Free Laser Cutter Beginner Files for Library and School Makerspaces

The short answer

The 12 free laser files

Everything in one download: 12 files as SVG, DXF and PNG, a README and the color list for the material test card.

⬇ Download all 12 (ZIP, 507 KB)

Every file opens at its real size in inches and is 11 × 11 in or smaller, so it fits common desktop laser beds. Joints are drawn for 3 mm (about 1/8 in) sheet with no kerf allowance. Read the README.

• Red hairline = cut
• Blue hairline = score (a light line on the surface)
• Black fill = engrave

Test first

Material test card

Give each colored square its own power/speed (keep one setting fixed along a row, change the other across the columns) and each circle its own cut setting. Black labels engrave at a setting you already trust.

5 × 6.88 inSVGDXFPNG

Cut, score and engrave sampler

One file with all three: black fill engraves, blue lines score (a light line on the surface), red lines cut through.

4.25 × 2.88 inSVGDXFPNG

Kerf and fit test comb

Cut it from your 3 mm (1/8 in) sheet, then slide a scrap of the same sheet into each slot. The snug one tells you the slot width to draw for press-fit joints on this machine and material.

6.12 × 2.75 inSVGDXFPNG

Kerf gauge, ten blocks

Cut, push the ten blocks tight to one side and measure the gap with calipers or a feeler gauge. Kerf = gap / 11 (the window grows by one kerf, each block shrinks by one).

4.75 × 2.12 inSVGDXFPNG

First projects

Name keychain, blank

3 x 1 in tag with a 0.22 in key-ring hole. Type a name in your laser software's text tool and center it in the blue frame.

3.25 × 1.25 inSVGDXFPNG

Name keychain, "MAKER"

Same tag with a sample word engraved. Replace the word with a name in your software, or cut it as is.

3.25 × 1.25 inSVGDXFPNG

READ bookmark with stars

Drawn for 3 mm (1/8 in) or thinner sheet. The stars cut through, READ engraves and the blue frame scores.

2.25 × 6.75 inSVGDXFPNG

Snowflake ornament

3 in round ornament with a hanging tab. The snowflake engraves, the ring scores, the outline cuts.

3.25 × 3.5 inSVGDXFPNG

Next steps

Round coaster

4 in round coaster. The scalloped ring and star engrave; the inner circle scores.

4.25 × 4.25 inSVGDXFPNG

12-piece jigsaw puzzle

Engrave a picture or a name on the blank first (place it in your software), then cut. Each seam is a single red line, so nothing is cut twice.

6.25 × 4.75 inSVGDXFPNG

Living hinge sample

A 5 x 2.5 in panel with a 1.5 in lattice hinge in the middle, drawn for 3 mm plywood. Cut it, then bend it gently over a can. The slits are single red lines.

5.25 × 2.75 inSVGDXFPNG

Finger-joint box with lid

Seven pieces: bottom, four walls, lid and lid lip. Fingers are drawn at exactly 3 mm with no kerf allowance, so joints come out a little loose; a drop of wood glue holds them. Glue the lip under the lid, centered.

9.75 × 7.75 inSVGDXFPNG

How we checked them: every piece that falls out of the sheet and every engraved area was checked by our software at its real size for parts thinner than 0.06 in or smaller than 0.12 in. These are software checks, not test cuts on every machine, so cut the test card on a new material first. DXF files have no fills: set the ENGRAVE layer to engrave or fill in your software, or use the SVG.

Cut, score and engrave in your laser software

Laser software has to know which lines to cut, which to score and which shapes to engrave. Most of it goes by color or line weight, but each app has its own rule. Here is how each one reads a file, from the maker’s own documentation, and what to do with ours.

Free design software: Inkscape opens, edits and saves SVG on Windows, Mac and Linux. LightBurn has a 30-day free trial. xTool now calls its software xTool Studio; older xTool support pages still say XCS.

Which laser do you have?

Lasers seen in library, school and community makerspaces, with each maker’s current manual, safety and product links. Specs are from the maker’s own page or manual, read October 6, 2026. “Diode” lasers are lower power than CO2 tubes and can’t cut some materials; Glowforge says its 6 W diode Spark can’t work glass, clear, translucent or white acrylic, some blue acrylics or Draftboard.

Dremel stopped making the LC40 and has left the laser business. It says there’s no recall, expects to keep parts for five years, and has stopped software updates (Dremel discontinuance FAQ).

Where to find power and speed settings

Settings depend on the machine, lens, material and air assist, so we don’t copy anyone’s numbers here. These are the official places to start, then confirm with the material test card on a scrap.

How to use the material test card

1. Load a scrap of the material you want to test. Use the maker’s starting settings for it.
2. Open material-test-card.svg. Each of the 25 squares and 5 circles has its own color, so your software can give each its own setting.
3. For the squares (engrave), keep power the same along a row and change speed across the columns, or the other way round.
4. For the circles (cut), try five settings and see which one drops out cleanly with the least scorching.
5. Write every setting and result on the material test log, and keep it by the machine.

