Get the file right and we both save an afternoon.

The ten rules

1. 01Millimetres, at 1:1Draw it actual size in mm. Not inches, not scaled to fit a sheet of A3. If your CAD asks about units on export, say mm.
2. 02Closed shapes onlyEvery cut has to be a closed polyline. An outline made of 40 separate lines that only look joined cannot be toolpathed, and this is the single most common problem we see.
3. 03No duplicate geometryTwo identical lines on top of each other means we cut it twice. Run your CAD's overkill or clean command before exporting.
4. 04Text converted to outlinesLive fonts do not survive the trip. Convert to curves or outlines, then check it still looks right. Keep a PDF alongside so we can see what it should say.
5. 05Nothing smaller than the cutterOur standard cutter is 6 mm, so no internal corner can be tighter than a 3 mm radius, and no slot narrower than 6 mm. Tell us if you need a 3 mm cutter and we will use one, slower and dearer.
6. 06Holes as circlesA drill position should be a circle at the finished diameter, not a 24-sided polygon. Under 8 mm we drill rather than mill, which is faster and cheaper for you.
7. 07Say which line is whichUse the layer names below. If everything is on layer 0 we have to guess what is a cut, a pocket and a pencil line, and we will come back to you rather than guess.
8. 08State the thicknessPut it in the filename and the email. A drawing does not carry it and 18 mm versus 19 mm changes the toolpath.
9. 09Tell us cut line or finished sizeIf your 600 mm means the part after cutting, say so. Ambiguity here is how parts come out 6 mm wrong and nobody is at fault.
10. 10Fit inside 2420 × 1200The sheet is 2440 × 1220 but we lose 10 mm each edge to clamps. Anything bigger has to be split, and we would rather discuss where the join goes than choose for you.