LaserCanvas
Leather, cork, fabric and paper
All four cut easily and all four catch fire easily — they need far less power than wood and constant attention. Use vegetable-tanned leather only; chrome-tanned releases chromium compounds. Synthetic fabrics seal their cut edge, which is a feature. Never leave paper cutting unattended.
The common thread: low power, high speed, watch it
These materials are thin, dry and organic. Settings that a laser uses for 3 mm plywood will set them alight rather than cut them. Start far lower than feels right — often 10 to 20% of what you would use on wood — and raise only if it fails to cut through.
Leather: check the tanning first
| Type | Laser? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable-tanned | Yes | Tanned with plant tannins. Cuts and engraves beautifully, dark rich edge |
| Chrome-tanned | No | Contains chromium salts; heating can release chromium compounds |
| Faux / PU leather | Check backing | Often PVC-backed — which must never be cut. PU-backed is usually fine |
| Suede | Yes, carefully | Very flammable nap; low power and constant watching |
If the supplier cannot tell you how a hide was tanned, do not laser it. Vegetable-tanned is sold as such and usually costs more, which is a reasonable proxy.
Engraving leather gives a dark, slightly embossed mark with excellent contrast. Keep power low — leather burns to a hard, brittle crust if overdone, and the smell is memorable.
Cork
Cork cuts cleanly and engraves with good contrast. Two things to know: thickness varies noticeably within a sheet, so a setting that cuts through in one place may not in another; and cork sheets are often backed with adhesive or rubber, which may not be laser-safe. Check what the backing is.
Fabric
- Synthetics (polyester, nylon, acrylic fabric) — the cut edge melts and seals, so it will not fray. This is the main reason to laser fabric rather than scissor it.
- Natural fibres (cotton, linen, hemp) — cut cleanly but fray exactly as they would cut any other way.
- Felt — depends entirely on fibre. Wool felt cuts well; "craft felt" is usually polyester and seals.
- Anything with a PVC coating or print — no. Oilcloth and many waterproof fabrics are vinyl-coated.
Fabric moves. A draught from air assist or extraction can lift a lightweight piece into the beam path mid-cut. Weight it down, or use a honeycomb bed with the extraction pulling it flat.
Paper and card
Paper cuts at the very bottom of a machine’s range and gives extremely fine detail — intricate papercuts are one of the things a laser does better than any other tool. It is also the easiest material to set fire to.
- Very low power, very high speed. Aim for a single clean pass; a second pass over a cut line is often what starts a fire.
- Air assist helps, by preventing a flame establishing — but too strong and it lifts the sheet.
- Score rather than cut for fold lines. A crease scored at a fraction of cutting power folds cleanly.
- Watch the edge colour. Brown edges mean too much energy; the cut should be barely tinted.
Starting points
| Material | CO2 (~50 W) cut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 mm veg-tan leather | 25–40%, 400–800 mm/min | Mask the surface to avoid smoke staining |
| 3 mm cork | 30–45%, 500–900 mm/min | Thickness varies; test across the sheet |
| Cotton fabric | 10–15%, 1500–3000 mm/min | Weight it down |
| 160 gsm card | 8–15%, 2000–4000 mm/min | One pass only |
| 80 gsm paper | 5–10%, 3000–6000 mm/min | Watch continuously |
Common questions
Can I laser cut any leather?
Only vegetable-tanned. Chrome-tanned leather contains chromium salts, and heating it can release chromium compounds you do not want in the room or in the machine. If the supplier cannot say how it was tanned, do not cut it — and check faux leather for a PVC backing, which is worse again.
Why does my fabric fray after cutting?
Because it is a natural fibre. Cotton, linen and wool cut cleanly but do not seal, so they fray like any other cut edge. Synthetics — polyester, nylon, acrylic — melt at the cut and seal themselves, which is usually the reason to use a laser on fabric at all.
How do I stop paper catching fire?
Much lower power and much higher speed than feels right, one pass only, air assist on gently, and never out of the room. If the edges are browning you are already close to the limit. A second pass over an already-cut line is a common way to start a flame.
Is cork backed with adhesive safe to cut?
Depends on the adhesive and backing, and often it is not documented. Rubber-backed cork in particular may contain compounds you do not want to vaporise. Plain cork sheet is straightforward; anything laminated needs to be identified before it goes in the machine.