We present some properties of laser‐generated plasma emission in the soft x‐ray region. Detailed spectral distributions are reported for different target materials (C, Mg, Al, Si, Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Ag, Sn, Ta, Au, Pb, and Bi) in the energy range from 100 to 800 eV. Furthermore, we include measurements of the angular distribution, laser power dependence, and source size of the soft x rays. The efficiency for soft x‐ray generation in our energy range peaks at a laser power density of 1012W/cm2, which can be obtained already with standard laser systems. A comparison is made with other x‐ray sources. To demonstrate the unique properties of laser‐generated plasmas as soft x‐ray source, we report the first single‐shot EXAFS measurement in the soft x‐ray region.