If you’re working with subtractive manufacturing processes like laser cutting, CNC routing, or vinyl cutting, nesting your parts efficiently is critical for minimizing material waste and reducing machine time. One of the best tools I’ve found for this purpose is Deepnest.io, a free and open-source nesting application that works on both Windows and macOS.
What is Nesting?
Nesting is the process of fitting as many parts as possible within a defined area—typically a sheet of material—by optimizing part placement and rotation. Effective nesting helps reduce scrap, maximize material utilization, and improve production throughput.
Why Deepnest?
Deepnest automates this process by algorithmically rotating and arranging parts to find the most space-efficient layout. The software supports SVG, DXF, and other common vector file formats, making it easy to integrate into most digital fabrication workflows.
Key features include:
- Rotation Control: Specify how many angular steps the software should attempt when rotating each part. More steps provide better optimization but increase processing time.
- Spacing Settings: Set the minimum spacing between parts. For laser cutting, this can often be zero to allow for shared lines. For CNC routing, this should be set to at least the tool diameter to prevent toolpath overlap.
- Multi-Part Nesting: Supports nesting multiple part types in a single job.
- Cross-platform Support: Runs on both Windows and macOS.
I’ve been using Deepnest regularly with my laser cutter, Cricut, and CNC router, and it’s become a core part of my pre-processing workflow. It’s fast, lightweight, and remarkably capable for a free tool.
If you’re looking for a reliable, open-source nesting solution for your digital fabrication projects, I highly recommend giving Deepnest a try.
Neptune Labs 
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