Laser Cutting

How to get a quote

1. Send the cut file. SVG is best, DXF works too, and we can work from a 3D model or even a drawing. Formats are covered below.
2. Tell us the material. Either bring your own stock or use our basswood plywood, both covered below.
3. We reply with a price and a lead time. We check the file and the material together, because the two decide whether a cut is clean or scorched.
4. You approve, we cut. Nothing is cut until you have agreed the quote.

File formats

SVG is the best file to send. A laser follows vector paths, and SVG carries something DXF does not handle reliably: colour. We map each colour to its own pass, so a single file can say cut here, score there, engrave this panel, each at its own power and speed. The whole job is described in one document.

• SVG — preferred. Export from Illustrator, Affinity, Figma, or Inkscape, which is free. Use a separate colour for each operation and tell us which is which.
• DXF — accepted. The right choice when the part comes out of CAD such as Fusion 360 or SolidWorks and the dimensions have to be exact. DXF does not record its own units reliably, so say millimetres or inches when you send it.
• STL or 3MF. If all you have is a 3D model, send it anyway and we will take the flat profile off it. That is an extra step, so a vector file is quicker to quote.
• A drawing or a photo. A perfectly good starting point. We will trace it to vector and confirm the shape with you before anything is cut.

Getting the file right

Four things account for nearly every file we have to send back:

• Convert text to outlines. Fonts do not travel with the file. Un-outlined text arrives as the wrong typeface, or as nothing at all.
• Cut lines should be strokes, not filled shapes. A thin stroke reads as a cut path; a filled shape reads as an area to engrave.
• Remove duplicate and overlapping paths. Two paths on top of each other get cut twice, which scorches the edge and wastes time.
• Draw it at real size. Set the document to the finished dimensions. Scaling afterwards is where mistakes creep in.

If any of that is unfamiliar, send the file as it is. We check every file before quoting and will tell you what needs changing.

Size limits

Work to a maximum sheet of 330 × 320 mm (about 13.0 × 12.6 in). That is the working area, so keep the outline itself a few millimetres inside it.

Larger pieces can be cut in sections and joined, the same way we handle oversized prints. Tell us the finished size you need and we will work out whether it splits sensibly.

Material

• Bring your own. If you have stock you want used, send it over or bring it in and we will cut it. Tell us what it is and how thick before you do — some materials cut cleanly, some scorch, and a few are genuinely unsafe to laser, so we confirm the material before anything is cut.
• Use our basswood plywood. We keep basswood plywood in stock. It cuts cleanly, takes engraving well with good contrast, and is the fastest route to a finished piece because there is no waiting on material.

We will not cut PVC, vinyl, or anything else that releases harmful fumes when lasered. If you are not sure what your material is, ask before sending it.

Cutting

Clean, repeatable outlines from flat stock. Useful for panels, inlays, templates, signage faces, brackets and any part where the shape matters more than the thickness.

Engraving and marking

Names, logos, scales, labels and decorative detail burned into the surface. Engraving is permanent in a way that printed or applied labels are not, which makes it a good fit for tools, fixtures and anything that gets handled.

Working alongside 3D printing

Plenty of jobs are best solved with both. A printed body with a laser cut face, or an engraved plate fixed to a printed mount, is often faster and cleaner than printing the whole thing. If you are not sure which way round to build something, describe it and we will suggest the split.

Send us your file and we will come back with a quote.