Creality Falcon 2 22W Settings for Leather

Engraving Settings

How to Set Up Leather on the Creality Falcon 2 22W

1. 1Secure your leather flat on the work bed using clamps, magnets, or a honeycomb pin set to prevent movement during the job.
2. 2Set your focus distance accurately — use the auto-focus probe if your machine has one, or measure manually with the focus gauge.
3. 3Verify your leather is vegetable-tanned, not chrome-tanned. Chrome-tanned leather releases toxic hexavalent chromium fumes when lasered and must never be used.
4. 4Enable air assist if available. A steady stream of air at the cut point removes debris, reduces charring, and helps prevent flare-ups.
5. 5Enter the speed, power, and pass count from the settings table above into LightBurn. The table lists both mm/min and mm/s — LightBurn defaults to mm/s, so use the mm/s value unless you have switched units. Use the “Cut” or “Engrave” layer settings panel.
6. 6Run a small test cut or engrave on a scrap piece of leather before committing to your final project piece. Adjust power up or down by 5–10% based on results.

What to Expect When Lasering Leather

Laser-engraved leather darkens in the engraved areas, creating a branded or burned appearance with a distinctive smell similar to a campfire. Cut edges will be sealed and slightly darkened. The depth and darkness of engraving depends on power — lower power produces a subtle golden tone, while higher power creates a deep dark brown. Expect a noticeable odor; good ventilation is essential. The 22W output clears the majority of common materials in one to three passes, giving a good balance of speed and detail. Dense hardwoods and thick acrylic still benefit from a slower finishing pass.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ✗Running at full power on the first attempt — always start with a test piece at the recommended settings and adjust incrementally. Going straight to maximum power risks burning through the material or causing fire.
• ✗Using the slow speeds you would need on a 5–10W machine — a 22W diode runs noticeably faster, and going too slow at this power causes excess charring and a wider kerf.
• ✗Using chrome-tanned leather instead of vegetable-tanned leather — chrome-tanned leather releases toxic hexavalent chromium fumes when heated. This is dangerous and must be avoided. Always verify the tanning method before lasering any leather.
• ✗Setting power too high when engraving leather — it is easy to burn through thin leather. Start with low power and increase gradually.

Tips for Leather on Laser Machines

• ✓Vegetable-tanned leather gives the best engraving contrast and smell.
• ✓Use low power for engraving to avoid burning through thin leather.
• ✓Dampen the surface slightly for a cleaner, darker engrave.
• ✓Air assist helps prevent flare-ups on thinner hides.
• ✓Test on a scrap piece -- leather thickness and density vary widely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Materials for Creality Falcon 2 22W

Leather Settings for Other Machines