Burned Grain

Best lasers for layered wood art

Layered art is cut from thin plywood, usually 3 mm basswood, in sheets stacked into a picture. Clean, repeatable cuts matter more than raw power, and a camera makes lining up each sheet much easier.

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  1. #1 · Diode · up to 20W

    xTool M2

    xTool M2 cuts basswood plywood, from $499 at xTool.

    $499 at xToolSpecs and all prices

  2. #2 · Diode · up to 6W

    Glowforge Aura

    Glowforge Aura cuts basswood plywood, from $999 at Glowforge.

    $999 at GlowforgeSpecs and all prices

  3. #3 · Hybrid · up to 15W

    xTool F2

    xTool F2 cuts basswood plywood, from $1,299 at xTool.

    $1,299 at xToolSpecs and all prices

  4. #4 · Diode · up to 45W

    WeCreat Vision Pro

    WeCreat Vision Pro cuts basswood plywood, from $1,940 at WeCreat.

    $1,940 at WeCreatSpecs and all prices

  5. #5 · Hybrid · up to 20W

    xTool F1 Ultra

    xTool F1 Ultra cuts basswood plywood, from $2,999 at xTool.

    $2,999 at xToolSpecs and all prices

What to look for

  • Clean cuts through 3 mm basswood, with air assist to limit charring.
  • A camera and autofocus for repeatable placement.
  • An enclosure if you'll run long cut jobs indoors.

Material guides: Basswood plywood.

How this list is ranked

With the same scoring as the laser quiz: each manufacturer's published specs, our material data and the lowest price we track. Commission rates play no part. Where a spec isn't published, the machine's line says so instead of guessing. Hands-on notes, where we have them, are on each machine's page.

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