xTool F2 Ultra UV Wood Settings: Basswood, Plywood, Pine & MDF Chart (2026)

Last updated: November 3, 2026

A UV laser marks wood with fine detail and almost no char. (AI-generated illustration, generic machine.)

Quick answer: the best starting settings

For basswood, a good starting point is 45% power, 600 mm/s, 1 pass. Run a test grid and adjust.

For a golden-brown vector mark on pine or plywood, try 35–50% power, 100 mm/s, 500 lines/cm, 40 kHz.

For a darker mark, slow down or add a pass before you raise power. These are starting points. Wood varies by species, batch and moisture.

xTool F2 Ultra UV wood settings chart

Cutting and 3D emboss

Tip: Keep each row's numbers together. Mixing power from one row with speed from another is a new combination. Run a test grid before you use it.

Why the numbers disagree

• Species matters. Soft basswood marks easily; resin-rich pine and dense hardwoods react differently.
• Line density changes energy. 500 lines/cm puts far more energy into the wood than 120 lines/cm at the same power and speed.
• Goal differs. A light golden mark, a deep dark mark and a cleaning pass all use very different energy.

UV marks come out cleaner and sharper than a diode, and a little lighter and slower. An infrared diode mark is darker and faster. Darkness on UV comes from time: slower speeds, more passes, or more lines/cm. A 3D emboss leaves little or no burning, but it is slow.

What the settings mean

• Power (%): laser output. Higher means a darker, deeper mark.
• Speed (mm/s): slower puts more energy into each spot.
• Passes: each pass darkens and deepens the mark.
• Lines per cm: line density. 100 lines/cm equals 254 DPI.
• Frequency (kHz): pulse rate, 40–150 kHz on the F2 Ultra UV. Every wood recipe in the chart that states a frequency uses 40 kHz.
• Dot duration (µs): time per dot for bitmaps. A useful range is 100–500 µs. Too long can cause a whitening effect.

What results to expect

• Lighter than a diode. UV marks wood mostly by surface change, not heavy burning. Expect golden brown more than black.
• Very clean edges. Little or no smoke stain, so masking is often optional for dark woods. Cut edges on 3 mm plywood can come out with zero char, and many boards need no sanding.
• Light woods show the best contrast. Basswood, maple and birch work well. Dark acacia photos need more image work.
• Hard maple is a strong choice for 3D emboss.
• CO2 burns and a diode scorches. UV gives fine detail with a wide margin before the wood chars.

A power and speed test grid shows how light or dark your wood goes before you commit to a project. (AI-generated example.)

Step-by-step: engraving wood on the F2 Ultra UV

1. Prep the wood

• Use flat, dry wood. Sand rough faces lightly.
• Mask light woods if you plan to paint-fill. Skip the mask for deep engraves on darker woods.
• Use a jig for coasters and rounds so batches line up.

2. Focus

• Overlap the red and blue focus spots on the surface, or use autofocus.
• On warped boards, focus on the highest point of the design.

3. Run a test grid

• In xTool Studio, choose Applications > Material test array.
• Span power and speed around one row from the chart above.
• Pick the square with the tone you want and clean edges.

4. Prepare the artwork

• For photos, auto adjust is a solid first pass.
• Use dithering such as Jarvis for photos and keep dots from overlapping.

5. Engrave

• Uni-directional mode gives sharper edges; bi-directional is faster.
• Run extraction. UV makes little smoke but still makes fine dust.

6. Save and finish

• Save the winning settings as a custom material.
• Brush off dust. Seal with a clear finish if the piece will be handled a lot.

3D emboss

A beechwood coaster starting point is 80% power, 2500 mm/s, 250 lines/cm, 100 layers, 40 kHz, with Z dropping 0.01 mm every 10 layers. Cutting the layer count from 200 to 100, and lines/cm from 300 to 250, saves time. Expect about 2 hours.

A poplar piece on the oak preset at 100% power, 15,000 mm/s, 256 layers took 1 hour 40 minutes. If a job runs for hours, halve the layers or lower the lines/cm and test a small patch first.

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Can the xTool F2 Ultra UV engrave wood?

Yes. The 5W UV beam marks wood with very little char. The detail is cleaner and sharper than a diode, and the tone is lighter.

What is a good starting setting for basswood?

A good starting point is 45% power, 600 mm/s, 1 pass, 500 DPI. Run a test grid around it.

How do I get a darker engrave on wood?

Slow down or add a second pass rather than jumping to full power. A deep dark mark on pine is 50% power, 100 mm/s, 500 lines/cm, 2 passes, 40 kHz.

Can the xTool F2 Ultra UV cut wood?

Yes, thin wood. A starting cut for 3 mm Baltic birch is 100% power, 4 mm/s, 1 pass, 40 kHz. A 3 mm plywood preset is 100% at 6 mm/s.

Does the UV laser burn wood?

Very little. Cut edges can come out with zero char, and many pieces need no sanding.

Is UV or diode better for wood?

UV is cleaner and sharper. An infrared diode mark is darker, faster and higher contrast.

Can I do 3D relief on wood?

Yes, in embossment mode. A beechwood coaster recipe is 80% power, 2500 mm/s, 250 lines/cm, 100 layers, 40 kHz, descending Z 0.01 mm every 10 layers.

Which wood is best for 3D emboss?

Hard maple is the strongest of the common choices. Test a small patch of the species you have.

Why are my wood marks faint or missing?

Usual causes are reduced laser power, the wrong settings, or the red and blue focus spots not overlapping. Refocus first, then test on 3 mm basswood.

Related guides

• How to focus a UV laser
• How to calibrate the xTool F2 Ultra UV
• Best self-centering jigs for the F2 Ultra UV
• xTool F2 Ultra UV slate settings
• UV laser project ideas

Final thoughts

Start basswood at 45% and 600 mm/s, and pine or plywood at 35–50% and 100 mm/s with 500 lines/cm. For darker marks, add time, not just power. Then save the winning row for each wood you buy.

Sources and further watching

1. xTool Support, Processing Parameters for F2 Ultra UV
2. xTool Support, Processing Parameters (Test Matrix)
3. xTool Support, Troubleshoot Engraving Failure on Non-Glass Materials
4. L3D Accessories, F2 Ultra UV wood settings
5. L3D Accessories, F2 Ultra UV laser settings hub
6. Bonny Creations, Basswood on the F2 Ultra UV
7. Atomm, Basswood (official F2 Ultra UV material)
8. Atomm, Clean Burn Marks on Wood with F2 Ultra UV
9. Chris from L3D, F2 vs F2 Ultra UV
10. Aurora Tech, F2 Ultra UV In-Depth Review
11. Chris from L3D, 3D Emboss Tutorial
12. Six Eight Woodworks, F2 Ultra UV Complete Review
13. Hands On Katie, Testing An Impossible Laser

The same wood file on an infrared F2 and the F2 Ultra UV. (Video: Chris from L3D on YouTube.)

Plywood logo, photo and cut tests. (Video: Aurora Tech on YouTube.)

3D emboss settings on a wooden coaster. (Video: Chris from L3D on YouTube.)