This page describes a laser cutting setting published for Papier cartonné 300g at 1 mm, tested on a Mr Beam II dreamcut [xx] fitted with a Diode 20W source (445 nm blue diode, 20 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 cutting setting that works on Papier cartonné 300g at 1 mm does not transfer to another thickness, nor to another source. A 445 nm blue diode rated 20 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 445 nm blue diode, and never leave the machine unattended.
Mr Beam builds enclosed diode machines, designed in Germany, with a positioning camera and optional air filtering, often used in schools and fablabs. The enclosure and filter make indoor use possible, but forbidden materials stay forbidden: no filter makes PVC acceptable.
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.