Regarding vinyl, see item 4 here:
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1: I'm new to Glowforge and really have no idea where to start Hey, welcome to the forum!
Glowforge has a getting started page, it’s definitely worth your time:
<a href="https://support.glowforge.com/hc/en-us/sections/11792517736475-Design-and-Print-Tutorials">https://support.glowf…
TL;DR: most “vinyl” is PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which will produce corrosive vapor that can destroy your machine rapidly and, may damage your health. There are alternatives but, be careful.
Lots of people have done stuff with silicone:
https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=silicone
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