Tutorial · Sizing
How to size names for laser cutting in exact mm & inches
The number one reason a cut name comes out the wrong size is that the file was never the real size to begin with. This guide covers height- vs width-driven sizing, true-millimetre export, beam kerf, and the import check that catches a rescale before you waste a sheet.
5 minute read · Free to follow · Two free Production Exports included
Short answer
Set the finished size in the file, not in your laser software. Decide whether height or width drives the size, enter it in millimetres or inches, allow for the beam kerf on tight fits, and export SVG or DXF in true units so the file imports at exactly that size.
What you need
- A name or batch of names
- Calipers to verify the finished size
- Laser software that imports SVG or DXF
- Optional: WeldWords for true-millimetre sizing
Step by step
Step 1
Decide whether size is height or width driven
Most name orders are height driven — every name the same finished height — so the longest name is simply the widest. Width driven is used for cake toppers or signs that must fit a fixed span. Decide before you start so the whole batch stays consistent.
Step 2
Enter the target size in the maker
In WeldWords, select a name and type the Width or Height in millimetres (switch the unit to inches for imperial stock). The other dimension recalculates from the font's proportions, so the name keeps its shape and only the scale changes.
Step 3
Lock the size, not the font size
Laser work needs the real-world finished size, not a font-size number. WeldWords computes the true millimetre outline from the font geometry and writes that exact size into the SVG/DXF, so the file is the size you set, not a font point size that software interprets differently.
Step 4
Check the longest name in the batch
At a fixed height, the longest name is also the widest. Confirm it still fits your sheet width; if not, lower the height for the whole batch so every name fits without one spilling off the edge.
Step 5
Account for the beam kerf
Every laser removes a small width of material along the cut line — the kerf. If you need two parts to fit together precisely, add half the kerf to your target size. For loose keychain blanks, the kerf is usually small enough to ignore.
Step 6
Verify the size on import
Open the exported SVG or DXF in LightBurn, Glowforge, xTool or Design Space and check the reported size against what you typed. True-millimetre files import at the exact size with no rescale dialog. If your software asks to rescale, the file was not true-millimetre — WeldWords files are.
Step 7
Cut a size test on scrap
Cut one name on scrap and measure the finished piece with calipers against your target. A 0.1 mm difference is normal beam tolerance; anything larger means the software rescaled or the kerf is bigger than expected.
Step 8
Apply the verified size to the whole batch
Once the size is confirmed on one name, apply the same height to the whole list and nest. Because the size is locked in the file, every name on every sheet cuts at that exact finished size.
Tips that save material and time
- Height-driven keeps every name the same height; the longest is simply the widest.
- True-millimetre SVG/DXF imports at the exact size with no rescale prompt.
- Add half the beam kerf when parts must fit together precisely.
- Measure one finished name with calipers before cutting the whole batch.
- If your software asks to rescale on import, the file was not true-millimetre.
- Switch the maker between mm and inches to match the stock you actually buy.
Questions people ask
Why did my name cut smaller than I set?
Most likely the software rescaled the file on import, or the file was not true-millimetre. A true-millimetre SVG or DXF imports at exactly the size you set, with no rescale dialog.
Should I size by height or width?
For batches of names, height is standard so every name matches. Use width when the piece must fit a fixed span, like a cake topper on a board.
What is beam kerf and do I need to account for it?
Kerf is the small width of material the laser removes along the cut line. For loose blanks you can ignore it; for press-fit parts, add about half the kerf to your target size.
Can I size names in inches?
Yes. The maker switches between millimetres and inches, and the exported file keeps the exact size in whichever unit your stock is sold in.
Do it now instead of reading about it
Type the word, let it weld, export the production file. Two Production Exports are free.
Try it in the maker