In this work we present a systematic study of metallic nanoparticle production by spark ablation. We show how to adjust key process parameters to tune the obtained particle size, concentration and mass for various metals and carbon, which we produced in its amorphous form according to Raman spectroscopy, as the present experimental setup offers the possibly for a fast and easy exchange of the electrodes. For nearly all tested materials a mean particle size of below 5 nm can be obtained if proper process conditions are chosen. We show that energy efficiency of the spark ablation process can be increased by higher circuit capacitance and smaller electrode diameters. Furthermore, we correlate the particle mass production during spark ablation with a modified Fourier number. This allows us to compare expected mass yields for different elements and indicates that heat dissipation and especially conduction away from the spark region plays an important role for the particle production.