What kind of 'finish' do you want? 

The finish refers to the overall appearance and texture of the material after it has been cut. For more information, see the section What is the ‘finish’? 

For a rough finish...

You should select a saw with fewer teeth per inch (approximately 1 to 7 TPI).

The teeth are usually larger, and so can cut  through and remove more material per stroke, but will leave a messy finish as a result.

For a fine (clean or neat) finish...

You should select a saw with more teeth per inch (approximately 10 or more TPI).

The teeth will usually be smaller and so will cut and remove more material per stroke.

The cutting process will take longer but a finer finish will be produced. For more information on TPI, see our section: What is TPI?