Status: Current FabLab material policyLast reviewed: August 2026
Material identification is one of the most important parts of laser safety.
A CO₂ laser heats material until it burns, melts, or vaporizes. The wrong material can release hazardous fumes, ignite, damage the machine, or contaminate the exhaust system.
The material may be used when:
Its exact identity is known.
It meets every condition listed on this page.
Its thickness is within the FabLab’s posted limits.
All coatings, masking, adhesives, and backing materials are known and approved.
The laser, exhaust, air assist, and cooling systems are operating correctly.
FabLab staff have not placed a temporary restriction on it.
The material may not be placed in a FabLab laser.
This includes:
Materials explicitly listed as prohibited
Materials not included on the green GO list
Materials whose identity is uncertain
Materials with unknown coatings, adhesives, backing, or treatments
Materials awaiting staff review
If it is not clearly green, treat it as red.
The following materials are approved for ordinary FabLab laser use when every listed condition is satisfied.
Status
Material
Required conditions
🟢 GO
Acrylic or Plexiglas
Must be positively identified as PMMA acrylic
🟢 GO
Untreated plywood
Known product and glue; no coatings or treatments
🟢 GO
Raw natural wood
Known species; unfinished, untreated, and free of metal
🟢 GO
Paper and cardstock
Known, uncoated paper without plastic, metal, or adhesive
🟢 GO
Dura-Lar polyester film
Genuine, known product; no substitute clear films
🟢 GO
Vegetable-tanned leather
Natural leather with verified tanning method
🟢 GO
Natural fabrics
Known, untreated natural fibers without coatings or blends
Approval of a material family does not approve every brand, thickness, coating, or operation.
If no thickness limit or tested setting exists for your exact stock, stop and ask FabLab staff before proceeding.
¶ 🟢 Acrylic and PlexiglasApproved:
Polymethyl methacrylate labeled PMMA
Cast acrylic
Extruded acrylic
Known-brand Plexiglas or acrylic sheet
Before use:
Confirm that the material is PMMA acrylic.
Confirm the manufacturer and product type.
Confirm its thickness.
Verify any masking or protective film.
Remove unknown masking before laser use.
Run a small test before beginning the complete job.
Acrylic and polycarbonate can look almost identical. Appearance is not proof of material identity.
The following are not acrylic:
Polycarbonate
Lexan
PETG
PVC
Vinyl
Unknown clear plastic
Approved:
Untreated plywood from a known supplier
Laser-grade plywood
Known Baltic birch plywood
Other plywood products specifically accepted by the FabLab
Before use:
Confirm the product and manufacturer.
Confirm the thickness.
Make sure it is free of paint, stain, sealer, fire retardant, or pressure treatment.
Verify that the glue and product type are known.
Check that the sheet is reasonably flat.
Check for nails, staples, screws, or other metal.
Run a small test for each new product and thickness.
Plywood varies between manufacturers. Internal glue, patches, voids, and veneer changes can affect cutting quality, smoke, and fire behavior.
Not included in this approval:
MDF
Particleboard
OSB
Construction sheathing
Marine plywood
Fire-rated plywood
Pressure-treated plywood
Wood products containing unknown adhesives
Approved examples:
Oak
Balsa
Cherry
Birch
Maple
Poplar
Other natural wood specifically accepted by FabLab staff
Before use:
Confirm the wood species.
Make sure it is clean, dry, raw, and untreated.
Check for paint, stain, sealer, oil, adhesives, or preservatives.
Check for nails, screws, staples, or other metal.
Make sure the material lies flat enough to maintain safe focus.
Test each new species, board, and thickness.
Resinous, oily, exotic, or unusually dense species are not automatically included in the green approval.
¶ 🟢 Paper and CardstockApproved:
Uncoated drawing paper
Cardstock
Known kraft paper
Other known, untreated paper products specifically accepted by the FabLab
Before use:
Confirm the exact paper product.
Make sure it is clean and flat.
Check for plastic, vinyl, metallic, adhesive, or chemical layers.
Secure lightweight material so it cannot lift or move.
Use approved settings for thin, highly combustible material.
Watch closely for lifting, flame, or excessive smoke.
Run a small test before processing a complete sheet.
Not included in this approval:
Corrugated cardboard
Shipping boxes
Adhesive-backed paper
Metallic paper
Plastic-coated paper
Thermal paper
Laminated paper
Paper recovered from trash or recycling
Approved:
Genuine Dura-Lar polyester film from a known supplier
Exact polyester-film products that the FabLab has formally approved
Before use:
Confirm the brand and exact product.
Confirm the thickness.
Check for coatings, adhesives, printing, or laminations.
Secure the film so it cannot lift or move.
Run a small test for melting, curling, or heat distortion.
“Clear film” is not a material identity.
