This page describes a laser engraving setting published for Papier cartonné 300g at 1 mm, tested on a Monport CO2 130W fitted with a CO2 130W source (10,600 nm CO2, 130 W). It states the exact machine, source, material, thickness and operation of the test; power, speed and number of passes are shown with a Premium pass.
Why those four facts matter: a engraving setting that works on Papier cartonné 300g at 1 mm does not transfer to another thickness, nor to another source. A 10,600 nm CO2 rated 130 W does not deposit the same energy as a stronger module, and the speed has to be adjusted accordingly. Copying a number without checking those four points is the first cause of a ruined part.
Published by LaserSettings (estimation). No other workshop has confirmed it yet: treat it as a starting point, and confirm it from your account if you reproduce it.
No photo comes with this setting yet. If you reproduce it, publish yours from your account: a picture of the result is worth more than a line of numbers.
Recommended routine before running the part: clean the lens, redo the focus, engrave a small test grid on an offcut of the same Papier cartonné 300g, then adjust the speed rather than the power. Work with fume extraction and air assist, wear glasses rated for 10,600 nm CO2, and never leave the machine unattended.
Monport offers enclosed CO2 machines (often 40 to 100 W, water-cooled) and fibre markers, priced below the long-established builders. CO2 tubes age: at the same displayed power, a two-year-old machine cuts slower than on day one, which explains many gaps between published settings.
Cardstock is the material for fine cutting: invitations, templates, models, fretwork impossible by hand. It needs almost no power, but forgives very little.
Work at minimum power and maximum speed. The right setting is the one that barely cuts: as soon as you leave margin, the line yellows half a millimetre either side, and that shows on an invitation.
For a clean fold (scoring), a single very low-power pass marks the fibre without going through: folding becomes straight and consistent.
Paper moves at the slightest draught. A honeycomb bed and, if needed, a few magnets on the edges stop a sheet lifting mid-cut — the number one cause of failed cuts and fires.
Paper ignites instantly and fire spreads across the whole sheet in seconds. This is the material where "never unattended" is most literal.
Avoid metallic, plasticised or laminated papers: the film is often an unknown plastic, sometimes chlorinated.
Smoke marks come off with a kneaded eraser. On light paper, masking tape on the visible face during cutting remains the best prevention.