Twenty-one products, and most of the choosing comes down to size. This page is the short version of what we would tell you if you asked us in person.
Which cutting mat size?
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 30 x 22 | 12 x 9 | Card making, model work, a mat that lives in a drawer |
| A3 | 44 x 30 | 18 x 12 | Scrapbooking and paper craft on a shared table |
| A2 | 60 x 45 | 24 x 18 | The default for most sewing tables |
| A1 | 90 x 60 | 36 x 24 | Quilting, dressmaking, cutting full widths of fabric |
| A0 | 120 x 90 | 48 x 36 | A dedicated craft table you do not clear away |
| 150 x 100 | 150 x 100 | 60 x 36 | Studio work and full pattern layouts |
| 200 x 100 | 200 x 100 | 72 x 36 | A worktop mat, covering a whole cutting bench |
If you are between two sizes, take the larger one. Nobody has ever written to us wishing their mat were smaller.
Does the colour matter?
No. Green, blue, pink, black and grey are the same mat: five layers, 3 mm thick, self-healing, with the same metric grid printed on both sides. Pick the one you would rather look at.
The only practical point is contrast. A darker mat makes pale fabric easier to see; a lighter one does the same for dark card. That is a preference, not a performance difference, and we would rather say so than invent a reason.
What 5-ply and 3 mm actually buy you
A cutting mat is not one sheet of plastic. Ours is five layers: harder outer skins over a softer core. The blade parts the core rather than scoring it, and the core closes behind the blade. That is what "self-healing" means.
Thickness is what makes it work. At 3 mm there is enough depth for the core to recover. Thin single-layer mats take a permanent groove, and once the surface is scored the blade starts to follow the old cut instead of your ruler. They also curl. Ours are printed on both sides, so you get two working surfaces.
280 or 380 g/m2 canvas?
280 g/m2 is the everyday weight. Acrylic, studies, practice work, anything where you want a good surface without paying for more than you need.
380 g/m2 is heavier and has more tooth. Worth it for oils, heavy-body acrylic, palette knife work and pouring, or any piece large enough that you do not want movement in the surface.
Both are 100% cotton, acid-free and triple primed, on solid wood frames, under FSC certificate C181637.
12 ml, 50 ml or 200 ml paint?
12 ml sets, 24 colours. The right start if you are trying a medium, working small, or want the full colour range without commitment.
50 ml sets, 24 colours. The same range, more of each. For people who already know they will use it.
200 ml tubes, single colours. For the colours you go through fastest — whites, the primaries — on large canvases and in studio work. Buy the set for range, the tubes for the ones that run out.
Recycled content
Our A4 to A1 mats are certified by GreenCircle as 83% recycled plastic, and the A0 and larger sizes at more than 51%. Those are their numbers, from an independent audit, not a claim we made about ourselves. The mats also carry Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly label.
Where you buy it
Every Elan product is sold through Amazon in your own country, so delivery, payment and returns are Amazon's. The Buy on Amazon button on each product page takes you to the right store, and you can switch country underneath it if we guess wrong.