Materials
Materials we cut, engrave & score.
Acrylic, wood, leather, fabric, paper, foam and more — cut clean on our CO₂ lasers. Stone, tile, and coated metal we can engrave. Use what we stock or bring your own laser-safe material. Not sure it's safe? Ask first.
Maximum thicknesses — quick reference.
What we can cut, and how thick. Check this before sending a file or bringing material in.
| Acrylic | up to 1/4″ |
| Plywood (Baltic birch) | up to 1/4″ |
| Hardwoods | up to 1/4″ |
| Leather | up to 1/8″ |
| Paper & cardstock | up to ~1/8″ |
| EVA foam | up to 1″ |
| Foam core | typically 3/16″ or 1/2″ |
| Cork | up to 1/4″ |
| Mylar | any thickness |
| Fabric | no real limit on most weaves |
| Cardboard & corrugated | up to ~1/2″ |
| Chipboard & matboard | up to ~1/8″ |
| Basswood & balsa | up to 1/4″ |
| Magnetic sheet | thin sheet |
We never cut PVC, vinyl, polycarbonate (Lexan), ABS, fiberglass, PETG, MDF, Delrin, or anything coated with rubber or PVC — these release toxic gas or are unsafe to laser. Glass and metal cannot be cut on a CO₂ laser. Unsure about a material? Email a photo and we'll tell you.
Bamboo
Bamboo sheet and bamboo plywood — a hard, sustainable wood that cuts and engraves cleanly. We also engrave bamboo cutting boards.
Wood veneer
Thin wood veneer sheet — cuts fast and clean for inlays, models, and decorative overlays.
Softwoods
Pine, cedar, and poplar — soft, affordable woods for signage, craft, and prototype work.
Cork fabric
Cork fabric, or cork “leather” — a flexible cork-faced material for accessories, tags, and trim.
Material
Acrylic.
What it is
Hard, transparent plastic sheet (also called plexiglass or PMMA). Easy to engrave, cuts with a smooth edge. The most common material we cut.
Thicknesses & stock
Stocked: clear, black, and white in 1/8″ and 1/4″. Maximum cut: 1/4″. Bring your own for any other color or finish.
Best uses
Edge-lit signs, displays, awards, jewelry, scale models, light covers, lenses, prototypes.
We also work with specialty acrylic — mirror acrylic, edge-lit and fluorescent acrylic, and frosted or textured acrylic. Bring your own or specify the finish in your notes.
Material
Plywood.
What it is
Layered wood veneer with glue between each layer. Dimensionally stable, comes in standard sheets, cuts predictably. Most popular wood for laser cutting.
Thicknesses & stock
Stocked: Baltic birch in 1/8″ and 1/4″. Maximum cut: 1/4″. Bring your own for any laser-safe plywood.
Best uses
Architectural models, decor, signage, puzzles, kits, packaging, furniture parts, prototypes.
Material
Hardwoods.
What it is
Dense, premium woods cut from solid timber (not layered). Walnut, cherry, and maple are the most popular for awards, signage, and engraved gifts.
Thicknesses & stock
Maximum cut: 1/4″ on most hardwoods. Stocked occasionally; usually customer-supplied.
Best uses
Engraved cutting boards, awards & plaques, premium signage, jewelry, custom gifts, architectural details.
Material
Leather.
What it is
Natural leather, vegetable-tanned only. The laser seals the cut edge — no fraying, no need to burnish. Natural leather only — no synthetic.
Thicknesses & stock
Maximum cut: 1/8″. Not stocked — bring your own. Confirm before bringing: must be natural leather, not vinyl-coated.
Best uses
Custom wallets, key fobs & keychains, tool belts & holsters, guitar straps, pet collars & leashes, watch bands.
Material
Fabric.
What it is
Cotton, silk, chiffon, tulle, polyester, wool, felt, denim, canvas, and more. Cuts with sealed edges (no fraying) — perfect for fashion, costume, intricate cutouts.
Thicknesses & stock
No real thickness limit — most fabrics work. Not stocked — bring your own. No PVC-coated, rubber-backed, or flame-retardant treated fabrics.
Best uses
Garment cutouts, costume & cosplay, lace & intricate trim, felt for crafts, pet bandanas, short-run limited editions.
