file set up

laser cutting files

Please set up your file as follows:


    • Cut lines — Draw thin, black lines where you want the laser to cut;

the laser will cut down the center of your lines. In CorelDRAW, the lines

should be "Hairlines". In TurboCAD, the line thickness should be 0. In

other programs, be sure the cut lines are 0.003 inches wide or less.


    • Size reference — Include and label a one-inch square size reference

in your file.


    • Layout — Be sure to leave at least 0.05" between adjacent parts in

your layout (for materials thicker than 1/4", adjacent parts should be no

closer together than the material thickness). If you need a different layout

 area, we can use any sheet size up to 51" x 63" that can be cut from a

48" x 96" sheet, in which case the layout must have at least a 1/4" border

all the way around.


    • AutoCAD files —  If you are drawing your parts in AutoCAD, be sure

the file is purely two-dimensional.


    • Send only one file — The file should include one copy of each unique

 part with indications of how many of each you need, and the material from

 which each should be cut. This information can either be text in the file, or

 explained in the description section of the quote request form. Please

make sure to leave enough space around every part so that we can easily

select them by dragging a rectangle around them.


    • Line sharing — When setting up a layout that includes line sharing

(two parts right next to each other so that they share a single cut line),

please be sure to delete any redundant copies of lines. This is very

important. If you have lines stacked on top of each other, though you might

 not be able to see them in your file, the laser cutter will see the paths and

end up cutting twice along the same line, degrading the final part (and

possibly causing melting or warping).


    • Multiple files — If you must send more than one file, please zip them

and submit them in separate quote requestforms. Please explain the

materials and quantities you would like for each file in the description

section of the quote request form.


    • Adjust for kerf — You may want to adjust for the kerf (the thickness

of the laser beam), which is about 0.01". (The laser centers itself on the

lines you draw and takes off about 0.005" of material from either side of the

 lines.) For example, if you would like the hole in your part to have a

diameter of roughly 1.0", you should draw a hole with a diameter of 0.99".

If you would like a circular part with a diameter of about 3.0", draw a circle

with a 3.01" diameter. (These numbers are approximate and can vary

depending on the material and its thickness.) In CAD programs, this can be

achieved using an offset of 0.005".


    • Small Details — Small details should be no smaller than material

thickness. For example, if you are cutting a spider web pattern from 1.5 mm

 acrylic, the thin pieces of plastic that make up the web must be no thinner

than 1.5 mm wide in your drawings. Note that the laser beam thickness will

 cause the final piece to have webs that are slightly less than 1.5 mm wide.

We can attempt to cut thinner pieces than this general rule of thumb

allows, but the part will likely warp and be very fragile.


    • Text — Text should be converted from a font to line art (often called

breaking apart text to lines or polylines" in CAD, or "converting text to

curves" or "create outlines" in other drawing programs). Please "un-group"

your text as well. Otherwise, if we do not have the font you are using,

 our programs will substitute your font with a different one.

Contact us with any further questions about laser cutting