40+ Papers and Boards with Tested Settings

Coloured cardstock, glitter cardstock, white shimmer cardstock, scratch paper in six colours, kraft and charcoal shimmer stock. Plus the printable side: double-sided glossy inkjet paper, matte white self-adhesive paper, and gold and silver foil transfer paper.

Two entries are made for the laser specifically — laser engraving marking paper and photo paper, where the point is the mark rather than the cut.

Browse tested paper

Nine laser paper and board lines — coloured, glitter and shimmer cardstock, foil transfer paper, inkjet and self-adhesive stock, marking paper and photo paper

Mostly a Cutting Job, and the Blade Beats the Beam for Stickers

Of 37 community paper records, 18 are cuts and 13 engraves — the reverse of leather. Cardstock cuts at 30 mm/s and 90% on an M2 10W; corrugated board engraves at 300 mm/s and only 26% on an S1.

For sticker paper there is a better route than heat altogether: the M1 Ultra fine-point blade cuts the vinyl or paper without a scorch line at all. One community record uses exactly that, which is why sticker sheets come out with clean white edges instead of tan ones.

Browse tested paper

Five recorded paper settings from 26% at 300 mm/s engraving cardboard up to 90% at 30 mm/s cutting sticker paper

Pick Your Paper

Weight and coating decide the settings more than colour does.

Cardstock and shimmer stock

Coloured, glitter and white shimmer in 7oz to 9oz. The workhorse for cards, invitations and layered paper art.

Sticker and self-adhesive paper

Matte white self-adhesive and glossy inkjet stock. Print first, then cut — and consider a blade rather than a beam for the cut.

Corrugated board and paperboard

Thicker and layered, so it engraves with real depth. Cuts fine but wants air assist to keep the flutes from catching.

Foil transfer and photo paper

Gold and silver foil transfer paper for a metallic finish, plus laser marking and photo paper made for the beam rather than the blade.

Which xTool Machine Is Best for Paper?

Almost anything cuts paper. The question is what leaves the cleanest edge.

xTool M2 with infrared module for coated metal

M2 — the most recorded

15 of 37 community paper records ran on an M2. Sticker paper cut at 30 mm/s and 90%; printable paperboard engraved at 300 mm/s and 25%.

xTool S1 diode laser for powder-coated metal

S1 — fast engraving on board

Corrugated cardboard engraved at 300 mm/s and just 26% power. Low power is the whole trick on paper.

P2S — CO2 for volume

A 55W CO2 bed cuts stacks of card without the scorch a diode leaves on the cut line. The choice once you are cutting in quantity.

P3 — CO2 for full sheets

Three community paper records ran on a P3 80W. The large bed takes a full sheet rather than a trimmed piece, which matters for card stock.

Paper Settings Tested by Real Makers

The machine each job was run on, and the numbers that produced the result.

Evergreen White Glossy Sticker paper

M2 (Blue light 10W) · Print then cut 30 mm/s · 90% · 1 pass

Corrugated Cardboard

S1 (Blue light 10W) · Process on baseplate 300 mm/s · 26% · 1 pass

cardboard

F2 (Blue light 15W) · Process on baseplate 35 mm/s · 70% · 1 pass

Corrugated cardboard 2ply

P2S (CO2 55W) · Process on slats 30 mm/s · 40% · 1 pass

5/64"(2mm) Printable Paperboard

M2 (Blue light 10W) · Lasering on flat surface 300 mm/s · 25% · 1 pass

Explore the Materials Lab

Nine laser material families from the Atomm Materials Lab

All laser materials

Wood, acrylic, leather, metal, glass, stone and the rest — thirteen families with tested settings.

Packaging and display

Gift boxes, floating frames, jewelry displays and kraft bags — the part a customer sees before the work.

Fabric and felt

Felt, canvas, denim and tote blanks. Synthetics seal their own edge; cotton does not.

Nine lamp and lighting parts — a wooden petal table lamp, acrylic disc pendant, adjustable metal lamp base, crystal LED base kit, wood light base, walnut shade boards, an Edison bulb with brass socket, a tube bulb with cord and a connector kit

Lamp and lighting kits

Sockets, cords, bulbs, LED bases and complete DIY lamp kits, sized for laser-cut shades.

Paper & Cardstock Guides & Ideas

Deeper reading once the material is sorted.

40 Best Greeting Card Designs to Sell on Etsy (Free SVG & Printable Card Ideas)

40 greeting and gift card designs to sell on Etsy, sorted by occasion. Free printable and SVG card ideas for birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's, and more.

2026/08/11418

36 Best Wedding Invitation Designs to Sell on Etsy (Free Templates & SVG Ideas)

36 of the best wedding invitation designs to sell on Etsy — laser-cut wood and acrylic projects plus printable templates, save-the-dates, and coordinated stationery suites.

2026/08/11388

How to Design Stickers (Outline, Bleed & Cut Line)

How to design stickers: what makes a good design, outline, bleed and cut line, and three ways to create the artwork — from a photo, with AI, or by hand.

2026/08/04938

How to Make Your Own Stickers (4 Ways, 2026)

How to make your own stickers: four routes compared — print on demand, cut by hand, a print-and-cut machine, or a local print shop — plus how to choose a machine.

2026/08/04792

37 Free Business Card Ideas

37 free laser-engraved business card ideas from Atomm makers — metal, wood, acrylic, and QR-code designs you can customize and cut yourself.

2026/07/31685

46 Free Paper Coaster Ideas

Browse 46 free paper coaster ideas — mandala, floral, geometric, and nature patterns you can personalize and cut into a matching coaster set.

2026/07/24796

FAQs

What power should I use to cut cardstock?

Far less than you expect. Recorded values run from 40% at 30 mm/s on a CO2 up to 90% on a 10W diode — the diode needs more percentage because it has less absolute power. Always test on an offcut; the difference between clean and scorched is a few percent.

Paper & Cardstock for xTool Laser Machines