Support guide · production files
Laser Cut Living Hinge DXF and SVG Files
What is inside a cut-ready living hinge file: four named layers, a fixed cut order, kerf compensation on every closed contour and no duplicate lines. Design the part in the living hinge generator; this page explains what the export does with it.
Layers
Four layers, one cut order
The DXF is AutoCAD R12 ASCII in millimetres ($INSUNITS 4), which LightBurn, RDWorks, VCarve and every AutoCAD since 2000 open. The SVG is drawn 1:1 in millimetres with the same colours, grouped by layer id, with hairline strokes and no fills.
| Layer | Colour | ACI | Cut order | Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INNER_KERF_SLITS | #0000FF blue | 5 | 1 (first) | Slits and holes |
| BEND_CENTERLINES | #00AA00 green | 3 | never cut | Bend start, end and centre lines; perforated field boundary |
| OUTER_PERIMETER | #FF0000 red | 1 | 2 (last) | Part outline offset by kerf/2 |
| SPEC_NOTES | black | 7 | never cut | Parameter text (DXF only) |
Inner cuts come first because the sheet is still held by its outline: slits cut after the outline would be burned into a part that can shift on the honeycomb bed. The outline is always the last entity in the file, so software that cuts in file order gets it right without any settings.
Kerf
How kerf compensation is applied
Example kerf 0.15 mm, so kerf/2 = 0.075 mm.
A CO2 beam removes a line of material about 0.1 to 0.25 mm wide. For closed contours the tool path moves by half that width so the finished edge lands on the drawn line: the outer perimeter moves outward, holes move inward. Open slits are not moved sideways; each one is shortened by kerf/2 at both ends so the burn stops exactly at the drawn length.
The net link printed in the studio is row spacing minus one kerf, because each neighbouring slit removes half a kerf from the link on either side. For the default honeycomb corner that is 1.65 mm against a minimum of 0.90 mm.
Clean geometry
Zero duplicate lines
Two lines on top of each other make the laser cut the same path twice, which widens the kerf and chars thin links. Hand-made hinge files often have a bend centre line lying on a slit row, or a border drawn twice. Before export every segment is compared at 0.001 mm tolerance and any guide that would overlap a slit is split around it.
On the default 3 mm honeycomb corner the export holds 126 inner paths, a red outline of 539.6 mm and guide lines at the bend start, centre and end. SPEC_NOTES text repeats W = 49.48 mm and the R_min estimate of 17.4 mm so the numbers travel with the file.
Import
Import steps by application
| Application | Import | Cut order | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| LightBurn | File → Import the SVG or DXF; units mm, scale 100%. | Blue (inner) first, red (outline) last; green layer Output off. | Uses colours directly as layers. |
| Glowforge | Upload the SVG in the app. | Each colour is a step: set blue and red to Cut, ignore green, red step last. | SVG only; DXF is not read. |
| xTool Creative Space | Import the SVG, keep the scale lock on. | Assign Cut to blue and red; order the outline last. | Diode lasers need slower speeds than the estimate. |
| RDWorks | Import the DXF R12 in mm. | Layers arrive as colours; move the red layer to the bottom of the list. | Set green to Output = No. |
| VCarve / Aspire | Import the DXF; layers keep their names. | Profile INNER_KERF_SLITS first, OUTER_PERIMETER last; skip BEND_CENTERLINES. | For CNC, use an end mill no wider than the net link. |
The applications are named only as import targets. If your software does not read layer names, it will still read the colours: blue #0000FF, green #00AA00 and red #FF0000 are kept exactly. A living hinge SVG generator that exports fills or text on cut layers forces extra clean-up; these files have neither.
Free vs Pro
What the free proof contains
The free proof PNG is at most 1000 px wide with a PROOF ONLY banner and watermark, and the TXT holds formulas and results without coordinates. Neither can be cut. The layered DXF, LightBurn SVG, STEP/STL solids and the swatch PDF are built on the server for the design you send, after checking your pass.
FAQ
Questions makers ask
Why AutoCAD R12 and not a newer DXF version?
R12 ASCII is the format every laser and CNC program reads without conversion: LightBurn, RDWorks, VCarve, Fusion 360 and AutoCAD since 2000 all open it. Newer versions add handles and object tables that bring nothing to a 2D cut file and fail more often on import.
Should I also set a kerf offset in LightBurn?
No. The Pro files are already compensated, so set the kerf offset of the blue and red layers to 0. Adding a second offset would make holes too small and the outline too large by one full kerf.
Can I edit the files in Inkscape or Fusion 360?
Yes. The SVG is plain paths grouped by layer id, so Inkscape shows three layers you can move or delete. Fusion 360 imports the DXF as a sketch; extrude it to the sheet thickness, or use the STEP file from the 3D pack.
What does the SPEC_NOTES layer contain?
A few lines of text with the pattern, material, thickness, kerf, angle, radius, W, the R_min estimate and the cut order. It is on its own layer with colour 7 so it never cuts, and it keeps the numbers attached to the file when you share it.