We have measured the propagation losses of Cu±Na-ion-exchanged channel glass waveguides using both scattering and interferometric methods. In the ®rst method, the waveguide was coated with a¯uorescence ®lm to enhance the scattered optical ®eld along the channel waveguide which was then captured by a charge-coupled device camera. A straight line is adjusted to the intensity pro®le by the least-squares method, and the slope yields the attenuation coe cient. In the interferometric method, the temperature of the waveguides was changed and the intensity output was measured. From contrast changes of waveguide's intensity output, the attenuation coe cient is calculated. Also, an analysis of the optical absorption of copper waveguides in the 200±1900 nm range to detect the copper oxidation state is presented.