Plasma vs Laser vs Router.

Plasma cutting: heavy metal, fast

Plasma cutting uses a high-velocity stream of superheated ionized gas to slice through electrically conductive metal — typically steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and brass. The cut edge is rougher than laser or waterjet, but the machine is fast, the material range is wide, and the table sizes scale to 6+ feet without exotic capital costs. This is the workhorse for outdoor signs, ranch entry pieces, custom address numbers, and any metal art where the design is bold and the gauge is thick.

Plasma's sweet spot is 14-gauge through 1/2-inch plate steel. Thinner than 16-gauge and the heat distorts the metal; thicker than 1/2-inch and you're better served by waterjet or oxy-fuel. Detail resolution is limited by the kerf width (the slot the plasma carves) — typically 0.060" to 0.150" depending on the system. Fine script lettering or intricate filigree starts to round off below about 1/4" character height. Bold sans-serif letters, silhouettes, and geometric panels look great.

Laser cutting: precision, thin material

Lasers come in two main flavors for makers: CO2 lasers (great for wood, acrylic, leather, paper, fabric, some plastics) and fiber lasers (designed for metals, including stainless, mild steel, brass, copper, and aluminum up to about 1/4 inch). Both deliver cleaner edges than plasma, finer detail than router, and the ability to engrave the surface as well as cut through it. If you need photo-quality engraving or hair-fine script lettering, laser is your tool.

The trade-off is bed size and material thickness. Most maker lasers have 24" × 48" or smaller working envelopes. Cutting through 1/2-inch plate or larger-than-bed panels means switching to plasma or router. Lasers are also slower per cut than plasma on equivalent material — you pay for the precision in machine time.

CNC routers: wood, plastics, composites, and 3D

Where plasma and laser are subtractive 2D techniques, a CNC router cuts and carves in true 3D. Wood, MDF, HDPE, foam, composites, soft metals (aluminum, brass with the right tooling) — anything a spinning bit can chip away. Routers do the deep relief carving on wooden signs, the surfacing on live-edge tables, the pocket-and-tab joinery on flat-pack furniture, and the precision drilling on hardware-rich pieces.

Detail resolution depends on bit diameter — most makers run 1/8" through 1/2" end-mills for routine work, with 1/16" or smaller for fine detail. Surface finish depends on bit selection, spindle speed, and feed rate; a skilled CNC operator can produce a surface that needs little or no sanding before finish. Routers don't engrave like lasers do — but they can V-carve script lettering into wood that looks far better than a laser scorch on the same material.

Quick decision matrix

Here's the short answer when you're trying to decide which technique to ask the maker for:

• Custom metal sign for outdoor mounting → Plasma (most cost-effective for 14-gauge+ steel) OR fiber laser (if detail matters more than thickness).
• Engraved cutting board, photo plaque, fine script wedding sign → CO2 laser (cleanest engrave, fastest turnaround).
• Wall-art metal panel with intricate filigree, 1/8" thick stainless → Fiber laser (plasma can't hold the detail).
• Live-edge wood table, carved kitchen sign, dimensional furniture → CNC router.
• Large ranch entry sign, 1/4" steel plate, 6+ feet wide → Plasma (the only tool with the bed size + speed at that scale).
• Acrylic light-up sign, layered laser-cut shapes → CO2 laser.
• Layered wooden mountain relief, multi-depth carving → CNC router with multiple bit changes.

How to read a maker's tooling list

Every Crafters Market maker lists their techniques on their shop profile. "PLASMA" means they run a plasma table (size and amperage usually noted in the bio); "LASER" means CO2 or fiber (often both — check the materials list); "ROUTER" means a CNC mill, usually 3- or 5-axis; "FORGE" means traditional hot-metal work outside the CNC universe entirely.

If your brief mentions a material the maker hasn't listed, ask. Many shops have access to friend-shops nearby and will sub-contract a single operation rather than turn down a commission. Other shops are specialist-only and will tell you upfront they're not the right fit — which is honest and saves everyone time.