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Opening soon First cutting slots from 11 November.

File preparation

Send a clean file, get a faster quote.

Follow these ten guidelines and your job can go straight from quote to machine, with no back and forth.

Ten file guidelines

  1. 01Millimetres, at 1:1Draw at actual size in millimetres. If your software asks for units when exporting, choose mm.
  2. 02Closed shapes onlyEvery cut must be a closed polyline. Separate lines that only look joined cannot be machined.
  3. 03No duplicate geometryOverlapping lines are cut twice. Run your software's clean-up or overkill command before exporting.
  4. 04Text converted to outlinesConvert all text to curves or outlines, and include a PDF so we can check it.
  5. 05Nothing smaller than the cutterOur standard cutter is 6 mm, so internal corners have a minimum 3 mm radius and slots must be at least 6 mm wide. A 3 mm cutter is available for finer detail.
  6. 06Holes as circlesDraw holes as circles at the finished diameter. Holes under 8 mm are drilled, which is quicker and cheaper.
  7. 07Say which line is whichUse the layer names below so every cut, pocket and drill hole is clearly identified.
  8. 08State the thicknessInclude the material thickness in the file name and your enquiry.
  9. 09Cut line or finished sizeTell us whether your dimensions are to the cut line or the finished part.
  10. 10Fit inside 2420 × 1200Allow a 10 mm clamping margin on each edge of a 2440 × 1220 sheet. Larger parts can be split, with the joint position agreed with you.

Before you send

Request a quote

Accepted formats

DXF — preferred. R12 or 2000 format.

DWG — 2018 format or earlier.

SVG — with document units set to mm.

AI / PDF — vector files only. Scans and photos cannot be cut.

STEP / IGES — accepted for 3D work. Get in touch first.

Layer naming

Five layer names

Layer nameWhat goes on itWhat we do with it
CUT-OUTThe outside profile of the partCut right through, offset outside the line
CUT-INInternal apertures and cutoutsCut right through, offset inside the line
POCKETRecesses that do not go throughMilled to your specified depth
DRILLCircles at finished hole diameterDrilled on centre
REFDimensions, notes, centre linesReference only, not cut

We always check with you before cutting anything on an unrecognised layer.

Cut line or finished size

Cutter offset

The cutter has a width, so its path relative to your line sets the finished size. We cut outside the line on CUT-OUT and inside on CUT-IN as standard, so every part comes out at exactly the drawn size.

OFFSET OUTSIDE — part comes out drawn size drawn line cutter centre OFFSET INSIDE — aperture comes out drawn size ON THE LINE — 3 mm lost each side only if you ask for it 6 mm cutter shown. A 3 mm cutter halves the offset and doubles the cut time.

Troubleshooting

Common file problems

ProblemWhat happensFix
Open contoursNo toolpath can be generated. Job stops.Join or PEDIT the lines into one polyline
Drawing in inchesPart is 25.4 times the size it should beSet units to mm and re-export
Live textLetters arrive as a different font, or as nothingConvert to outlines before export
2 mm internal cornersCorners come out with a 3 mm radius anywayDesign for the cutter, or ask for a 3 mm tool
Scanned PDFNot a vector, cannot be cut fromRedraw it, or use our drawing service

Drawing service

File needs tidying? The first ten minutes are free. After that our drawing service is £45 an hour plus VAT, billed in 15-minute blocks and always agreed before we start. We can also draw simple parts from a sketch or photo at the same rate.