Dura-Lar, acetate, acrylic, polycarbonate, PETG, PVC, and other transparent materials can look similar while behaving very differently.
Do not substitute another clear film for Dura-Lar.
Approved:
Natural vegetable-tanned leather from a known supplier
Before use:
Confirm that the leather is vegetable-tanned.
Check for dyes, finishes, adhesives, synthetic backing, or laminated layers.
Confirm the thickness.
Expect odor and residue even from approved leather.
Run a small test.
Clean residue from the machine after the job.
Not included in this approval:
Synthetic leather
Vinyl leather
PVC-backed leather
Chrome-tanned leather
Unknown leather
Leather with unknown coatings or treatments
Products labeled “faux leather,” “vegan leather,” “pleather,” or “synthetic leather” are not natural leather.
Approved examples:
Cotton
Linen
Wool
Hemp
Other known natural fabrics specifically accepted by the FabLab
Before use:
Confirm the complete fiber content.
Make sure the fabric is untreated.
Check for waterproofing, fire retardants, adhesives, metallic fibers, or coatings.
Confirm that the fabric is not an unknown blend.
Secure it so it remains flat.
Run a small test for flame, edge quality, and heat distortion.
Natural-fiber blends are not automatically approved.
The following materials may not be placed in a FabLab laser.
Status
Material
Primary concern
🔴 NO-GO
PVC, vinyl, and Cintra
Corrosive and hazardous chlorine-containing fumes
🔴 NO-GO
Polycarbonate and Lexan
Hazardous emissions, soot, melting, and poor cutting
🔴 NO-GO
PETG
Not approved under current FabLab policy
🔴 NO-GO
PTFE and Teflon
Hazardous fluorine-containing decomposition products
🔴 NO-GO
ABS
Hazardous laser-generated air contaminants
🔴 NO-GO
Delrin or POM
Formaldehyde can be generated during thermal decomposition
🔴 NO-GO
Nylon or polyamide
Hazardous laser-generated air contaminants
🔴 NO-GO
Neoprene
May produce hydrogen chloride during decomposition
🔴 NO-GO
Treated or coated wood
Unknown or hazardous treatments and fumes
🔴 NO-GO
MDF, particleboard, and OSB
Adhesives, emissions, and inconsistent composition
🔴 NO-GO
Cardboard
High and inconsistent fire risk
🔴 NO-GO
Foamcore and foam board
Documented fire history and uncertain core composition
🔴 NO-GO
Styrofoam and polystyrene foam
Melting, smoke, and fire behavior
🔴 NO-GO
EVA, packing foam, and foam rubber
Unknown composition, melting, smoke, and fire behavior
🔴 NO-GO
Synthetic or chrome-tanned leather
Hazardous or unknown tanning, coatings, and backing
🔴 NO-GO
Fiberglass and carbon fiber
Hazardous fibers, fumes, and composite resins
🔴 NO-GO
Epoxy and phenolic composites
Hazardous thermal-decomposition products
🔴 NO-GO
Circuit boards
Fiberglass, resin, metal, and hazardous emissions
🔴 NO-GO
Mystery materials
Composition and decomposition products are unknown
🔴 NO-GO
Metal cutting
The FabLab CO₂ lasers are not approved to cut metal
¶ 🔴 PVC, Vinyl, and Chlorinated MaterialsProhibited examples:
PVC
Vinyl
Cintra
PVC foam board
Vinyl flooring
Vinyl stickers
Vinyl-coated fabric
PVC-backed synthetic leather
Materials containing chlorine or unknown halogens
Laser heating can cause these products to release corrosive and hazardous gases.
These emissions can harm people and damage the laser, optics, and exhaust system.
PVC and vinyl are never permitted in a FabLab laser.
¶ 🔴 Polycarbonate, Lexan, and PETGProhibited:
Polycarbonate
PC
Lexan
PETG
PET-G
Unknown clear plastic
Polycarbonate and PETG can resemble acrylic but are not interchangeable with acrylic.
Do not use:
Appearance
Flexibility
A flame test
A smell test
An old laser mark
Someone’s memory
to identify clear plastic.
The original manufacturer label or reliable product documentation is required.
Prohibited:
Pressure-treated wood
Painted wood
Stained wood
Sealed or varnished wood
Fire-retardant-treated wood
Chemically preserved wood
MDF
Particleboard
OSB
Wood containing unknown glue
Construction or demolition scraps
Wood containing nails, screws, staples, or other metal
Treatments, coatings, and adhesives can release unknown or hazardous decomposition products.
Prohibited:
Corrugated cardboard
Shipping boxes
Packaging board
Cardboard recovered from recycling
Coated or printed cardboard
Cardboard containing unknown adhesives
Cardboard is prohibited because of its fire behavior, internal air spaces, adhesives, coatings, contamination, and inconsistent composition.
