What a CO2 laser is, how its beam is made, and the materials it’s built for.
Short answer
A CO2 laser is a machine that cuts and engraves using a beam produced by a CO2 gas-filled tube, which emits a long 10.6 µm (infrared) wavelength. That wavelength is absorbed beautifully by non-metals, which is why CO2 lasers are the workhorse for wood, acrylic, leather, paper, fabric, and glass — cutting clean edges and engraving fine detail. The same machine usually does both: cut through a material or engrave its surface. CO2 lasers don’t cut bare metal (that’s a fiber laser’s job), though high-power CO2 can cut thin sheet. Boss’s LS and HP series are CO2 cutter-engravers.
What makes it a “CO2” laser.
The name comes from the source: an electrically excited tube filled with CO2 gas generates the beam, which mirrors and a lens focus onto the material. Its 10.6 µm wavelength is the key — it’s strongly absorbed by organic and non-metal materials, giving clean cuts and crisp engraving. A “CO2 laser cutter” and “CO2 laser engraver” are usually the same machine doing two jobs.
What it’s best at.
CO2 is the most versatile laser for non-metals: wood, acrylic, leather, paper, cardboard, fabric, cork, rubber, and glass (engraving). It marks coated and anodized metal and, at high power, cuts thin sheet metal — but for cutting real metal thickness you want a fiber laser. For how the beam actually cuts, see how does a CO2 laser work?
Related questions
What is a CO2 laser engraver?
It’s a machine that engraves (and usually cuts) using a beam from a CO2 gas tube at a 10.6 µm wavelength. That wavelength is absorbed by non-metals, so CO2 engravers excel on wood, acrylic, leather, and glass. Most CO2 engravers also cut these materials.
What is a CO2 laser cutter?
The same kind of machine, framed for cutting: a CO2 laser focuses its beam to cut through non-metals like wood, acrylic, leather, and paper. High-power CO2 can also cut thin sheet metal, but thicker metal needs a fiber laser.
What is the difference between a CO2 laser cutter and engraver?
Usually none in hardware — the same CO2 machine cuts (beam through the material) and engraves (beam marks the surface). The difference is the settings: higher power and slower speed to cut, lower power and faster speed to engrave.
Keep going
- Related: How does a CO2 laser work? · What can a CO2 laser engrave? · What is a laser cutter?
- Products: LS / HP CO2 lasers