Beyond cotton and canvas, we also cut felt (wool and craft) and polyester and fleece — cut edges seal cleanly. Bring your own fabric.
Material
Paper & cardstock.
What it is
Cardstock, chipboard, kraft, and specialty papers. Cuts with crisp edges and no scorching when set up right.
Thicknesses & stock
Up to roughly 1/8″ thick. Not stocked — bring your own.
Best uses
Wedding invitations, layered paper art, packaging mockups, business cards, intricate cutouts, paper sculptures.
Material
Foam & foam core.
What it is
Lightweight, easy to cut. Foam core is paperboard sandwiching polystyrene foam — used for architecture and signage. EVA foam is the cosplay/prop favorite.
Thicknesses & stock
EVA foam: up to 1″. Foam core: typically 3/16″ or 1/2″. Not stocked routinely — bring your own.
Best uses
Architectural models, signage backers, packaging, custom tool drawer inserts, cosplay armor and props.
Material
EVA foam.
What it is
Closed-cell, dense, and used for cosplay, padding, and tool inserts. Cuts clean and seals.
Thicknesses & stock
Maximum thickness: 1″. Not stocked — bring your own. Closed-cell — does not soak water.
Best uses
Cosplay armor, tool drawer inserts, packaging cushions, equipment cases, padding for fragile items, mat cutting.
Material
Cork.
What it is
Renewable, lightweight material that cuts and engraves well. Engraving leaves a clean dark mark. Naturally water-resistant and slightly compressible.
Thicknesses & stock
Up to 1/4″ thick. Not stocked routinely — bring your own. Available as sheets or rolls.
Best uses
Custom coasters, branded gaskets, bulletin board panels, wine labels, grip surfaces, accent layers in mixed-material projects.
Material
Mylar.
What it is
Thin, strong, heat-resistant plastic film (BoPET — biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate). Primarily for reusable stencils.
Thicknesses & stock
Any thickness. Not stocked — bring your own or specify and we will source.
Best uses
Reusable spray-paint stencils, mural & graffiti templates, food & cake stencils, industrial part marking, craft templates.
Material
More materials we cut.
Beyond the materials above, these all cut and score cleanly on a CO₂ laser.
Cardboard & corrugated
Fast and inexpensive to cut — ideal for prototypes, packaging mockups, and one-off templates. Cuts and scores cleanly; flammable, so it is never run unattended.
Chipboard & matboard
Rigid paper board — chipboard, matboard, and museum board. Great for architectural models, mounting, and framing.
Basswood & balsa
Soft modeling woods that cut fast with a clean, light edge. A favorite for scale models, prototypes, and craft work.
Magnetic sheet
Thin, flexible magnetic material cut to any shape — custom magnets, labels, and light fixturing.
Engrave & mark only
Stone, tile & metal.
A CO₂ laser cannot cut these — but it puts a permanent mark on the surface. Bring the item in or ship it to us.
Stone & slate
Slate, marble, and granite take a clean etched mark — coasters, plaques, house markers, and signage.
Ceramic & tile
Ceramic and tile take a crisp engraved mark — custom tile, house numbers, and decorative or gift pieces.
Coated & anodized metal
On anodized or powder-coated metal the laser removes the coating for a crisp mark. Bare metal can be marked with marking spray. We cannot cut metal — that needs a fiber laser.
Safety
What we will not laser.
These release toxic fumes, catch fire, or damage the machine. We will not laser them even if you supply them.
Toxic — never
PVC, vinyl, and faux leather (chlorine gas). Foamed PVC — Sintra, Foamex. Polycarbonate (Lexan). ABS. Fiberglass. Carbon fiber. Anything with a PVC or vinyl backing.
Melts or burns
HDPE and polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene / Styrofoam, and PETG sheet all melt or catch fire. MDF and Delrin cut but give off heavy or toxic fumes — we do not cut them.
Confirm before bringing
Bare metal cannot be cut on a CO₂ laser. Flame-retardant treated fabric, composites, and unknown or coated plastics — bring a small sample and we will safely test it first.
Ready to cut?
Drop your file for an instant ballpark price. A real person reviews it and sets your final quote.