Types of Wood Are Out There?
- Introducing Truflat Plywood
- Choosing a Natural Wood Laser Engraving Blank
- Factors to Consider When Choosing Wood for Laser Engraving
- How to Get the Best Results When Laser Engraving Wood
- Why We Love Truflat Premium Plywood for Laser Crafts
- Final Thoughts
What Types of Wood Are Out There?
Wood types are divided into two categories. There's natural wood and engineered wood.
What is Natural Wood?
Natural wood refers to wood that's been cut from a tree and still has its original material inside. It hasn't been cut up and mixed with glue or chemicals. It may be stained or coated, but the inside is unchanged.
What to Know About Natural Wood
Natural wood gives engravings a rustic look. That's because of the natural grain pattern and imperfections found in the wood.
The question is, do you want all of your products to have a natural, imperfect look, or do you want them to all look the same? You won't find two pieces of natural wood that look exactly the same, so if you want perfect consistency, you'll want to choose engineered wood instead.
Natural wood can also decay faster than engineered wood, because engineered wood is designed to be more durable.
Drawbacks aside, natural wood gives your laser engraving projects a natural and rustic look that you can't quite get with man-made products.
Now, if you want to use natural wood for your projects, you should be aware of the two types of natural wood: hardwood and softwood.
Hardwood vs Softwood
Yes, all wood is hard. But these terms refer to the density of the wood.
Dense wood (called hardwood) is more durable but also harder to engrave. This wood comes from trees that grow slowly, hence the thicker material.
More porous wood (called softwood) is easier to engrave but can decay more easily. This wood comes from trees that spring up quickly, which leads to a less dense material.
Here's a quick rule to remember which trees fall into which categories: Most hardwood trees are seasonal—they lose their leaves in fall and winter. On the other hand, most softwood trees are evergreen.
Examples of Hardwood
- Acacia: Warm, medium-brown color with a dark and uneven grain. Strong and resistant to decay.
- Birch: Light color and even grain with a smooth surface.
- Cherry: Medium-brown color and straight grain. Has a medium density compared to other hardwood. so not as hard to cut through.
- Maple: Pale color and even grain.
- Mahogany: Slightly dark color and straight, fine grain. Mahogany's natural oils ward off bugs and damage.
- Oak: Lighter beige color and curved, uneven grain. One of the denser woods in this category.
- Walnut: Very dark color and curved, uneven grain. Engravings might be harder to see on very dark varieties.
Examples of Softwood
- Alder: Light color and light grain. Has a high resin content, which can lead to burns.
- Basswood: Light color and consistent grain.
- Cedar: Reddish color and straight grain. One of the softer types in this category. Low resin content, so less likely to burn.
- Balsa: Light yellow-beige color and straight grain. The softest natural wood for engraving.
- Pine: Light yellow-beige color and irregular grain with many knots. Has a high resin content, which can lead to burns.
- Poplar: Comes in many colors. Has a straight grain and smooth surface.
What is Engineered Wood?
Manufacturers combine wood and adhesives together to create engineered wood. The machines may cut the wood into pieces and glue them together (which makes plywood and other construction-friendly wood) or they may cut and grind the wood into fibers and mix it with adhesives (which makes something called fiberboard).
Engineered wood is stronger and more durable than natural wood because it includes adhesives and other additives. That's why it's often used in construction, furniture and other structural projects.
Not all engineered wood is made for laser engraving, however.
The best types of engineered wood for laser engraving are plywood (and a specific type called laser plywood) and MDF (which stands for medium-density fiberboard).
What is Plywood?
Plywood is a type of engineered wood made by gluing thin sheets of wood together. Plywood is great for cutting and engraving because of its thinness and resistance to damage.
But if you want to laser engrave your plywood, your best bet is laser plywood.
What is Laser Plywood?
Laser plywood is a type of plywood that's meant for laser engraving. That means the glue and materials used are safe to use with a laser. Plus, they make it easy to get great-looking results.
What is MDF?
MDF stands for medium-density fiberboard. Fiberboard is a type of engineered wood made of thin wood fibers mixed with adhesives and pressed into a sheet.
There's also high-density fiberboard (HDF), which is more durable than MDF. But MDF has the right consistency for laser engraving and cutting applications.
Introducing Truflat Plywood
Now that you know all the types of wood you can choose from, we want to tell you about our favorite brand of laser-friendly premium plywood, Truflat.
Truflat is an engineered plywood made of an MDF core covered with a designer wood-grain face. It's specifically designed with laser engravers like you in mind!
What sets Truflat apart is its extreme flatness, with a tiny margin for error that makes it the flattest plywood on the market today. In other words, you won't have to worry about warping that could affect your final product.
It's also covered with an acrylic coating, so you can sublimate it or apply paint fills to your engravings without any unwanted stains. The paint sticks to the engraved areas and wipes away cleanly from the acrylic finish!
You can choose from 6 designer finishes, including white, linen, and 4 natural wood patterns. And it's thin enough to cut into shapes with even blue diode laser engravers like the xTool F1.
Learn more about this awesome wood product in our in-depth guide to Truflat.
[product=wood-for-laser-cutting]Premium pre-finished plywood from Truflat.[/product]
If you choose Truflat, your wood is ready to go for engraving. But if you're choosing a different type of wood, let's talk about what you want to consider when choosing a wood type for engraving.
Choosing a Natural Wood Laser Engraving Blank
Another option is to engrave a pre-cut laser engraving blank.
These may be made with natural wood or engineered wood, but they are designed for engraving specifically.
