What Are Glowforge Proofgrade Materials?

Proofgrade Materials Available:

Glowforge offers acrylics, hardwoods, plywoods, draftboard, veneers, and full-grain leathers. All Proofgrade materials are masked on both sides with a protective removable paper masking. (FYI…your new Glowforge comes with $75 worth of Proofgrade materials for you to play around with!)

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Pros of Proofgrade Materials:

• Most-of-the-time Automatic recognition of the material
• Masked on both sides with a peel-off protective coating to prevent scorching
• Knot-Free Wood products are clear of knots and defects
• Pre-finished – durable satin coat finish on each side of wood pieces
• Leather products from clear, full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather 
• No sanding required!
• Newbie-Friendly for those just starting out.
• Consistent Results every time
• No Settings to enter!
• Guaranteed by a 3-month limited warranty!

Cons of Proofgrade Materials:

• EXPENSIVE $$$ Can be up to 3X the cost of other Suppliers
• Glowforge Shop is often Sold Out before major retail holidays
• Limited types of materials available
• Wood is Pre-finished – Won’t take a color stain at all!

Do I need to buy Proofgrade materials for my Glowforge?

Certainly not! There are many other online and physical retail stores that carry laser-compatible material that will work with Glowforge. Keep in mind, some plywoods can have glues that make them difficult to cut, and unknown plastics and other materials can be something other than they appear, so if you buy from other suppliers you’ll need to do some research first to make sure they are laser-compatible. 

A Glowforge is like a microwave – putting the wrong material in can damage it.

Our Recommended Sources:

Rockler (Online Only)

Hardwoods, Plywoods, resin powders, Veneers, sandpaper, stains, glue, oh my!

Wood Thickness: 1/16″ , 1/8″ , 1/4″ , 1/2″ , 3/4″
Wood Sizes: 6×12″, 12×12″, 12×24″, 12×30″, 24×30″, 30×48″

Exotic Wood Species: African Mohagony, Bocote, Bolivian Rosewood, Bubinga, Leopardwood, Padauk, Purpleheart, Redheart, Wenge, Yellowheart, Zebrawood
Domestic Wood Species: Bamboo, Basswood, Cherry, Maple, Red Oak, Spanish Cedar, Walnut, White Ash, White Oak
Plywood Species: Baltic Birch, Cherry, Maple, Red Oak, Walnut

Woodcraft (Online & Local Stores)

Hardwoods, Plywoods, resin powders, Veneers, sandpaper, stains, glue, oh my! They also have physical store locations throughout the US.

Wood Thickness: 1/16″ , 1/8″ , 1/4″ , 1/2″ , 3/4″
Wood Sizes: 6×12″, 12×12″, 12×24″, 12×30″, 24×30″, 30×48″

Exotic Wood Species:
Domestic Wood Species:
Plywood Species: Baltic Birch, Finnish Birch, MDF Fibreboard

Woodpeckers – Amazon (Online Only)

Unfinished Glowforge dimensions wood!

Wood Thickness: 1/8″ , 1/4″ , 1/2″ , 3/4″
Wood Sizes: 4×6″, 5×7″, 8×10”, 12×12″, 12×20″, 12×24″

Exotic Wood Species:
Domestic Wood Species: MDF Sheets
Plywood Species: Baltic Birch

Johnson Plastics Plus (Online Only)

Acrylic, Rubber for stamps, Cutting Boards, Sublimation supplies, product blanks for personalization, Faux Leather, Cork, Spiral Wood Notebooks, & more.