How many plies of material is the cutting mat made of, and how thick are each of the cutting mats plies?
Look for cutting mats that are at least 3 plys thick. The outer plies of the cutting mat should not be too thin, and the inner ply of the mat should be thick. A thick inner cutting mat ply helps prevent mat cut through and prolongs the life of cutting blades. What is the cutting mat surface texture and is there a glare? A cutting mat should have a non glare surface. A reflective mat surface makes it harder to see the material being cut. The cutting mat surface texture should be a medium tooth. Too smooth a cutting mat surface, and the material being cut may slip. Too textured cutting mat surface will make straight cuts difficult. What type of grid does the cutting mat have? Look for a cutting mat that is fully graduated (numbered) on all 4 sides of the mat. If the cutting mat has hash marks the hashes should extend past the boarder of the cutting mat grid. What type of cutting tools is going to be used on the mat? Choose a cutting mat that can be used with both a rotary knife and a str
