Online DXF nesting for sign letters
Open a DXF in your browser, pick the sheet size, and NestSigns packs the letters onto as few sheets as it can. The result downloads as DXF again, ready for your router or laser software. Nothing to install.
Start free: 20 runs, no credit cardHow it works
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1. Open the DXF | Drag it into NestSigns and choose inches or millimeters. NestSigns shows the unit the file says and the artwork size both ways, so a wrong unit is easy to spot. |
| 2. Pick the sheet | A full sheet or a leftover from your stock list, per material. |
| 3. Set the gap and rotation | Type the gap or your bit diameter. Any angle, 0/180° only, or no rotation. |
| 4. Nest | Standard for everyday jobs, Precise to try every fill strategy when material is expensive. |
| 5. Download | DXF, one file per sheet in a zip. PDF, AI, SVG and LightBurn also available. |
What the DXF looks like
NestSigns writes DXF R12 with true arcs on one layer. R12 is the version almost every CAM program reads, and true arcs keep letter curves smooth instead of turning them into many short lines. Each sheet is its own file.
Getting a clean DXF in
- Closed outlines. Letters should be closed shapes. Join open ends in your design program before exporting.
- Holes stay with their letter. The inside of an O or A is kept with its letter and can hold small parts.
- Text must be outlines. Convert text to curves in your design program before exporting the DXF.
- From FlexiSIGN or other sign software, export the cut outlines as DXF. See nesting FlexiSIGN files.
Not only DXF
If the job started in Illustrator or CorelDRAW you can skip the DXF step: NestSigns opens .ai, PDF, SVG and .cdr (X4 and newer) too. See Illustrator nesting and CorelDRAW nesting.
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.
Comparing free DXF nesting tools? Read how NestSigns compares with Deepnest and SVGnest, or the guide how to nest channel letters.
Questions
Is it really online, or do I download something?
It runs in a web browser on Windows or Mac. You can also install it as a desktop app from the browser, but nothing has to be downloaded.
Which DXF version does it export?
DXF R12 with true arcs, all outlines on one layer, one file per sheet. Almost every router and laser program imports it.
My DXF comes in at the wrong size.
Many DXF files do not store their units, or store the wrong one. NestSigns asks for the unit every time and shows the artwork size as inches and as millimeters, so pick the one that matches the real size.
Is it free?
The first 20 nesting runs are free with no credit card. After that it is $14.99 per month, cancel anytime.
Start free
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