Nesting sign letters from Illustrator

Most sign artwork starts in Adobe Illustrator. NestSigns opens the .ai file, nests the letters onto as few sheets as it can, and gives you a layout you can bring straight back into Illustrator or send to the router.

Get the file ready in Illustrator

1. Turn text into shapes: select the type and use Type › Create Outlines. NestSigns nests closed shapes, not live text.
2. Make sure each letter is a closed path. Compound paths are fine: the holes in O, A, B and D stay with their letter.
3. Save as .ai with Create PDF Compatible File turned on (it is on by default), or save a PDF. If an .ai file does not open, saving it again with that option, or exporting a PDF, fixes it.

Everything on the canvas is included. If you only want to cut some of the shapes, choose them in NestSigns after the file check.

Nest, check, download

Pick a material from your stock list or type the sheet size, the spacing (or your bit diameter) and the edge margin, then run. NestSigns packs the letters by their real outlines, puts small parts inside the holes of bigger letters, and measures the smallest gap that was actually left on every sheet before you download.

Back into Illustrator

Download the nested sheets as AI or PDF to open them in Illustrator, or as DXF (R12 with true arcs, one layer) for your router software. The layout summary PDF shows every part number on the sheets and on a page of your original artwork, so sorting the letters after cutting is quick.

Why not nest by hand in Illustrator?

For a few letters, arranging them by hand is fine. For a full storefront set it takes a long time, gaps are checked by eye, and the work starts over when the sheet size changes. NestSigns does the same job in seconds and checks every gap.

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.

Questions

Is NestSigns an Illustrator plug-in?

No. NestSigns is a separate web app that opens .ai and PDF files. It is not made by or affiliated with Adobe.

My .ai file will not open. What should I do?

Save it again in Illustrator with Create PDF Compatible File turned on, or export a PDF, and open that. Also check that text has been turned into outlines.

Can I keep the letters in their original order or rotation?

You can choose any angle, 0/180° only, or no rotation. Every part is numbered on the sheets and on the original artwork, so you can match each letter to its place.

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