Laser Cutting & Chemical Etch + Laser Artwork Guide

This guide covers artwork requirements for both laser-only cutting and PPD’s combined chemical etch + laser process.

The laser cutting artwork requirements are the same for both processes. Additional artwork requirements apply where surface-etched detail is required.

Laser Cutting Artwork

All laser-cut profiles must be supplied as a single vector cut path, with:

• Black stroke
• No fill
• 0.1 mm stroke width
• No gaps in closed profiles
• No overlapping or duplicated lines

Do not use filled objects to represent laser-cut profiles. The laser software follows the vector path itself, not the visible width of a filled shape.

Also avoid using heavy/thick stroke widths to represent the finished size of a component. The dimensions of the part should be defined by the centreline of the vector cut path, not by the visual outside edge of a thick stroke. If we have to reduce a heavy stroke to a single cut line, the apparent size of the component can otherwise change.

• Tags do not need to be drawn into the artwork — these are added by PPD using our laser software
• Where parts are laid out by the customer, please allow approximately 5 mm between parts to provide space for the laser lead-in
• For multiple quantities, it is generally easier to supply one of each component and the quantity required, allowing PPD to create the most efficient array

If the direction of the material grain is important to your component, please include this information with your enquiry or artwork.

Layout & Sheet Size

Available sheet sizes vary depending on material and thickness. Please refer to our Metal Stock & Thicknesses page when planning your artwork.

As a general guide, for smaller laser-cut or combination parts we recommend a maximum vertical layout dimension of approximately 280 mm.

For multiple quantities, it is generally easier to supply one of each component and the quantity required, allowing PPD to create the most efficient array.

Basic Laser Design Guidelines

As a general design rule, both openings/holes and the remaining metal between cut features should be at least 50% of the material thickness.

A – Minimum opening/hole: 50% of material thickness
B – Minimum remaining metal: 50% of material thickness

Smaller features may be possible depending on the material and thickness. Please contact us if your design falls below these guidelines.

Note: Dimension C applies only to surface-etched features in the Chemical Etch + Laser process.

Chemical Etch + Laser Processing

For the combined chemical etch + laser process, etched detail is referred to as a surface etch rather than a half-etch.

On material thicker than 0.5 mm, the etched depth is not normally half the material thickness. Surface-etch depth depends on the design, but is generally approximately 0.2–0.3 mm, including on material thicker than 0.5 mm.

Surface Etch Artwork

Surface-etched detail is prepared using the same artwork convention as our standard chemical etching process:

• Red – front surface etch
• Blue – back surface etch
• Black – laser cut path

The minimum recommended width for surface-etched detail is 0.15 mm.

Example: 2 mm brushed stainless steel with front surface etching and laser-cut profile

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