Guides / File preparation
Export your DXF.
Get it ready for laser cutting.
Your DXF should show the shape to cut, at the size you want it made. Use this checklist to remove unwanted lines, check the size and prepare your file for a quote.
Include the shape you want cut
Include the outside outline and every hole or slot. Leave out dimensions, notes, drawing borders, other views and spare copies. Keep a copy of your original editable drawing.
If your part is folded in the model, export its flat pattern: the shape before bending. You can also upload a suitable sheet-metal STEP/STP model straight to your quote and check the flat drawing prepared from it. We supply parts flat, without bending. Metal parts include deburring; acrylic does not need it.
Export at full size in millimetres
Set the units to millimetres and the export scale to 1:1, which means full size. Export the part itself rather than a scaled drawing page.
Reopen the DXF and measure the overall width and height, plus a hole or another size you know. The shape can look right even when the measurements are wrong.
Keep only the lines you want cut
- Make sure the outlines around the part and its holes join all the way around.
- Remove extra copies of lines sitting on top of each other.
- Close accidental gaps where line ends should meet.
- Remove construction lines and any lines crossing the part by mistake.
- Convert lettering to outlines if you want it cut.
- Add bridges to hold the centres of cut-out letters in place, such as the middle of an ‘O’.
Our visual cutting guide shows examples of each check.
Choose the right export option
CAD software may let you export a sketch, a flat face or a sheet-metal flat pattern. Choose the option that shows the flat shape of your part and all its cut-outs. Avoid a drawing page containing dimensions and other views.
If you use illustration software, convert text to outlines and check that the shapes are closed. If it exports SVG rather than DXF, use File Workshop to prepare the cutting drawing and check its size.
The menu names depend on your software. Use its export instructions, then reopen the file and check the shape and measurements.
Check the preview after uploading
- Upload the DXF and select the part you want cut.
- Check the overall width and height.
- Check the size and position of every hole and slot.
- Choose your material, thickness and quantity.
- Read any warnings and check proposed repairs before accepting them.
If the preview differs from your design, correct the file before ordering. Ask us for help if you are unsure what needs changing.
Have artwork rather than a DXF?
File Workshop can prepare suitable SVG, vector PDF, JPG, PNG and DWG files. For JPG and PNG, use a sharp black shape on a white background, with no shading. You will need to set the finished size yourself. A photograph cannot provide exact dimensions.
See the File Workshop guide for examples and file requirements, including when DWG conversion is available.
Something wrong with the exported file?
Use our guides to gaps in outlines, duplicate lines and incorrect size. If you have a sheet-metal model, compare DXF and STEP to choose which file to upload.
Need a hand? Ask us.
Send your drawing and tell us which step you need help with.
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Let’s make your part.
Upload your DXF or suitable sheet-metal STEP/STP file and choose your options.