After cutting acrylic parts for over 50 years, we’ve seen every possible design problem come through our door. The good news: the same mistakes show up over and over, which means they’re predictable — and preventable.
Fix these seven issues before you send your file and you’ll get better parts, faster, at lower cost.
Mistake #1: Inside Corners That Are Perfectly Sharp
A laser beam has a finite spot size. This means true inside corners (90° or tighter) aren’t physically possible — the kerf always leaves a small radius. For most applications this isn’t a problem, but if you’re designing a slot that needs to accept a precisely dimensioned insert, you may need to add a small relief radius to the corner in your design to account for this.
Fix: If fit is critical, add a small undercut or dog-bone relief at inside corners. Or call it out in your spec and let us advise.
Mistake #2: Features That Are Too Small or Too Close Together
Tiny holes, narrow tabs, and features spaced very close together can be problematic — the material between them may not have enough structural integrity to survive cutting, or the heat from adjacent cuts can cause distortion.
Fix: As a general rule, keep minimum feature size above 1.5x the material thickness. Keep spacing between cuts at least equal to material thickness. If you’re not sure, ask before submitting.
Mistake #3: Sending a Rasterized File Instead of a Vector File
A PDF that’s actually a scanned image, a JPEG of your drawing, or a low-resolution PNG cannot be used to cut parts directly. Laser cutting requires vector geometry — clean lines and curves defined mathematically, not pixels.
Fix: Export from your CAD software (Illustrator, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, etc.) as a vector DXF, SVG, or vector PDF. If you only have a paper drawing or image, we can help convert it — but be aware it adds time and potential for error.
Mistake #4: Drawing at the Wrong Scale
Files submitted at 1:10 or 1:100 scale — or with units set to millimeters when the drawing is in inches — are a constant source of parts cut at the wrong size. A 12″ panel submitted in millimeters without a unit declaration gets interpreted as 12mm.
Fix: Always send files at 1:1 scale. Always declare the unit system. When in doubt, add a simple note: “all dimensions in inches” or “scale: 1:1.”
Mistake #5: Extra Geometry in the File
Title blocks, dimension lines, center marks, notes, and border geometry that are accidentally placed on the cut layer will be cut into the part. We see this regularly with DXF exports from engineering software.
Fix: Before exporting, check that your cut layer contains only the geometry you want cut. Delete or move all annotations, construction lines, and non-cut geometry to a separate layer or delete them entirely from the export.
Mistake #6: Duplicate or Overlapping Lines
DXF files exported from some CAD programs contain duplicate lines perfectly on top of each other. The laser will cut that line twice — potentially causing a wider kerf, a charred edge, or a slightly shifted cut on the second pass.
Fix: Use your CAD software’s “delete duplicates” or “purge” function before exporting. In Illustrator, Pathfinder → Unite will merge overlapping paths.
Mistake #7: Not Accounting for Material Thickness in 3D Assemblies
If you’re designing an acrylic box, frame, or assembly where panels interlock, the slot width needs to match the actual material thickness — not the nominal thickness. Acrylic sheet labeled “1/4 inch” is typically 0.220″–0.240″ actual thickness, not exactly 0.250″.
Fix: Always spec your slots based on actual measured sheet thickness, or ask your supplier for the actual thickness spec of the material they’ll be using. We provide actual thickness data for all materials we stock.
When in Doubt, Ask First
We review every file before cutting. If we see a potential problem, we’ll contact you before running the job. But catching issues before submission is faster and cheaper for everyone. Send us your file for a free design review if you have any concerns — we’re happy to take a look.