Bonny Creations
Can I Laser This?
A complete material safety reference for laser cutters and engravers. Safe materials, dangerous ones to avoid, and ventilation notes for every category.
☠️
Never laser PVC, vinyl, ABS, galvanised metal, carbon fibre, polystyrene foam, or polyurethane foam. These release toxic, carcinogenic, or corrosive gases that damage your lungs and can corrode your laser machine. When in doubt, check the material's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before lasering anything unfamiliar.
✓ Safe with standard ventilation⚠ Use with caution / strong ventilation✕ Never laser — toxic or hazardous
Wood & Sheet Goods
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltic Birch Plywood | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Best all-rounder. Cuts cleanly. Some glue voids at higher plies. |
| MDF | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Cuts well but produces fine dust. Strong ventilation required. |
| Hardwood (oak, maple, etc) | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | slow | Dense grain = slower speeds. CO2 preferred for deep cuts. |
| Basswood / Balsa | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Very easy to cut. Low smoke. Great for beginners. |
| Bamboo | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Engraves with high contrast. Direction of grain matters for cuts. |
| Pressure-treated lumber | ✕ Avoid | — No | — No | Contains arsenic compounds (CCA). Toxic fumes — never laser. |
| MDF with fire retardant | ⚠ Caution | check | check | Some FR additives release toxic fumes. Check the datasheet. |
Acrylic & Plastics
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cast Acrylic (PMMA) | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | engrave | Cuts with flame-polished edges. Best acrylic for laser work. |
| Extruded Acrylic | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | engrave | Cheaper than cast. Cuts well but frosted edge rather than polished. |
| PVC / Vinyl | ✕ Avoid | — No | — No | ⚠ DANGER: releases HCl gas. Corrodes machine and lungs. Never laser. |
| ABS Plastic | ✕ Avoid | — No | — No | Releases cyanide compounds and carcinogens. Do not laser. |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | ⚠ Caution | engrave | — No | Cuts poorly (chars, discolours). Engraving only. Fumes require ventilation. |
| HDPE / Polyethylene | ⚠ Caution | — No | — No | Melts rather than cuts. Produces waxy residue. Not recommended. |
| Delrin / Acetal | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | slow | Machines cleanly. Low odour. Good for precision parts. |
| PETG | ⚠ Caution | ✓ Yes | — No | Can cut but releases fumes. Ventilate well. Not a first choice. |
Leather & Fabric
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetable-tanned leather | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Safe and produces attractive dark engrave. Good ventilation needed. |
| Chrome-tanned leather | ⚠ Caution | ventilate | ventilate | Releases chromium compounds. Ventilate strongly or avoid. |
| Faux leather / pleather | ⚠ Caution | check | check | Often contains PVC. Check material spec before lasering. |
| Cotton / denim | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Burns cleanly. Great for engraving patterns or cutting shapes. |
| Wool felt | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Cuts without fraying. Mild smell. Natural fibre = safe. |
| Polyester felt | ⚠ Caution | ✓ Yes | slow | Melts at edges. Ventilate well. Natural felt preferred. |
| Nylon | ⚠ Caution | engrave | — No | Melts/deforms on cut edges. Fumes need ventilation. |
Paper & Card
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardstock / Card | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Cuts precisely. Watch for fire risk at slow speeds — use air assist. |
| Kraft paper | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Clean cuts. Very low smoke. |
| Corrugated cardboard | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | slow | Fire risk from fluted air pockets. Never leave unattended. |
| Foam core board | ⚠ Caution | ✓ Yes | slow | Polystyrene foam core releases styrene fumes. Ventilate strongly. |
Stone, Ceramic & Glass
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slate | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Engraves with beautiful white contrast. No cutting possible. |
| Marble / Granite | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | slow | Engrave only. Produces fine stone dust — ventilate well. |
| Ceramic tile (glazed) | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Engrave the glaze surface. Results vary by glaze composition. |
| Glass | ✓ Safe | engrave | — No | CO2 engraves glass. Cutting possible but complex. No diode. |
Metals
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anodised aluminium | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Engraves by removing anodising layer. High contrast. Very popular. |
| Bare aluminium | ⚠ Caution | mark | mark | Requires laser marking spray (Cermark/Brilliance) for permanent mark. |
| Stainless steel | ✓ Safe | mark | mark | Mark with Cermark or at high temp. Fiber lasers engrave natively. |
| Galvanised steel | ✕ Avoid | — No | — No | Zinc coating releases toxic zinc oxide fumes. Never laser. |
| Copper / Brass | ⚠ Caution | mark | mark | Reflective surface — risk of beam bounce back. Use marking spray. |
| Carbon fibre | ✕ Avoid | — No | — No | ⚠ DANGER: conductive dust, lung hazard. Never laser. |
| Titanium | ✓ Safe | mark | mark | Fiber laser produces vivid colour-oxide marks. Safe with ventilation. |
Rubber & Foam
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rubber stamp material | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Purpose-made for lasers. Strong smell — ventilate well. |
| Natural rubber | ⚠ Caution | ✓ Yes | slow | Cuts but produces very strong smell. Strong ventilation required. |
| EVA foam | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Cuts cleanly. Mild smell. Good for cosplay, packaging, gaskets. |
| Polystyrene foam | ✕ Avoid | — No | — No | Releases styrene — a carcinogen. Do not laser. |
| Memory foam / polyurethane | ✕ Avoid | — No | — No | Releases isocyanates and toxic fumes. Never laser. |
Food
| Material | Safety | CO₂ | Diode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood cutting boards | ✓ Safe | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Engrave only (not cut). Clean machine thoroughly after food contact. |
| Chocolate | ✓ Safe | engrave | — No | CO2 engraves chocolate surfaces. Keep machine clean. No cutting. |
| Macarons / baked goods | ✓ Safe | engrave | — No | Surface engraving only. CO2 wavelength absorbed by food. |
General ventilation rule: All laser cutting produces fumes and particulates. Even "safe" materials require ventilation — either a filtered enclosure, a window exhaust, or an air purifier with HEPA + activated carbon. Never laser in an unventilated room. Find tested settings for safe materials →
★★★★★
"Used it with a Glowforge — engraved beautifully with no changes. I will be purchasing more digital downloads from this shop."
— Anna
★★★★★
"I was struggling with lining up my NFC business cards. I was able to not only line them up much better but also do multiple cards at once — making that job so much easier."
— Camp
★★★★★
"Excellent quality and design. Cut clean and neat!"
— LYNN
★★★★★
"Great jigs. Appreciate the time saved not having to build this from scratch!"
— Bruce
★★★★★
"Excellent quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded."
— Michael
★★★★★
"This template made my slate coasters so much easier. 4×4 coasters from Michaels drop in easily and are easy to remove. Def worth it."
— chris