Sending files
A clean file is the quickest route to a quote. Here is what we read, and the handful of things that make a drawing cut first time.
Formats we read#
| For | Formats |
|---|---|
| Cutting (laser or router) | DXF, DWG, AI, SVG, PDF |
| 3D models, folded parts | STEP, STP |
| Schedules | Whatever you have: PDF, XLS, XLSX, CSV, DOC, DOCX, JPG, PNG, HEIC, DWG, DXF |
| Upload limit | 50MB per enquiry |
A STEP model is the most useful thing you can send for a folded part: we can unfold it ourselves and check every flange against the folder.
Setting up a cutting file#
- Draw at 1:1, in millimetres. Scale is the most common reason a quote comes back wrong.
- Draw the finished size. We allow for the width the laser or cutter removes; do not offset for it yourself.
- Close every outline. An open gap, however small, is a line the machine cannot follow round.
- One line per edge. Doubled or overlapping lines get cut twice and burn the edge.
- Text as outlines. Convert lettering to curves, or it arrives as a font we may not have.
- Nothing but the part. Take title blocks, dimensions and notes off the cutting layer, or put them on a layer of their own.
What to tell us#
The file shows the shape. The enquiry needs the rest:
- the material and thickness, or what the part has to do if you are unsure;
- how many;
- any folds, with the inside or outside of each bend marked;
- finish, if it matters (for example a painted side on coated steel);
- when you need it, and whether you are collecting.
No drawing at all?
A photo of the old part next to a tape measure, or a sketch with the sizes on it, is enough to start. For flashings, the girth builder does the drawing for you.