How to make cake toppers that cut clean

What you need

• A laser or blade cutter
• Food-safe acrylic, sealed wood or card
• A food-safe stick or pick
• WeldWords for welding, stakes and sizing

Step by step

1. Step 1

   Choose a script font readable at topper size

   Cake toppers are usually 100–180 mm wide, which is small for a script. Pick a script with generous counters and thick strokes so the name stays legible at that scale; very thin scripts lose their holes and snap at the stake.

2. Step 2

   Type the name and weld it as one piece

   A topper is one connected piece, so the whole name must weld into a single outline. WeldWords welds as you type and shows every join on the canvas, so you can see weak points before cutting.

3. Step 3

   Add a stake that fits a cake board

   Add a stake or stick below the name — a straight bar, two legs, or a single center post. A two-leg stake is the most stable; a center post tilts less but needs a taller name to anchor it.

4. Step 4

   Keep the joins thick enough to survive transport

   Toppers get carried, boxed and bumped. The thinnest join between letters should be at least 2 mm, and the stake-to-name join is the most stressed point — widen it or add a small fillet there.

5. Step 5

   Bridge every dot and accent

   Dots on i and j, and accents on names like Sofía or Chloë, will be loose without a bridge. Bridge each one to its letter, or it falls off the moment the cut finishes.

6. Step 6

   Set the real finished width

   Topper size is width driven — it must fit the cake. Enter the target width in millimetres (or inches) and the height recalculates from the font. WeldWords writes true-millimetre SVG/DXF so the file imports at that exact size.

7. Step 7

   Export and cut a material test

   Cut one topper on scrap acrylic or thick card and push the stake into a foam block. If it stands and the name reads clearly, your settings are right for the full order.

8. Step 8

   Cut the final topper on food-safe material

   For a topper that touches cake, use food-safe acrylic, sealed wood, or card mounted on a food-safe stick. If the material is not food-safe, wrap the stake in food-safe film or use a separate food-safe pick.

Tips that save material and time

• Topper size is width driven — set the width and the height follows the font.
• Use a script with generous counters so the name stays readable at topper scale.
• Two-leg stakes are more stable than a single center post.
• Keep the stake-to-name join at least 2 mm — it is the most stressed point.
• Bridge dots and accents; loose ones are lost in transit.
• For food safety, use food-safe material or wrap the stake in food-safe film.

Questions people ask

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