Our wooden laser engraving blanks are made with lumber, which is a cut of natural wood that's been shaped and smoothed for engraving. This way, you get the beauty of natural wood without the prep work.
Like this marble charcuterie board set, with an inlay of acacia wood that engraves beautifully with any custom design. 👇
[product=marble-charcuterie-board]This gorgeous, engraveable serving board comes with serving bowls and utensils, too![/product]
👉 See all of our craft-ready wooden engraving blanks here!
Sweet deal alert! Save money on engraving blanks with our Laser Blanks Build-a-Bundle! This is perfect for businesses that want to buy in bulk and save money.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Wood for Laser Engraving
Here's what to consider when picking between several different wood types.
Your Laser
What kind of laser do you have? How much power can it handle, and does it support your wood type?
Learn more about our favorite beginner-friendly laser engravers, the xTool F1 and xTool F1 Ultra. (Note: The entry-level xTool F1 is powerful enough to engrave Truflat plywood.)
Intended Use
If you're trying to make an outdoor sign, for example, you'll want to choose a wood type that's recommended for exterior use. You'll also want to apply some kind of finish or coating to protect your work from moisture and damage.
If making something for the kitchen, you'll want to make sure your item is sealed, waterproof, and food-safe.
If it's for decoration and indoor use, you have more options.
Grain Consistency
Natural wood has a wood grain that might be light or dark, straight or swoopy, depending on your wood type. Think about the desired effect and how the grain might contribute to it or take away from it.
MDF-core wood like Truflat doesn't have a grain, which removes this from the equation.
Knots and Rings
Natural wood has knots and rings where branches used to be. This also affects the finished product. With natural wood, you can't control where the knots and rings will be, which means each product will come out differently.
Moisture Level
While you don't want wet wood for engraving, you don't want it to be bone-dry either. Too-dry wood can cause fires. Experts say you should aim for a 6-12% moisture content.
Resin Content
Some wood types have more resin than others. And even within the same wood type, resin content varies from tree to tree. While resin can make for a beautiful, dark engraving, too much of it can create burn marks in the wood. You'll want to experiment with your laser settings to find the best results.
Color
Some colors of wood lend themselves more readily to laser engraving. Lighter and medium shades burn into a dark engraving and create a pleasing contrast. Darker woods will not have the same contrast, so you might benefit from filling the engraving with paint or resin.
Streaks
Wood can contain streaks, which means it's discolored in certain areas. This doesn't have to be a problem, but consider whether you want streaks in your finished product.
How to Get the Best Results When Laser Engraving Wood
We've already gone into SO much detail about wood types, so we'll make this quick.
First of all, choosing a laser-friendly plywood, especially Truflat plywood, will get you great results without any prep work whatsoever. If you use Truflat's recommended settings, you won't get burn marks.
It's also great to start with a pre-made engraving blank made out of lumber, which will save you a LOT of time and effort!
[product=walnut-wood-cutting-board-14-x-10]This 14” x 10” cutting board comes in multiple wood types![/product]
If using natural wood or a natural wood blank, here are our favorite tips for getting great results:
- Ensure a smooth surface. You don't want warping, cut marks, a scratched surface, or any wood dust on the surface. You might need to cut, sand, or even ditch a low-quality piece of wood in search of something better.
- Prevent burn marks. If using natural wood, it's best to mask the surface with masking tape to avoid burn marks. Some people will lightly dampen the surface for the same result.
- Use personal protective equipment (PPE). As with all laser work, you need eye protection (or a safe cover on the machine, fully closed). PPE is recommended to keep wood dust and other fumes and particles out of your lungs.
- Test, test, test again. You can use recommended settings by your manufacturer, but all natural wood is different. The combination of your laser with your climate and your unique cut of wood may produce unexpected effects. It's best to take all settings with a grain of salt and be ready to experiment a little bit.
Why We Love Truflat Premium Plywood for Laser Engraving & Cutting Crafts
We just can't finish this article without talking about Truflat plywood one more time. It's the most versatile wood for your laser engraving and cutting projects.
To recap the benefits of this product:
- Thin and easy to engrave and cut, even with a lower-power laser engraver like the xTool F1
- Extremely flat—the flattest engineered plywood on the market
- Made of an MDF core with a designer wood-grain face, which means you get the same results every time
- Coated with acrylic on BOTH sides, so you can sublimate on the surface or fill your engravings with paint and resin (and excess paint wipes away cleanly)
- Super affordable
- Comes in white, linen, and 4 natural wood finishes
And we carry Truflat plywood in our shop! If you can't wait to try out this product, add it to your cart below!
[product=wood-for-laser-cutting]Premium pre-finished plywood from Truflat.[/product]
@makerflocrafts TruFlat available now! #woodworking #engraving #lasercutting #sublimation @Amor To Create by Betzy Flores ♬ Halloween - TonsTone
Final Thoughts
Whew, we covered a lot about wood and all the different things to think about when choosing wood types.
There's a lot to learn, and we've only just scratched the surface. But now you know what's out there, what to look out for, and how to find the best wood for YOUR laser engraving projects.
Here are some more resources to help you on your laser engraving journey! 👇
- Laser Engraving for Beginners: The Stress-Free Guide to Getting Started
- How to Engrave Wood: 6 DIY Methods to Try at Home
- 127 Unique Laser Engraving & Cutting Ideas Your Customers Will Love
- 1000+ Free Laser Engraving & Cutting Files for Commercial Use
Have more questions for us? Make a post in our Official MakerFlo Facebook Community, home to more than 44,000 other MakerFlo Crafters and our team! We'll see you inside!