Do not substitute cardboard when a project calls for approved paper or cardstock.
¶ 🔴 Foamcore and Foam ProductsProhibited:
Foamcore
Paper-faced foam board
Styrofoam
Expanded polystyrene
Extruded polystyrene
Insulation foam
Packing foam
EVA foam
Foam rubber
Unknown foam
Foam recovered from packaging, models, or trash
Foamcore has been associated with laser fires. Products sold as “foamcore” or “foam board” can also contain different plastics, adhesives, coatings, and core materials.
The product name alone is not enough to establish safe composition.
Use a mechanical knife, hot-wire process in an approved location, CNC process, or another FabLab-approved alternative.
¶ 🔴 Synthetic Leather and Unknown FabricsProhibited:
Synthetic leather
Faux leather
Vegan leather of unknown composition
Pleather
Vinyl leather
Chrome-tanned leather
PVC-backed leather
Coated upholstery
Fabrics with unknown fiber content
Fabrics with unknown coatings or backing
Fabrics containing metallic fibers
These products may contain PVC, polyurethane, adhesives, pigments, flame retardants, or other treatments.
¶ 🔴 Fiberglass, Carbon Fiber, and Resin CompositesProhibited:
Fiberglass
Carbon-fiber sheet
Epoxy composites
Phenolic-resin products
Fiber-reinforced plastics
Printed circuit boards
Unidentified composite panels
These products can release hazardous fumes or dust and may contain conductive, reflective, or abrasive fibers.
A mystery material is anything whose complete composition cannot be verified.
Examples:
Material found in the trash
Material taken from an unlabeled scrap bin
Unlabeled plastic
Unlabeled clear sheet material
Material removed from another product
Construction scraps
Old model-making material
Donated material without documentation
Material described only as “plastic,” “foam,” “wood,” or “fabric”
Material whose backing, coating, adhesive, or treatment is unknown
If you do not know exactly what it is, it does not go in the laser.
A familiar appearance, old laser marks, or someone saying they cut it previously does not establish the material’s identity.
The FabLab CO₂ lasers are not approved for cutting:
Metal
Glass
Ceramic
Tile
Stone
Mirrors
Reflective materials
Metal-filled composites
Some exact products may support a staff-controlled engraving or marking process.
Until that process has been reviewed and explicitly approved, these materials remain NO-GO .
Approval to mark a coating does not authorize cutting or engraving the underlying metal.
Use this decision every time you bring material to the Laser Lab.
Yes: Continue to Question 2.No: 🔴 NO-GO
Yes: Continue to Question 3.No: 🔴 NO-GO
¶ 3. Are all coatings, masking, adhesives, treatments, and backing materials known and approved?
Yes: Continue to Question 4.No: 🔴 NO-GO
¶ 4. Is the material within the posted thickness and operating limits?
Yes: Continue to Question 5.No or unknown: 🔴 NO-GO
¶ 5. Is the machine available, clean, and operating correctly?Confirm:
Exhaust is operating.
Air assist is operating.
Cooling is operating.
The cutting bed is free of hazardous debris.
The area around the machine is clear of unnecessary combustible material.
The material lies flat.
The file and settings have been checked.
You can watch the complete job.
If every answer is yes:
If any answer is no or uncertain:
¶ 🔴 NO-GO — STOP AND ASKA material not on the green list cannot be approved informally at the machine.
Bring FabLab staff:
The original product label
The manufacturer
The exact product name and model number
A manufacturer or supplier webpage
The Safety Data Sheet, if available
The complete material composition
Information about coatings, adhesives, and treatments
The material thickness
A small unprocessed sample
A description of whether you want to cut, score, or engrave it
The review should consider:
Intended operation
Fire behavior
Material thickness
Reflectivity
Conductivity
Hazardous decomposition products
Exhaust and filtration capability
Machine compatibility
Cleaning and maintenance requirements
Test evidence
For an SDS, Section 10 — Stability and Reactivity is especially important because it may identify hazardous decomposition products.
PubChem can help characterize a named chemical or decomposition product, but it cannot determine whether a finished commercial material is safe to laser.
Until the review is complete and the material is formally added to the green list, it remains:
Approved materials can still:
Ignite
Produce smoke and odor
Create hazardous air contaminants
Melt or curl
Leave residue
Damage optics when incorrect settings are used
Behave differently between brands and batches
For every job:
Verify exhaust and air assist.
Use the approved starting settings.
Run a small test.
Remain with the laser.
Watch for flame, excessive smoke, movement, or unusual behavior.
Stop if smoke or persistent odor escapes into the room.
Wait at least 30 seconds after the job for fumes to exhaust.
Check for heat, glowing edges, or smoldering material.
Clean the bed and work area.
Report unexpected results.
When uncertain, stop and ask a FabLab staff member or student worker.
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