Nesting sign letters for Easel
Easel turns a design into toolpaths for an X-Carve or another GRBL router, but it does not pack parts for you. NestSigns does that step first: it fits every letter onto your sheet with room for the bit, then gives you one real-size file per sheet to open in Easel.
Start free: 20 runs, no credit cardWhy nest before Easel
In Easel you place parts by hand. That is fine for a sign with three letters. For a job with 40 letters, or one that has to fit an offcut, hand placing is slow and usually leaves material on the table. NestSigns packs the parts by their real outlines, rotates them where it helps, puts small letters inside the holes of bigger ones, and checks every gap before you export.
The workflow
| Step | Where |
|---|---|
| 1. Open the artwork (.ai, PDF, DXF, SVG or .cdr) | NestSigns |
| 2. Pick a sheet size your machine can cut, and type your bit diameter | NestSigns |
| 3. Nest, check the measured gaps, download SVG (.zip): one file per sheet | NestSigns |
| 4. Import the sheet's SVG, set material and depth, outline cut outside the path, tabs on small parts | Easel |
| 5. Carve, then the next sheet | Your router |
The SVG keeps the real size: its width and height are written in inches (or cm if you work in cm), so it comes into Easel at 1:1. If you prefer DXF, NestSigns exports that too, with curves kept as true arcs. The step-by-step guide how to nest sign letters before Easel covers import settings and common problems.
Spacing for your bit
Type the bit you will use in Easel (for example 1/8 in) and NestSigns sets the part spacing to the bit plus 0.05 in, so the bit always has room to cut between two letters. You can still change the spacing by hand. After nesting, every layout is measured and the smallest gap it left is shown.
Machine size and leftovers
Many hobby and small-shop routers cut less than a full 4×8 sheet. Set the sheet to the area your machine can cut. Keep the rest of the sheet as a leftover in NestSigns, and the smallest leftover that fits is used first on the next job.
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.
Working with a laser instead? See nesting letters for LightBurn. Using VCarve or Aspire for toolpaths? See nesting for VCarve and Aspire.
Questions
Does NestSigns make the toolpaths for Easel?
No. NestSigns nests the parts and exports the layout. Cut type, depth, passes and tabs are set in Easel.
Which file should I import into Easel?
SVG (.zip) gives one real-size file per sheet. DXF works too; check the size after import either way.
Is NestSigns made by Inventables?
No. NestSigns is separate software and is not affiliated with Inventables. Easel and X-Carve are trademarks of their owner.
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