Leather is a natural material created by tanning animal rawhide. Leather comes from many sources, the most common being cowhide, and is produced and decorated using a variety of styles and techniques. Leather is valued for its durability and flexibility, as well as for decorative purposes. Laser processing of leather with a CO₂ laser offers many advantages over traditional production methods. Laser cutting of leather allows for accuracy and intricacy that is often not possible using mechanical methods. Laser marking of leather typically produces high-contrast, uniform marks with extremely high detail compared to methods such as branding or embossing.