xTool’s project community has a downloadable Halloween cork-coaster design made for laser engraving. Its safety guide lists cork as a laser-processable material but warns that thickness, glue content and combustion risk matter. This is directly relevant to a stack of quarter-inch cork sheets and a 40W laser.
The interesting project is not a mass-produced coaster; it is a quick proof of what the existing material can do. Start with a simple vector outline and a small engraved motif, then decide whether the finish is good enough for a gift set or a workshop accessory.
What to do: Run a small test on scrap cork, verify the sheet has no unknown coatings or adhesive layers, and use the machine’s documented settings rather than importing a random power/speed recipe. Keep the laser supervised with appropriate extraction and fire precautions.
Before you go further: Cork chars and can ignite. Do not leave the machine running unattended, and do not treat a third-party settings table as a substitute for a safe test grid on the actual material.