Acrylic sheet nesting software for sign letters
Acrylic is one of the more expensive materials in a sign shop, and channel letter faces, push-through letters and dimensional letters all come out of it. NestSigns nests the parts by their real shape onto your acrylic sheets and leftovers, and keeps a separate stock list for every color and thickness.
Start free: 20 runs, no credit cardOne material per color and thickness
Shops often keep white 3/16 in for faces, clear and colored sheets for push-through letters, and thicker stock for dimensional letters. In NestSigns each of these is its own material with its own full sheets, leftover pieces and price, so a job only uses the stock it should. Cast and extruded acrylic can be kept apart the same way.
Settings shops typically use
| Setting | Typical choice | In NestSigns |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet | Often 48 × 96 in, also 48 × 72 in and cut-down pieces | Any size, plus leftovers in the material stock |
| Rotation | Any angle for plain colors; 0/180° only for sheets with a direction, such as some brushed or patterned finishes | Any angle, 0/180° only, or no rotation, set per job or per part |
| Gap on a router | At least the bit diameter (often a 1/8 in or 1/4 in O-flute), plus a little | Type the bit diameter; the smallest gap is measured on every layout |
| Gap on a laser | Small, a fraction of an inch | Type the gap directly |
These are typical values, not rules. Follow what your machine and acrylic supplier recommend.
Router or laser
For a CNC router, export DXF or PDF and make toolpaths in your CAM software. For a laser, export DXF, SVG or a LightBurn .lbrn2 file. If you cut from the back of the sheet, tick Mirror the parts in Advanced settings and the files come out mirrored.
Leftover acrylic gets used
When you nest a job, the smallest leftover pieces that can take the parts are used first, then full sheets. When you mark the job done, the stock is updated, including the new leftover the job leaves. For more ways to save material, see how to waste less acrylic on a CNC router.
What else it does for letter jobs
- True-shape nesting by the real letter outlines: any angle, 0/180° only, or no rotation.
- Exact spacing. Type the gap or your bit diameter; every layout is checked and shows the smallest gap measured.
- Parts inside letter holes. Small pieces go inside O, A, B and D, and holes stay with their letter.
- Leftovers first. Full sheets and leftover pieces per material, smallest leftovers used first, stock updated when the job is done.
- Oversize letters left out, divided, or divided with a 1 in joining strip, pieces labeled A1, A2…
- Every part numbered on the sheets and on the original artwork in the layout summary PDF.
See also how to nest channel letters, nesting letters for LightBurn and nesting on aluminum composite.
Questions
Can I keep different acrylic colors apart?
Yes. Make one material per color and thickness. Each has its own sheets, leftovers and price, and a job only uses the material you pick.
Can I stop parts from rotating on a directional finish?
Yes. Choose 0/180° only or no rotation for the job, or lock the direction of single parts.
What files does NestSigns export for a laser?
DXF, SVG and LightBurn .lbrn2, in inches or centimeters. PDF and AI are there too.
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