CO₂ laser cutting — wood, acrylic, leather & paper
CO₂ lasers are the workhorse of bespoke fabrication. They cut and engrave organic and plastic materials cleanly — wood, acrylic, leather, paper, card, cork, felt — at a speed and precision no other tool matches for small-batch work.
We run a CO₂ laser in our Leith workshop alongside our fibre laser, our 3D printers, and our woodshop. Most jobs go from vector file to finished part the same week, it can be arranged same-day, but this tends not to be the standard.
What CO₂ cuts and engraves
- Wood — hardwood, plywood, MDF, veneer
- Acrylic — clear, frosted, mirrored, coloured, fluorescent
- Leather — vegetable-tanned, suede, faux
- Card and paper — wedding stationery, packaging, model-making
- Cork, felt, rubber, foam, mount board
- Fabric — natural fibres only; we don't cut synthetics that release halogens
What people use it for
- Signage and wayfinding — letters, logos, panels
- Wedding stationery, table plans, place cards, favours
- Architectural models and product prototypes
- Packaging inserts and gift boxes
- Retail display props and POS materials
- Educational kits and laser-cut puzzles
- Theatre props and set elements
Cutting vs. engraving
Same machine, different settings:
- Vector cutting — beam follows a line, slicing through the material. Edge quality depends on material; wood is slightly toasted, acrylic comes out polished.
- Vector etching — a scored line on the surface, doesn't cut through. Good for fold lines and decorative detail.
- Raster engraving — the beam fills in an area pixel by pixel. Gives shaded or photographic effects.
Capability
- Bed area: 680 x 2200 mm
- Maximum material thickness: 12 mm depending on material
- Kerf (cut width): typically 0.1–0.2 mm — useful to know for interlocking parts
- Files: SVG, AI, DXF, PDF (vector); JPG/PNG for raster engraves
- Typical lead time: [lead time] working days
What we don't cut
Metal — that's what our fibre laser is for. We also won't cut PVC, vinyl, ABS, polycarbonate, or anything else that releases chlorine, cyanide or halogen gases when lasered. If you're not sure what your material is, send a sample and we'll test it.
Pricing
Single pieces from £50 - £100. Larger runs price per sheet of material plus laser time. We send a costed quote inside 24 hours of receiving a vector file.
Sending a job
Email artwork to enquiries@cobblestonecreative.co.uk with material, size, quantity and any cut/engrave flagging in the file. If you have a deadline, mention it — we keep rush slots aside for tight turnarounds.