Diode vs CO2 vs Fiber: Which Laser Is Best for Depth Maps?

Depth maps work on all three major laser types, but the experience and results differ. Knowing your machine's strengths helps you pick the right materials and settings — and set realistic expectations.

Diode lasers

Affordable and hugely popular, diode lasers (5–40W) carve beautiful relief into wood and MDF. They're slower and have a slightly larger spot size than CO2, so very fine detail and deep cuts take more passes. For most hobbyists engraving wood depth maps, a diode laser is more than capable.

• Best for: wood and MDF relief, hobby and small-business use
• Watch out for: longer engrave times, limited on clear acrylic and bare metal

CO2 lasers

CO2 lasers are the versatile workhorse. They carve wood quickly, handle acrylic superbly (ideal for backlit and lithophane pieces), and engrave a wider range of materials. For smooth, fast relief across the most materials, CO2 is hard to beat.

• Best for: wood, acrylic, leather, and mixed-material shops
• Watch out for: higher cost and footprint, can't deep-carve bare metal

Fiber / MOPA lasers

Fiber lasers are the only option for true relief in bare metal. They excel at deep metal engraving and, with MOPA control, can produce tonal effects on metal. They're not the typical choice for wood relief, but they unlock projects no other laser can do.

• Best for: metal relief, industrial marking, coins and medallions
• Watch out for: specialized for metal, premium price

The bottom line

All of our depth maps are 16-bit grayscale files that work with any of these lasers — the file is the same, you just tune mode, power, and passes to your machine. Start with the material your laser handles best and run a test grid.