A Deepnest alternative made for sign shops
Deepnest and SVGnest are free, open-source nesting tools that many shops try first. NestSigns is built only for nesting sign letters, with the shop features those general tools leave out.
Start free: 20 runs, no credit cardWhy sign shops look for something else
Deepnest is a desktop app and SVGnest runs in the browser; both were made by the same author, both nest any SVG or DXF shapes, and both are free. They work well for general parts. Sign shops usually run into the same few gaps:
- No stock list. You type the sheet size every time, and leftover pieces are not tracked.
- Spacing is set, but not reported. You cannot see the smallest gap that was actually left between two letters.
- Big letters. A letter bigger than the sheet is simply not placed.
- Sorting after cutting. Parts are not numbered back to the original artwork.
- File types. Illustrator .ai and CorelDRAW .cdr files have to be converted first.
How NestSigns handles the same job
- 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.
NestSigns opens Illustrator .ai, PDF, DXF, SVG and CorelDRAW .cdr (X4 and newer) directly, and exports PDF, AI, DXF (R12 with true arcs), LightBurn and SVG.
Measured on real shop files
In October 2026 we nested 50 real sign-shop files with NestSigns and with SVGnest, the browser version of the same nesting method Deepnest uses: 46 × 46 in sheets, 0.2 in spacing, 4 rotations for SVGnest (its default), 60 seconds per file for SVGnest.
| NestSigns | SVGnest | |
|---|---|---|
| Sheets used (46 files with a result on both) | 152 | 177 |
| Files with fewer sheets | 22 | 1 |
| Parts left out | 2 (both larger than the sheet) | 7 |
| Large files with no result within 60 s | 0 | 4 |
Deepnest itself was not run in this test (it is a desktop install). It uses the same placement method with faster geometry code, so we expect similar sheet counts, but we have not measured it.
When Deepnest is still the right pick
If you nest general parts once in a while, need it free, or want to change the source code, Deepnest is a good tool. If you nest letters every week and want the stock, spacing report and part numbers in one place, NestSigns is made for that.
Questions
Is NestSigns based on Deepnest?
No. NestSigns has its own nesting engine written for sign letters. It does not use Deepnest or SVGnest code.
Is NestSigns free like Deepnest?
You get 20 free nesting runs on your own files with no credit card. After that it is $14.99 per month.
Can I open the same SVG and DXF files?
Yes. NestSigns opens SVG and DXF, and also Illustrator .ai, PDF and CorelDRAW .cdr files directly.
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