Tutorial
How to connect cursive letters for laser cutting
A cursive name only cuts as one piece when the letters truly overlap and then weld into a single outline. Here is the whole process, and the shortcut that does it automatically.
5 minute read · Free to follow · Two free word downloads included
What you need
- A script or cursive font
- A word or name to cut
- Laser or cutting software that imports SVG or DXF
- Optional: WeldWords, which welds as you type
Step by step
Step 1
Start with a script font that actually joins
Connected scripts have entry and exit strokes that overlap the next letter. Formal scripts with flat ends leave gaps you will have to bridge yourself. In WeldWords you can preview your own word in every font before choosing.
Step 2
Tighten the letter spacing until strokes overlap
Letters that merely touch will separate at the cut line. Pull the spacing in until neighbouring strokes genuinely cross each other; a very small overlap is enough for wood, more helps for acrylic.
Step 3
Weld the overlaps into one outline
Welding merges the crossing strokes into one continuous boundary. WeldWords does this automatically as you type, so the word is already one piece before you export.
Step 4
Fix the letters that still refuse to join
Where a gap remains, extend a stroke, scoot a single letter, or drop in a bridge or connector bar. An underline bar under the whole word is the sturdiest fix for tall fonts.
Step 5
Check the weak points before cutting
Look for hair-thin joins, especially between a capital and the following letter. Increase stroke thickness or widen the bridge until the thinnest point is comfortably thicker than your material's break point.
Step 6
Export at the real finished size
Set the width or height in inches or millimetres and export SVG or DXF, so nothing rescales on import into LightBurn, Glowforge, xTool or Design Space.
Tips that save material and time
- Cut a single test letter pair first — it costs one scrap and saves a whole sheet.
- Thicker material needs thicker joins; thin plywood snaps at the hairline connections.
- Keep a copy of the unwelded text so you can change the name later.
- If a font simply will not join, an underline bar is stronger and looks intentional.
Questions people ask
Why do my cursive letters cut as separate pieces?
Because the letters are separate shapes that only touch visually. Until the overlapping areas are welded into one outline, the cutter follows each letter's own boundary.
Do I have to weld in Cricut Design Space?
Not if the file is already welded. A welded SVG imports as one connected shape, so the weld step is done before Design Space ever opens it.
How thick should the connections be?
As a rule of thumb, keep the thinnest join at least as thick as your material, and thicker for brittle acrylic or thin ply.
Do it now instead of reading about it
Type the word, let it weld, download the file. Two words are free.
Try it in the maker