A SigmaNEST alternative for small sign shops
SigmaNEST is a well-known nesting and CAM system for fabrication and manufacturing, with machine-specific posts and many cutting technologies. A small sign shop that mainly needs to fit letters onto sheets often needs much less than that. NestSigns does that one job, nesting sign letters, in the browser.
Start free: 20 runs, no credit cardTwo different kinds of tool
| SigmaNEST | NestSigns | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Fabrication and manufacturing shops, many cutting technologies | Sign shops nesting letters, logos and faces |
| What it does | Nesting, CAM, toolpaths and machine output, plus production features | Nesting only; you keep your own CAM or laser software |
| Setup | Installed software, usually set up per machine with the vendor | Runs in the browser; open a file and nest |
| Price | Quoted by the vendor | 20 free runs, then a monthly subscription |
If you run several production machines and need toolpaths, posts and job tracking in one system, an industrial package like SigmaNEST may be the right fit. If you want to nest letter jobs quickly and keep cutting the way you do now, NestSigns is the simpler choice.
Built around sign work
NestSigns reads the design files sign shops already have: Illustrator .ai, CorelDRAW .cdr, PDF, DXF and SVG. Small parts go inside the holes of letters like O and A, oversize letters can be divided into numbered pieces, and the layout summary PDF numbers every part on the sheet and on the original artwork for sorting after the cut.
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.
See also a Deepnest alternative for sign shops, channel letter nesting and DXF nesting online.
Questions
Does NestSigns replace my CAM software?
No. NestSigns does the nesting and exports DXF, PDF, AI, SVG or LightBurn files. You make toolpaths in the CAM or laser software you already use.
Do I need to install anything?
No. NestSigns runs in a web browser on Windows or Mac.
Is NestSigns related to SigmaNEST?
No. NestSigns is separate software and is not affiliated with SigmaNEST or its owners.
Start free
More: All features · NestSigns for your machine and software · FAQ