Laser Engravers and Cutters

Looking for a laser engraver in Europe? At Mr Resin you'll find laser engravers and cutters from Creality Falcon, Ortur, xTool, Aliencell and LaserPecker, shipped from Spain: from enclosed 5 W machines for getting started at home to 40 and 60 W lasers that cut thick wood, plus fibre and UV lasers for marking metal, plastic and glass.

Further down we explain which type of laser you need for what you want to engrave or cut, and there's a table to compare them side by side.

What can you make with a laser engraver?

Personalise almost anything: keyrings, chopping boards, wooden signs, leather cases, coasters, flasks and tools. With enough power you can also cut plywood and acrylic to make boxes, puzzles, scale models or signage.

Plenty of people start out as a hobby and end up selling at craft fairs, on Etsy or on eBay. If you're thinking of a small business, prioritise an enclosed machine with good speed and a work area big enough to do several pieces at once.

Diode, fibre or UV: which laser do you need?

Diode laser (blue): the most versatile and the best seller. It engraves and cuts wood, leather, card and opaque acrylic, and marks painted or anodised metal. More watts means thicker cuts and more speed. Most of the machines in this collection are diode lasers.

Fibre laser: made for metal. It marks steel, aluminium and brass in fine detail, but it won't cut wood. You'll find it in the Creality Falcon T1 Fibre 20W.

UV laser: it marks with very little heat, so it's the one to use on plastic, glass and delicate parts, including engraving inside glass. You'll find it in the xTool F2 Ultra UV.

If you want to do wood and metal without having to choose, look at machines that combine diode and infrared, like the xTool F2.

Enclosed, open-frame or portable?

Enclosed: a housing blocks the beam, and many are Class 1 with the lid shut, so you don't need glasses while they're running. They also collect the smoke so you can duct it outside. This is what we recommend for home use: Creality Falcon A1C, A1, A1 Pro, Falcon2 Pro S and T1, Ortur R2 and H20, Aliencell X1 and xTool S1.

Open-frame: no housing, cheaper per watt and no limit on the size of the piece. The Ortur F10 runs on rollers and engraves pieces up to 3 metres long. You always need glasses and a ventilated space.

Portable: small machines for engraving objects that won't fit inside a laser or for taking to fairs: the LaserPecker LP2 and the xTool F2.

Laser engraver comparison

Machine	Laser	Work area	Type
Creality Falcon A1C 5W	Diode 5 W	150 × 150 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Creality Falcon A1C 10W	Diode 10 W	150 × 150 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Creality Falcon A1 10W	Diode 10 W	381 × 305 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Creality Falcon A1 Pro 20W	Diode 20 W	358 × 268 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Creality Falcon2 Pro S 40W	Diode 40 W	355 × 390 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Creality Falcon T1 Diode 20W	Diode 20 W, galvo	175 × 175 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Creality Falcon T1 Diode 40W	Diode 40 W, galvo	175 × 175 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Creality Falcon T1 Fibre 20W	Fibre 20 W, galvo	175 × 175 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Ortur R2 10W	Diode 10 W	300 × 210 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Ortur R2 20W	Diode 20 W	300 × 190 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Ortur H20 20W	Diode 20 W	420 × 300 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Ortur H20 40W	Diode 40 W	410 × 275 mm	Enclosed, Class 1
Ortur F10 20W	Diode 20 W	400 × 3000 mm	Open frame, on rollers
Ortur F10 40W	Diode 40 W	400 × 3000 mm	Open frame, on rollers
Aliencell X1 20W	Diode 20 W	610 × 465 mm	Enclosed
Aliencell X1 40W	Diode 40 W	610 × 465 mm	Enclosed
Aliencell X1 60W	Diode 60 W	595 × 455 mm	Enclosed
xTool S1 20W	Diode 20 W	498 × 330 mm	Enclosed
xTool F2	Diode 15 W + infrared 5 W	115 × 115 mm	Portable
xTool F2 Ultra UV	UV 5 W	200 × 200 mm	Desktop
LaserPecker LP2	Diode 5 W	100 × 100 mm	Portable

Safety and ventilation

Laser engraving produces smoke. Enclosed machines channel it through a duct to a window or an air purifier. Open-frame machines need a well-ventilated space. Always keep a fire extinguisher to hand and never leave the machine running unattended.

Never cut PVC or vinyl with a laser: they release chlorine gas, which is toxic and corrodes the machine. Use wood, natural leather, card, paper or acrylic (PMMA).

From laser to 3D printing

Lasers and 3D printing go hand in hand: you cut and engrave panels on the laser and print the parts that need volume on a resin 3D printer or with filament. If you want to copy a real object to reproduce it, start with a 3D scanner. And if what you need is to carve wood in relief, have a look at our CNC routers.

Laser engraver FAQs

An enclosed 10 W machine, such as the Creality Falcon A1C 10W or the Ortur R2 10W. It will engrave almost anything, cut thin wood and, because it's enclosed, it's safer and easier to live with at home.

5 or 10 W is plenty for engraving. To cut 3 to 5 mm plywood comfortably, go for 20 W. If you'll be cutting thick wood often, 40 W or more, like the 40 W Ortur machines or the Aliencell X1 60W.

It marks painted or anodised metal, and some will mark stainless steel at low speed. For fast, detailed marking on bare metal, what you want is a fibre laser, such as the Creality Falcon T1 Fibre.

Yes, opaque or coloured acrylic. Clear and blue acrylic let the diode's light straight through and won't cut properly: for those you need a CO2 laser.

PVC, vinyl and any plastic that contains chlorine: they give off toxic, corrosive fumes. Polycarbonate and ABS are out too, as they melt and catch fire. Stick to wood, natural leather, card, paper or acrylic.

With open-frame and portable machines, always. With Class 1 enclosed machines you don't need them while the lid is shut, but put them on if you work with the lid open or with a rotary roller.

Yes, the smoke has to go somewhere. Enclosed machines have an outlet for a duct that you run to a window or an air purifier. Open-frame machines need a very well-ventilated space.

Each brand has its own: xTool Studio, Creality Falcon Design Space, or LaserGRBL for Ortur. Many also work with LightBurn, the most widely used program. Each product page lists the exact compatibility.

Yes, it's one of the cheapest ways to start selling personalised products. For batch production, go for an enclosed machine of 20 W or more, with a large work area and good speed.

Engraving burns the surface to draw or write on it. Cutting goes right through the material, usually in one or several passes. Any power will engrave; cutting thick material takes watts.