Cutting Mat 12 by 12 inches is a lightly frosted, flexible clear plastic with a 1 inch grid and ruler. This mat offers a standard tackiness and a 12 by 12 inch cutting area. The purpose of a cutting mat is to hold your material firmly in place while it is being run through your cutting machine. The thinner the material being cut, the less tacky the mat should be to avoid tearing. If you need a lighter tack option, check out the Silhouette Cameo 12 inch Cutting Mat. A cutting mat is always needed to cut scrap material. When the vinyl is not its full, original width, the mat allows the vinyl to feed into the machine properly. This is NOT a self-healing mat intended to be used with x-acto knives or rotary cutters. It is intended for cutting Adhesive Vinyl or Heat Transfer Vinyl with a Vinyl Cutter. This mat is compatible with the full size Cricut and Silhouette Cameo Cutters.