How it works
Optimise your cutting list in three steps
From a cutting list to a cutting layout you can actually saw: how many boards you need, where the parts go and in which order you cut. For the workshop, the building site and the garage.
Enter your boards
Enter the size of your board, for example 2800 × 2070 mm for chipboard or 2500 × 1250 mm for plywood. Add offcuts with a quantity: they are used first.
Enter your parts
For each part the length, width and quantity, with 1 or 2 mm edge banding per side. Enter takes you to the next row. A list from Excel can be pasted in one go.
Use the cutting layout
The layout updates as you type: boards, waste, cuts, edge banding and the cutting sequence per board. Print it for the saw or share the link.
What it does
What the optimiser does
- Efficient layouts
- Hundreds of combinations are tried. The layout with the fewest boards wins, then the one with the fewest cuts and the largest offcut.
- Straight cuts from edge to edge
- So every layout can be cut with a circular saw, plunge saw, table saw or panel saw.
- Saw kerf and margin all round
- The thickness of the saw blade is taken off between every part. Crooked or damaged factory edges are trimmed off all round.
- Grain direction
- For each part you choose whether the grain runs along the length or the width. Those parts are never rotated.
- Offcuts first
- Boards with a quantity are used first, and only then new boards.
- Edge banding
- 1 or 2 mm per side, just like in the cutting list. You see the metres per thickness, and the drawing shows which edges get banding.
- Indicative cost
- Enter the price per board and per metre of edge banding to see what the material costs.
- Projects
- Every project is kept in your browser; with an account also in My account, on every device. Switch with one click, share with a link.
How many boards?
How many boards do I need?
Add up the area of all parts and divide it by the area of one board: that is the minimum. In practice you often need more, because parts do not fit together seamlessly and every cut loses a few millimetres to sawdust.
The example at the top is a cabinet with two side panels, a top, a bottom, two shelves and two doors: 8 parts. They fit on 1 chipboard board of 2800 × 2070 mm, using 52% of the board. The rest is one large piece you can still use later.
A cut list is the list of parts and their sizes. A cutting plan, also called a cutting layout or sheet layout, shows how those parts sit on the board and in which order you cut them.
Board sizes
Common board sizes
Sheet material comes in a few standard sizes. Below the boards table you can pick one with a single click. The sizes below are the boards Lenselink keeps in stock; with other suppliers a size may differ slightly.
| Material | Board size (mm) | Thicknesses (mm) | Commonly used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipboard and furniture panels | 2800 × 2070 2500 × 1250 | 8 – 38 | Cabinets, shelves, casings |
| MDF | 2800 × 2070 3050 × 1220 | 3 – 50 | Fronts, painting, routing |
| Plywood | 2500 × 1220 3100 × 1530 | 4 – 40 | Furniture, floors, construction |
| Film-faced plywood | 2500 × 1250 3050 × 1530 | 4 – 30 | Formwork, trailers, outdoor |
| OSB | 2440 × 1220 | 9 – 18 | Floors, walls, roof decking |
Tips
Tips for less waste
- Only keep the grain where you see it
- Set the grain direction to free for parts you don't see, such as bottoms and dividers. That often saves a whole board.
- Choose a board size that fits
- Parts 600 mm deep fit three times side by side across the width of a 2070 mm board. On 2500 × 1250 mm only two fit.
- Count the saw kerf
- A circular saw blade is 2.2 to 3.2 mm thick, a panel saw 4 to 4.5 mm. In a tight layout that makes all the difference.
- Make the long cuts first
- Start with cuts along the full length of the board. After that you work with smaller, manageable pieces. The cutting sequence in the layout already does this.
- Cut from the right side
- Melamine-faced boards can chip where the blade exits the cut. Good face up on a table saw, good face down with a circular saw or plunge saw.
- Keep large offcuts
- Next time, add them to the list as offcuts so they are used first.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the optimiser
Can't find your question? Call +31 77 30 30 181 or see customer service.
What does the cutting list optimiser cost?
Nothing. You don't need an account, there is no limit on the number of parts or boards, and you can print the layout, save it as CSV and share it.
Where is my data kept?
In your own browser, so your projects are still there next time. If you are logged in, they are also kept in My account, so you can open them on another device. Nothing else is sent to us unless you choose to have it cut. A shared link contains the project itself.
How accurate is the cutting plan?
The sizes are accurate to a tenth of a millimetre, with saw kerf and margin included. Only straight cuts from edge to edge are used: a layout you can actually cut.
Which saw kerf should I enter?
The thickness of the saw blade: usually 2.2 to 3.2 mm for a circular saw or track saw, 3 to 4 mm for a table saw and 4 to 4.5 mm for a panel saw. If in doubt, enter 4 mm.
What is the margin all round?
The strip you first cut off all round the board, because factory edges can be damaged or out of square. Often 5 to 10 mm. If the board has good edges, leave it at 0.
How does grain direction work?
Switch on the grain direction for the board. Then choose for each part whether the grain runs along its length or its width; such a part is never rotated. Choose free if the direction doesn't matter.
How do I use edge banding?
For each part, click the boxes L1, L2, W1 and W2: empty, 1 mm or 2 mm. L1 and L2 are the long edges, W1 and W2 the short ones. The drawing shows the banding as a dark edge, and you see how many metres you need per thickness.
Can I use my list from Excel?
Yes. Copy the columns name, length, width and quantity in Excel and choose Paste from Excel, or open a CSV or Excel file. Columns such as length, width, quantity and edge banding are recognised.
Is this an alternative to Cutlist Evo or CutList Optimizer?
Yes, for sheet material. Like those programs, this cutting list optimiser works out an economical board layout with saw kerf and offcuts. It works without an account or a limit on parts, in Dutch and English.
Can I have the layout cut for me?
Yes, at Lenselink in Beringe. Click ‘Have this cut by Lenselink’ below the layout, choose the board material and your parts are ready in the cutting list, with the price straight away.