How to get a DXF file laser cut (quote email included)

GUIDE · 4 MIN READ · PUBLISHED OCT 23, 2026

You have a DXF file. You don't have a laser. Good news: you don't need one. A local shop will cut it this week, and you won't even have to buy the steel.

1 · Who to call

• A laser cutting shop. Search "laser cutting service" plus your city. Industrial areas have dozens, and they are used to small one-off jobs from private customers. You don't need an "art" specialist — for them your file is a normal job.
• A makerspace or fab lab. Often cheaper and closer. You also get people who will help along the way.
• An online cutting service. Upload the file, get parts by mail. Costs more than a local shop, but works when there is nothing nearby.

2 · Don't buy the steel yourself

The shop almost always sells the sheet and cuts from its own stock. You don't need a separate metal supplier.

3 · Three numbers before you send

Open page one of the PDF and write down:

1. Sheet thickness (usually 1.5 mm)
2. Size of the finished sculpture
3. Number of parts

That is all the shop needs to talk to you. If the numbers suit you, send the DXF as it is — it is ready to cut.

Need a different size or thickness? Don't scale the DXF yourself. Facet geometry and bend angles are calculated for one sheet thickness. Scaled parts stop fitting — and you find out at the bench, after the metal is cut. Write to us before you buy and we'll recalculate the set for your numbers.

4 · The quote request (copy, paste)

Hello! I need a set of parts laser cut from [steel grade] sheet, 1.5 mm thick. DXF attached: [number] parts, finished size about [size]. Do you provide the material, or do I need to buy the steel somewhere else? The file includes engraving (part numbers and bend lines) — please engrave together with the cut. Could you tell me the price and lead time? Thank you!

Two more things worth asking:

• Do I pick up, or do you deliver?
• If you cut with plasma, do you remove the dross?

Shops price by length of cut plus material. Thin sheet cuts fast, so it's usually less than people expect. The reply often comes the same day — and tells you more than any average price table online.

5 · Laser vs plasma cutting

Usually you take whatever is nearby. Laser on 1.5 mm gives a clean edge, a narrow kerf and exact geometry — parts arrive almost ready to assemble. Plasma is cheaper but leaves a rougher edge and dross you'll grind off before assembly. On small parts it may not hold the geometry. Choose laser if you can; with plasma, budget extra time for edge cleanup.

6 · What to send the shop — and what to keep

Send the DXF and the bending instruction. If the shop also bends your parts, that file has everything the operator needs: contours, engraving, bend directions and angles.

Keep the assembly instruction to yourself. It shows how the parts become this exact sculpture — you need it, the shop doesn't. That's why every Denerog plan comes as two separate PDFs.

7 · What comes back

A stack of flat parts, sometimes still held to the sheet by small tabs. Each part has its number and bend lines engraved on the metal. Edges are sharp: wear gloves the first time. Don't throw the offcuts away until you've counted every part — small ones hide in the scrap.

Next: reading the bend lines on your parts.

FAQ

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