Rubber vs Silicone for Laser Cutting: Which One Should You Buy?

LaserEngraveHQ earns a commission from purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.

Rubber vs silicone for laser cutting: the short answer

Pick laser rubber for stamps and seals: it engraves at low power, carves cleanly and holds fine detail, and all three listings here are rubber stamp sheets in A4 size at 0.09 inch or 2.3mm thick. Pick silicone for gaskets, heat shields and outdoor parts: it tolerates heat and weather that would degrade rubber, but it engraves with less contrast and needs ventilation. For a stamp-making project, rubber wins outright; for a functional heat-resistant part, silicone is the better choice of the two.

What laser rubber gives you

Clean engraving at low power. The Tondiamo listings describe soft rubber sheets, easy to engrave, with fine ink loading for clear and delicate patterns over long press runs. Sheets here are A4, about 11.7 by 8.3 inches, at 0.09 inch or 2.3mm thick, and they cut into shapes for mounting on stampers or seals. The Creatorally listing states its sheets engrave without generating bad smells and work with oil, water and alcohol based inks. Rubber is the stamp material: soft, carveable and ink-friendly.

What silicone gives you

Heat and weather resistance. Silicone sheets tolerate temperatures and outdoor exposure that break rubber down, which makes them the pick for gaskets, seals and flexible functional parts rather than art stamps. The trade is engraving contrast: silicone marks lighter than laser rubber and benefits from good exhaust. None of the three listings here is silicone, so size the silicone sheets you buy by the part you need: check the stated thickness and durometer, not just the sheet size.

Three laser rubber sheets, ranked

Every sheet below is laser rubber for engraving, ordered by how completely each listing delivers what it promises. There is no silicone sheet in these listings.

1. Tondiamo 3-pack, A4, 0.09 in

The listing describes 3 laser rubber stamp sheets in red, dark gray and light gray, A4 size at about 11.7 by 8.3 inches and 0.09 inch or 2.3mm thick. The rubber is stated soft and easy to engrave, with fine ink loading for clear and delicate patterns. Item weight is 1.4 pounds.

Who it suits: stamp making in three colors from one pack. The most sheets here.

2. Tondiamo 2-pack, A4, 0.09 in

The listing describes 2 laser rubber stamp sheets in light gray, A4 size at about 11.7 by 8.3 inches and 0.09 inch or 2.3mm thick. The rubber is stated soft to cut and carve, with fine ink loading for clear patterns over long use. Item weight is 14.88 ounces.

Who it suits: a smaller stamp-making run in light gray. Same sheet spec as the 3-pack.

3. Creatorally 2-sheet, A4, 2.3mm

The listing describes 2 grey rubber stamping sheets, A4 at 31 by 22 cm and 0.09 inch or 2.3mm thick, stated easy to cut and engrave without bad smells. Two flags: the bullets state 2.2 by 8.66 inch against the A4 title, and also describe 4 colored pads at 8.26 by 5.77 inches and 1/10 inch thick that do not match the A4 sheets. Read the sheet size from the title. Item weight is 2.82 ounces.

Who it suits: stamp sheets that work with oil, water and alcohol based inks. Confirm the size on arrival given the conflicting bullets.

Buying advice for stamp sheets

Match the sheet to the stamp size. All three listings here are A4, about 11.7 by 8.3 inches, so one sheet covers several stamps: cut the sheet to the stamp size before engraving and mount each piece on an acrylic block or stamper. The Tondiamo 3-pack gives three sheets in red, dark gray and light gray; the 2-pack gives two in light gray; the Creatorally gives two grey sheets. More sheets means more practice and more colors in one order.

Read the thickness once. Every listing here states 0.09 inch or 2.3mm: thin enough to cut cleanly, thick enough to hold a stamp impression. Do not assume thicker is better for stamps; the 0.09 inch sheets here are the standard stamp-rubber thickness and they mount easily. The Creatorally bullets also mention 1/10 inch pads at 8.26 by 5.77 inches that conflict with its A4 title, so read the sheet size from the title and confirm on arrival.

Pair the rubber with the right ink. The Creatorally listing states its sheets work with oil, water and alcohol based inks, which covers nearly every stamp pad on the market. The Tondiamo listings state fine ink loading for clear and delicate patterns over long press runs, which is what you want for small text and logos. For commercial stamp runs, the Tondiamo 3-pack’s three sheets keep production moving.

Ventilate regardless of the no-smell claim. The Creatorally listing states its sheets engrave without generating bad smells, but every laser cut needs exhaust: rubber fumes belong outside the room, not in it. Run a corner piece first to dial in power, since all three listings describe soft rubber that engraves easily at low power.

Sheet care before the laser

Engrave rubber at low power and run a corner piece first: the listings here all describe soft rubber that engraves easily. Ventilate the work area; the Creatorally listing’s no-bad-smell claim still assumes exhaust. Cut sheets to the stamp size before engraving to save material, and mount the engraved rubber on an acrylic block or stamper. For silicone, expect lighter marks than rubber gives.

FAQ: lasers and CNC

Which is better for rubber stamps?

Laser rubber: it engraves cleanly at low power and takes ink well. All three listings here are laser rubber stamp sheets.

Can I laser cut silicone?

Yes, with ventilation: silicone resists heat and weather for gaskets and seals, but engraves with less contrast than rubber. None of the listings here is silicone.

What thickness are these sheets?

All three list 0.09 inch or 2.3mm. The Creatorally bullets also mention 1/10 inch pads that conflict with its A4 title.

Which of these state a warranty?

None of the three listings states a warranty term.

What inks work with these sheets?

The Creatorally listing states oil, water and alcohol based inks; the Tondiamo listings state fine ink loading for clear patterns.

Related: rubber for laser cutting, silicone sheets for laser and the engraving materials hub.