Kerf: measure the cut width before setting compensation

Kerf is the width of material removed by a cut. It affects finished dimensions and the space between neighbouring cuts, but it is not a reason to scale the whole drawing.

Measure a test cut

Use the material, thickness, focus or tool and process settings planned for the job. Cut a simple test feature with known nominal dimensions and measure the result after it is safe to handle. Record whether compensation was enabled. A measurement from another material or setup is not a reliable substitute. Repeat the test if the edge quality or dimensions vary.

Apply compensation to the correct side

An outside profile and an inside hole require opposite offset directions to preserve their nominal sizes. Let the relevant CAM operation handle that offset, then inspect its preview. Uniformly scaling a drawing also moves hole centres and changes distances that kerf compensation should preserve. Avoid compensating once in exported geometry and again in CAM.

Use kerf in the nesting allowance

NestForge requires contour separation of kerf plus minimum spacing. At the sheet edge it uses margin plus half the kerf. For example, kerf 0.2 mm and spacing 1.0 mm require 1.2 mm between contours; margin 3.0 mm gives a 3.1 mm boundary inset. These values illustrate the settings only. Lead-ins, tool access, tabs and heat movement still need a separate CAM review.