PVC
PVC sheet comes in two very different forms, and we cut both to size. Expanded PVC, the foam board sign shops run on, is light, stiff for its weight and has a matte surface that takes paint, print and vinyl well: signage, displays, exhibition panels, mounting boards, cabinet backs and models. It comes in white and black up to 1" thick, and in blue, dark gray, light gray, yellow, green and red, colored through so a cut edge matches the face. Type 1 rigid PVC is a dense, opaque gray sheet that machines, drills and taps cleanly, from 1/4" up to 1-3/4", for fabricated parts, enclosures, brackets, jigs and covers where clarity does not matter.
Neither is a substitute for acrylic where looks count: PVC is not optically clear. Every piece is saw cut to a square edge; rigid PVC can be diamond polished, foam cannot. Pick a standard size or enter your own, see the price instantly, no minimum order.
Never put PVC in a laser
This applies to every PVC sheet on this page, foam and rigid alike. Lasering PVC releases chlorine gas and hydrochloric acid: it corrodes the machine's optics and rails from the inside, and it is dangerous to your lungs. It is the most common way a laser cutter gets ruined. Cut PVC on a saw, router or knife, and if you are shopping for laser stock, buy acrylic.
- White expanded PVC sheet
- Black expanded PVC sheet
- Blue expanded PVC sheet
- Dark gray expanded PVC sheet
- Light gray expanded PVC sheet
- Yellow expanded PVC sheet
- Green expanded PVC sheet
- Red expanded PVC sheet
- Gray rigid PVC sheet (Type 1)
Expanded PVC or rigid PVC — which one do I need?
Expanded (foam) PVC is light, easy to cut and finish, and meant for panels that hang, mount or display: signs, backers, exhibition and point-of-sale boards. Rigid Type 1 PVC is a solid, dense sheet about twice the weight of foam, for parts that are machined, fastened and worked: enclosures, brackets, jigs, covers. If you can picture it printed on a wall, foam. If you can picture it drilled and bolted, rigid.
Can I use foam PVC for something structural, or outdoors?
Foam PVC is not a structural material. It softens at around 150°F, so it should never carry a load or sit near heat, and a dark sheet left in direct sun will bow. Use it for signs, panels and displays, and support it on a frame. For a part that takes load, use rigid PVC, HDPE or polycarbonate.
How is PVC cut, and can the edge be polished?
Every piece is saw cut to a clean, square edge. Rigid Type 1 PVC can be diamond polished for a smooth, uniform edge. Foam PVC cannot be polished: its foam core will not take a finish, so it is sold saw cut only.
Can PVC be laser cut?
No, never. Lasering PVC releases chlorine gas and hydrochloric acid, which attack the machine's optics and rails and are dangerous to breathe. This applies to both foam and rigid PVC. Cut PVC on a saw, router or, for thin foam, a knife. If you are buying stock for a laser, use acrylic.
What sizes can I order, and is there a minimum?
Twelve standard sizes from 12" x 12" up, or any custom size you enter, priced as you type. There is no minimum order. Expanded PVC comes in 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1" in white and black; dark gray in 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2"; blue, light gray, yellow, green and red in 1/8". Rigid gray PVC comes in 1/4", 3/8", 3/4", 1", 1-1/2" and 1-3/4". Larger pieces of the thickest rigid sizes exceed our parcel weight limit, so the size list trims itself as you choose. Orders ship to the contiguous US only.