Nesting letters on HDU sign foam
High-density urethane (HDU) is a favorite for carved signs and thick dimensional letters, and it is not cheap. NestSigns packs your letters onto HDU sheets and offcuts by their real outlines, so more letters come out of every board.
Start free: 20 runs, no credit cardWhy HDU jobs are worth nesting
- Price per sheet. HDU costs a lot more per square foot than PVC or MDF, so a better layout saves real money.
- Thick material, big bits. 1 to 2 in thick boards are usually cut with a 1/4 in or larger bit, so the gap between letters matters.
- Offcuts pile up. Leftover pieces from carved panels are often big enough for letters. Using them first keeps full sheets for big jobs.
How to set it up
| Setting | Typical choice for HDU letters |
|---|---|
| Sheet | Your board size (often 48×96 in) or an offcut from stock |
| Bit | Type your bit, for example 1/4 in; spacing becomes the bit plus 0.05 in |
| Rotation | Any angle; HDU has no grain, so letters can turn freely |
| Leftovers | Add offcuts to the HDU material in stock; the smallest that fits is used first |
These are typical values. Your board size, thickness and bit depend on the job and your supplier.
Cutting thick letters
Thick HDU letters are usually cut in several passes with tabs or an onion-skin last pass, so letters stay put until the end. Those are toolpath settings in your CAM software. NestSigns exports the nested layout as DXF, SVG, PDF or AI, with every part numbered on the sheets and in the summary PDF, so sorting a full job of thick letters is quick.
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.
Cutting PVC letters too? See PVC letter nesting. Building toolpaths in Vectric? See nesting for VCarve and Aspire, and the guide how to nest channel letters to save material.
Questions
Does NestSigns know the price of my HDU?
Type the price per sheet in the material settings and NestSigns shows the material cost of each job.
Can it use a carved panel's offcut?
Yes, if it is a rectangle: add it as a leftover piece with its size. NestSigns uses leftovers before full sheets, smallest first.
Does NestSigns make the 3D carving toolpaths?
No. NestSigns nests and exports flat cut-out layouts. Carving and toolpaths stay in your CAM software.
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