Surface guide
QR codes on laser-cut and engraved wood
Wood grain is the problem: it adds contrast noise at the module scale and burns unevenly. Use error correction H, modules of at least 1 mm, and a close-grained wood such as maple, birch ply or MDF rather than oak or pine.
View as MarkdownPaste this page into any AI assistant. It is plain, portable Markdown.
| Typical scan distance | 20–50 cm |
|---|---|
| Minimum code width | 3–6 cm |
| Error correction | H |
Grain fights the decoder
Open-grained timbers (oak, ash, pine) have light and dark bands at roughly the same scale as small modules, and they burn at different rates. The result is uneven module darkness and false edges.
| Material | Suitability |
|---|---|
| Maple, birch ply | Excellent, even, pale, close grain |
| MDF | Excellent, though the edge burns dark |
| Bamboo | Good |
| Cherry, walnut | Fair, dark base reduces contrast |
| Oak, ash, pine | Poor: strong grain, uneven burn |
Settings
- Modules at 1 mm or larger. Wood is not a fine-detail medium.
- Raster engrave, do not vector-cut the modules, vector cutting rounds corners and chars edges.
- Lower power with more passes gives more even darkening than a single hot pass.
- Mask with transfer tape to prevent smoke staining the pale modules, which is the main cause of washed-out contrast.
Finishing
A matt sealer protects the mark and stops the pale areas yellowing. Avoid gloss varnish: it reflects, and on a textured surface the reflection is uneven and worse than on a flat one.