If you’re an engraver, you know time is money. Whether you're cranking out custom orders or experimenting with new designs, finding ways to speed up your workflow can mean the difference between profit and burnout. But not all speed gains are created equal. Let’s talk about which settings actually matter, where you can save time, and where rushing might cost you.
🔧 The Speed Triad: Power, Speed & Line Interval
1. Speed (mm/s or in/min)
The most obvious setting. Higher speeds = less time, but only up to a point. Push too fast, and you'll lose detail or depth.
2. Power
More power lets you go faster—but can scorch or overburn. If you're engraving powder-coated tumblers, you want just enough to expose clean stainless, not scorch the metal underneath.
3. Line Interval / Scan Gap
Smaller intervals = more passes = slower jobs. But too wide and your engrave looks striped or low-res. This is one of the biggest hidden time drains.
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Ways to Speed Up Your Workflow
Let’s talk real strategies to shave time off your engraving process:
💡 Simplify the Design
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Use SVGs instead of PNGs—vector files are cleaner and faster to process.
(Check out my blog about the differences here) -
Avoid ultra-detailed fills that require super-tight intervals.
🗂 Group by Design Type
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Engraving ten of the same design? Line them up efficiently.
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Layout once, engrave many.
🔍 Use LightBurn's Preview Tool
Before you hit "Start," run a Preview in LightBurn. It shows the laser's movement—including how much time is spent actually engraving versus just traveling between shapes.
Look out for long idle paths or inefficient jumps—those are your time-sucks. Rearranging the design or combining elements can reduce those gaps and streamline your run time.
⚙️ Tweak Your Cut Optimization Settings
LightBurn has a powerful optimization tool that can automatically improve your engraving efficiency.
Go to Edit > Device Settings > Optimization Settings and try enabling these:
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✅ Cut Inner Shapes First
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✅ Reduce Travel Moves
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✅ Choose Best Starting Point
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✅ Choose Best Direction
These help LightBurn generate the smartest path possible—cutting down idle movement and keeping your laser focused on the actual work. A few seconds saved here and there adds up fast across a full batch.
⚠️ Don’t Fall for the “Batch Engraving” Trap
Yes, some rotary tools let you engrave multiple tumblers at once—and it sounds like a time-saver. But here’s the truth: more doesn’t always mean faster.
If the laser has to travel back and forth across multiple tumblers with different designs or placements, you could actually increase your total engrave time.
✅ Pro tip: Group cups with identical or similar designs and layouts to reduce unnecessary rotary travel and setup changes.
🚫 Common Time-Wasting Myths
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"Faster speed = faster job." Not if you have to do multiple passes or redo bad burns.
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"More LPI is always better." Tighter line intervals (e.g. 0.05 mm or ~500 LPI) don’t always improve engraving quality beyond a certain point. Most materials achieve optimal clarity around 300–600 LPI (or ~0.085–0.042 mm line interval).
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"High power saves time." Not if it damages coatings or warps or scorches metal.
✨ Final Thoughts
Optimizing your laser settings isn’t just about going fast—it’s about working smart. Take time to test, document your best combos, and remember: clean designs and smart settings make your engraver efficient and your results top-notch.