How to set up your file in Adobe Illustrator:
File is the native .ai file Make sure the “create PDF compatible file” box is checked before you export;
File is built at a 1:1 scale in either inch units or millimeters;
All holes and cutouts are at least 50% material thickness for laser cut parts;
All holes and cutouts are no less than 0.070” for most waterjet cut parts;
All holes and cutouts are no less than 0.125” for all CNC routed parts;
Please reference these charts to see material minimum and maximum sizes for cutting and processing;
Please check the material info pages to find all critical specifications for your desired material, stock thickness, and applied services;
All objects are on the same layer;
All stray points, duplicate lines, empty objects and text areas have been removed;
No shapes have open contours;
All shapes have been united, combined or merged;
All shapes have a solid fill at 100% opacity and no stroke;
All text has been converted to outlines or paths;
Cut-out text (reversed text) has bridges or has been stencilized.
We do not recommend using Adobe Illustrator if you need bending, hole operations, or no-kerf/single line etch geometry. Instead, use a CAD software like Fusion360, AutoCAD, or SolidWorks. If you must use Illustrator to design a part with bending services, ensure that your bend lines are parallel to each flange when you set up your Adobe Illustrator file.
For more information on file setup and designing laser cut parts in Adobe Illustrator, check out our Adobe Illustrator tutorials.
