Tutorial
How to fit more names on one laser sheet
Material is the cost that scales with every order. This guide walks through nesting a batch of names properly so you cut fewer sheets without shrinking a single piece.
5 minute read · Free to follow · Two free word downloads included
What you need
- A list of names
- Your real material width and height
- The spacing your machine and material need
- Optional: WeldWords sheet optimization
Step by step
Step 1
Measure the real usable area
Use the area your machine can actually reach, not the material's full size. Clamps, rails and honeycomb edges all steal working space.
Step 2
Lock each name's finished size first
Nesting should never resize a piece. Set every name's real width or height before laying anything out, so the layout works around fixed sizes.
Step 3
Choose the smallest safe gap
Kerf and char need a little breathing room. Too tight and adjacent pieces scorch or merge; a small consistent gap of a millimetre or two is usually enough.
Step 4
Decide whether pieces may rotate
Allowing sideways and angled placement fits noticeably more names per sheet. Keep everything upright instead when grain direction or appearance matters.
Step 5
Let the order change
Short names fill the gaps left by long ones. Letting the layout reorder pieces is often the single biggest material saving available.
Step 6
Spill the overflow onto more sheets
When the batch does not fit, continue onto additional numbered sheets and export one file per sheet so the shop floor never guesses which file is which.
Tips that save material and time
- Tall script names nest far better when rotation is allowed.
- Group similar sizes together when you must keep everything upright.
- Leave a slightly wider margin at the clamp edge than everywhere else.
- Save your material size once instead of retyping it for every order.
Questions people ask
Does nesting change the size of my names?
It should not. Good nesting only changes position, order and rotation — the finished dimensions stay exactly as you set them.
What sheet size should I start with?
WeldWords defaults to 11.8 × 19.7 inches, which suits many desktop lasers, and you can type your own size in inches or millimetres.
What happens when the batch is too big for one sheet?
The layout continues onto extra numbered sheets, and each sheet can be exported as its own file.
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