index / materials / leather
Genuine leather
also: veg-tan, chrome-tan
Real leather engraves on every laser type according to two of three makers. The tanning chemistry is the open question, and Glowforge points at chrome-tanned hides.
Board
YES x2 two or more makers say yesNO x2 two or more say noMAKERS SPLIT makers contradict each other1 SOURCE one maker page only, not confirmedNO STATEMENT nothing publishedIF = yes only under a stated condition
| Laser type | Engrave or mark | Cut |
|---|---|---|
| Diode (blue, about 450 to 455 nm) | YES x2 | YES x2 |
| CO2 (10,600 nm) | YES x3 | YES x1 +1 IF |
| Fiber (1064 nm) | MAKERS SPLIT | 1 SOURCE: NO |
Run genuine leather through the matcher to add a cut thickness.
What each maker says
Diode, engrave or mark YES x2
Engraving: Wood Plywood MDF Bamboo Leather Paper Some dark and opaque acrylic Rubber Silicone Glass (with coating) Stone Ceramics (with coating) Plated/coated metal Stainless steel Fabric Cork
xTool, Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026Leather: YES (diode). All lasers are compatible with leather.
Monport, CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026
Diode, cut YES x2
Cutting: Wood Plywood MDF Bamboo Leather Paper Some dark and opaque acrylic Felt Cork
xTool, Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026Both Glowforge Aura and Glowforge Spark cut, score, and engrave laser-compatible materials including wood, acrylic, leather
Glowforge, Craft Series tech specs (Aura, Spark), read Nov 5, 2026
CO2, engrave or mark YES x3
Engraving: Acrylic Wood Plywood MDF Bamboo Leather Paper Rubber Silicone Glass Stone Ceramics Plated/coated metal Fabric Cork
xTool, Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026Leather: YES (CO2).
Monport, CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026A CO2 laser cuts and engraves non-metals: ... genuine leather
Boss Laser, Materials and safety FAQ, read Nov 5, 2026
CO2, cut YES x1 +1 IF
A CO2 laser cuts and engraves non-metals: ... genuine leather
Boss Laser, Materials and safety FAQ, read Nov 5, 2026Thin cloth, felt, hemp fiber, cotton, or leather can be cut, but edges may char due to high heat.
xTool, Support article 363, safety guide, read Nov 5, 2026
Fiber, engrave or mark MAKERS SPLIT
Engraving: Metals: Stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, brass, copper, gold, silver, and platinum Plastics: Engineering plastics like ABS and PVC Some opaque acrylic Stone Ceramic Leather Rubber Silicone
xTool, Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026Leather: YES (fiber).
Monport, CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026Fiber: Cannot cut or engrave wood, leather, or clear acrylic.
OMTech, Diode vs CO2 vs fiber lasers guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026
Fiber, cut 1 SOURCE: NO
Fiber: Cannot cut or engrave wood, leather, or clear acrylic.
OMTech, Diode vs CO2 vs fiber lasers guide (blog), read Nov 5, 2026
Notes from the pages
- Glowforge: "some leather is processed with chemicals that aren't laser-compatible." It names chrome-tanned leather as one to check and vegetable-tanned as tanned with plant tannins.
- xTool support article 363 puts "PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), vinyl, leather, artificial leather" in one row of its harmful-materials table. The same article also says thin leather can be cut.
Fumes
Every page read treats lasering as a fume source. Match your machine's exhaust figure to an extractor on the fume and room lookup.