Design Setup

1. Supported File Types

VECTOR FILES

For cutting and engraving, vector files are geometry based and can scale without loss of detail.

  • .AI .SVG .EPS .CDR
  • .DXF .DWG .SLDDRW .PDF

IMAGE FILES

For engraving only, image files are pixel based, details become blurred when zoomed in.

  • .JPG .PNG .BMP
  • B&W or greyscale only, min. 300dpi

RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE

*If you don’t have drawing software that exports to one of the above file types (a VECTOR format) please email us before placing an order so we can check your requirement (in some instances we can help generate simple designs).  Note that Inkscape is available online as FREE SOFTWARE. 

2. File Formatting

Our product pages give an instant price inclusive of material and cutting. To ensure your order is accepted and processed promptly please ensure the following formatting (processing colour and sheet layout).

CUT LINES - RED

All cut geometry should be designed in a single colour (RED -RGB Value 255,0,0), line weight (thickness) should be set to ‘hairline’ (Corel Draw), 0.1pt (Adobe Illustrator) or approx 0.1mm (general CAD software).

LINE ENGRAVE - BLUE

Line engrave (also called vector engrave / kiss-cut) relates to a single pass of the laser at the centreline of geometry, it is the same process as laser cutting but is at a reduced power.  Typically line engraving can produce a maximum marking width of 1mm.

BLUE (RGB 0,0,255)

RASTER ENGRAVE - BLACK

Raster Engrave (also called Filled or Scan Engraving).   Relates to multiple zig-zag passes of the laser between geometry lines creating a filled effect.  This process is very slow in comparison to cutting and is normally subject to a surcharge.

BLACK lines and fills (RGB 0,0,0)

3. Sheet Layout

Multiple parts / components can be included on your design, please follow the 'ABCDEF' convention shown below.

If you think your file may not be conforming or require guidance please contact us.

A. SPACING

Cut shapes fully within sheet limits, recommend minimum gap between parts of 3mm (laser), 5mm (plasma).

B. MAX. PARTS PER SHEET

Designs with over 50 parts (Laser), or 5 (PLASMA) must first be sent for review and may be subject to a surcharge due the increased processing time (use upload link on our contact page).

C. DRAWING DIMENSIONS/TITLES

Please remove from design file. (Can be sent as is for quotation via contact page).

D. SCALING

To ensure files are imported correctly please include an outer bounding box to your design file that matches the selected sheet size, this can be any colour (e.g. if you select a sheet size of 300 x 300mm please include a square on your design file at this size). 

E. SHARED LINES

No gaps between parts, not recommended. Shared lines is a common cause of inferior parts / geometry errors due to duplication of cut paths or irregular cutting order. (e.g. can cause excessive burn marks and distortion).

F. OFFCUTS

Sheet material outside of the cut geometry is discarded (and will not be shipped with your order). 

Note: please do not place an order and include a comment stating 'keep all offcuts', as it is typically not practical to ship the excess material. 

4. Cutting Width (Kerf) and Tolerances

Cutting Width (Kerf)

Cutting width or kerf relates to the width of the groove made when cutting.  For laser cutting this is very narrow but it needs to be considered when parts are deigned to slot or fit together.   

With reference to the picture below designing a jigsaw without considering the kerf width would make the joints loose.  To compensate you can offset the design by half the known kerf width (where known this is detailed on the material listing pages).  Example below has a kerf width of 0.3mm, so you should look to design your part oversized by 0.15mm (all round) to compensate. 

measuring kerf

Material Tolerances

The thickness tolerance of the material can also effect fit, man-made materials can have a surprisingly large tolerance, (e.g.cast acrylic +/-15% of stated size), in all instances we recommend trials before committing to a large production batch of cuts for interlocking parts.