Laser Materials: GO / NO-GO

Status: Current FabLab material policy
Last 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.

Status Key

🟢 GO — APPROVED

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.

🔴 NO-GO — DO NOT USE

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.

🟢 GO — APPROVED MATERIALS

The following materials are approved for ordinary FabLab laser use when every listed condition is satisfied.

Quick GO Table

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 Plexiglas

Approved:

• 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

🟢 Untreated Plywood

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

🟢 Raw Natural Wood

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 Cardstock

Approved:

• 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

🟢 Dura-Lar Polyester Film

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.

🟢 Vegetable-Tanned Leather

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.

🟢 Natural Fabrics

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.

🔴 NO-GO — PROHIBITED MATERIALS

The following materials may not be placed in a FabLab laser.

Quick NO-GO Table

🔴 PVC, Vinyl, and Chlorinated Materials

Prohibited 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 PETG

Prohibited:

• 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.

🔴 Treated, Coated, or Manufactured Wood

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.

🔴 Cardboard

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 Products

Prohibited:

• 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 Fabrics

Prohibited:

• 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 Composites

Prohibited:

• 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.

🔴 Mystery Materials

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.

🔴 Metal, Glass, Stone, and Other Engraving-Only Materials

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.

GO / NO-GO Decision

Use this decision every time you bring material to the Laser Lab.

1. Can you verify the exact material?

• Yes: Continue to Question 2.
• No: 🔴 NO-GO

2. Is the exact material on the green GO list?

• 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:

🟢 GO

If any answer is no or uncertain:

🔴 NO-GO — STOP AND ASK

Requesting Review of a New Material

A 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:

🔴 NO-GO

Green Does Not Mean Risk-Free

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.

Before Every Laser Job

• My material is on the green GO list.
• I can identify the exact product.
• I know where it came from.
• Its coatings, masking, adhesive, and backing are known.
• Its thickness is within the posted limits.
• It is clean, flat, and free of metal.
• I have material available for a test.
• I checked the file and settings.
• Exhaust, air assist, and cooling are operating.
• The machine and surrounding area are clean.
• I can watch the entire job.
• I will stop if I observe unexpected flame, smoke, odor, melting, or movement.

The Rule to Remember

🟢 Known + listed + within limits = GO

🔴 Unknown, unlisted, treated, or uncertain = NO-GO

When uncertain, stop and ask a FabLab staff member or student worker.

Related pages:

• FabLab Laser Lab
• General Rules and Safety Guidance
• Training and Equipment Access
• Getting Help in the FabLab
• OneLaser Cobra User’s Manual
• PubChem Chemical Database