Materials you must never cut

Only cut materials your laser’s maker approves. These are the materials the makers’ own manuals and support pages warn against. If a sheet isn’t labeled, don’t cut it: some “acrylic” is an acrylic and PVC blend, Full Spectrum warns.

Sources: Full Spectrum: safe and not-safe materials, Dremel LC40 manual, Table 2, Glowforge custom materials FAQ, Glowforge safety, Epilog Fusion Edge manual, xTool S1 safety. Thunder Laser’s site lists some ABS sheets as processable while Dremel and Full Spectrum prohibit ABS; when makers disagree, follow your own machine’s manual.

Safety, from the manuals

• Never leave it running. Every maker says so. Glowforge: “Always stay within sight and look inside frequently.” Thunder: “Fire Hazard: High potential for fire. NEVER RUN UNATTENDED!”
• Keep a fire extinguisher close. Epilog recommends a CO2 or multi-purpose dry chemical extinguisher; Dremel and Thunder name CO2. Epilog and xTool both warn that vector cutting is the most likely job to start a flame, and acrylic is especially flammable.
• Vent the fumes. Run the laser only with its exhaust to the outdoors or a filter working. Glowforge also says to install and test carbon monoxide detectors.
• Children. Glowforge: “Children require the supervision and assistance of an adult at all times.” Dremel: don’t let unsupervised children interact with the laser while it’s running. xTool says its Class 4 P2S model isn’t for places where untrained people or children are present, and the M1 Ultra is for “locations where children are not likely to be present.”
• Laser class. Many closed desktop lasers hold a Class 4 laser inside a protective housing that makes the whole machine a lower class. Machines with an open passthrough slot, such as the Glowforge Pro, are Class 4 devices, and Glowforge says they should run under a laser safety program with a Laser Safety Officer.
• Interlocks and eyes. Dremel: “Do not attempt to modify or defeat the safety interlock system.” Dremel and LightBurn both say to wear eye protection suited to the laser.
• One sheet at a time. Glowforge: stacked sheets “are more likely to burn.”

Sources: Glowforge Performance Series safety · Glowforge Craft Series safety · Epilog Fusion Edge manual · Dremel LC40 manual · Full Spectrum Muse Core manual · xTool S1 safety · xTool P2S safety · xTool M1 Ultra safety · LightBurn safety, and Thunder’s Nova and Bolt manuals (from the Nova product page).

Three starter sessions

Staff and volunteers

First-cut orientation

Walk through the station card, then cut the sampler tag so everyone sees the difference between a cut, a score and an engrave. Run the material test card on each material you stock and fill in the log.

Files: sampler, material test card. Printables: station card, test log.

Teens, families, all ages with an adult

Make-and-take

Each person types a name on the blank keychain in the laser software, or picks the bookmark, ornament or coaster. Small files keep the line moving, and staff run the machine while everyone watches.

Files: keychain (blank and MAKER), READ bookmark, snowflake ornament, round coaster.

Returning makers, STEM classes

Joints and bending

Measure kerf with the gauge, find the snug slot on the comb, then build the finger-joint box and bend the living hinge. The puzzle shows how one shared cut line makes pieces that fit.

Files: kerf gauge, kerf comb, finger-joint box, living hinge, jigsaw puzzle. For custom box sizes, the free Boxes.py generator makes more.

Printable station card and material test log

Two letter-size sheets. Laminate the station card and keep it by the laser; keep a stack of test logs with your materials so settings that work never get lost.

Laser links that moved

If your makerspace guide links to any of these, here is where to point it now.

Common questions

What file type does a laser cutter use?

Most laser software opens SVG files, and that is the one to use from our pack. Glowforge, LightBurn, xTool, Full Spectrum and Dremel all import SVG. DXF works in most of them too. In most laser software, JPG and PNG images engrave rather than cut.

Can you laser cut vinyl or PVC?

No. Every laser maker we checked says never to cut or engrave PVC or vinyl. It gives off chlorine, which is harmful to breathe and corrodes the machine. Glowforge says printing on vinyl even briefly will permanently destroy its Aura and Spark lasers.

What power and speed should I use?

Start with your laser maker's settings for the material: Epilog publishes PDFs, xTool links tested settings, Dremel and Full Spectrum build them into their software, and Glowforge's Proofgrade materials set themselves. Then cut the material test card on a scrap and write down what works.

Can kids use the laser cutter in a library makerspace?

Follow your machine's manual and your library's policy. Glowforge says children require the supervision and assistance of an adult at all times. Dremel says not to let unsupervised children interact with the LC40 while it runs. xTool says the Class 4 version of the P2S shouldn't be used where untrained people or children are present.

What is kerf?

Kerf is the width of material the laser burns away along a cut. It's why press-fit joints drawn at exactly the sheet's thickness come out a little loose. Cut our kerf gauge, push the blocks to one side and divide the gap by 11 to measure it on your machine and material.

Cite or link this page

More for makerspace staff

The library makerspace pack has beginner Cricut files and a kit card; the Cricut makerspace guide has a materials and settings chart; the vinyl cutter and heat press guide covers the rest of the craft corner; and the free fonts license guide shows which free fonts you can use on things you make and sell.