Run the full validator
Drop the file into Cutting File Validator. It reports open paths, duplicates, overlaps, self-intersections, tiny objects, thin parts, live text, raster images and anything outside the sheet.
Production checks · 12 tools
Production checks before cutting
Open paths, duplicate lines, overlaps, self-intersections, tiny objects, thin parts, live text, raster images and out-of-bounds objects, caught before the material is on the bed.
A cutting file can be wrong in a dozen ways that are invisible on screen and obvious on the machine: a path open by a hair that a laser leaves uncut, a line duplicated on top of itself that burns twice, a 0.1 mm speck that stalls the plotter, a part thinner than the blade can hold, a piece of text still in a font the machine does not have, a photo the plotter cannot cut at all. Each costs a sheet of material and the time to find out why.
The validators run those checks on any SVG, DXF or CMX file and mark each problem on the cutting mat. Cutting File Validator and Cutting Readiness Checker run them all at once and give a pass or a list; the single-purpose checkers explain one class of fault so it can be fixed with the matching vector tool.
Try it here
Cutting File Validator
Every production check in one report.
How a production checks job runs
Fix each class
Open paths: Close Path Tool. Duplicates: Remove Duplicate Paths. Overlaps: Merge Overlapping Shapes. Tiny objects: Remove Tiny Objects. Live text: retype with the calligraphy tools. Raster: trace it.
Check for the process
Minimum Feature Size Checker and Thin Part Detector take the material and process into account: 1.5 mm for vinyl, thickness for laser, bit diameter plus clearance for CNC.
Confirm readiness
Cutting Readiness Checker gives a final pass with the file size, layer list and a summary you can attach to the job ticket.
All production checks tools
12 tools · Catch open paths, tiny objects and live text before cutting.Cutting File ValidatorEvery production check in one report.Open Path CheckerPaths that don't close.Duplicate Line CheckerStacked duplicate paths.Overlap CheckerShapes that overlap and will double-cut.Self-Intersection CheckerPaths crossing themselves.Tiny Object DetectorSpecks below a minimum size.Thin Part DetectorParts thinner than the minimum feature.Minimum Feature Size CheckerFeatures below what the material can hold.Unconverted Text DetectorLive text that would not cut.Raster Image DetectorEmbedded bitmaps that cutters ignore.Out-of-Bounds Object CheckerObjects outside the sheet size.Cutting Readiness CheckerPass/fail readiness summary.
On the machine
Open paths
A laser or plotter follows an open path and simply stops; the part stays attached at the gap. Gaps under 0.05 mm are invisible; the checker finds them and Close Path Tool closes gaps within the tolerance you set.
Self-intersections
A path that crosses itself confuses fills, offsets and booleans, and plotters cut the crossing twice. Usually a trace artefact; simplify or re-trace.
Thin parts
A strip of vinyl under 1.5 mm lifts with the waste; an acrylic bar thinner than the sheet snaps; an MDF part thinner than the router bit vanishes. Thin Part Detector measures the narrowest point of every shape.
Out of bounds
Objects outside the sheet or bed are cut by nothing and thrown off the layout; the checker lists them with their position so they can be moved or deleted.
What usually goes wrong
- Validating before resizing. Thresholds are in millimetres, so check at the final size.
- Fixing only the first fault. Run the validator again after each fix; one repair often uncovers the next.
- Ignoring a raster warning because the image looks like a line drawing. It still has no paths.
- Cutting a file with live text because it rendered on screen. The machine will not have the font.
- Skipping the check on a file the customer swears is ready.
Common questions
Does the validator change my file?
No. It reports; the vector tools repair. That keeps a record of what was wrong in case the customer asks.
How small is a tiny object?
The default is 0.5 mm in any dimension, which is below what any blade or beam cuts usefully. Raise it for CNC (bit diameter) or lower it for fine engraving.
Can it check a CorelDRAW file?
Export CMX from Corel and drop it in; curves, groups and outlines are read. Live text in the CMX is flagged; convert to curves in Corel or retype here.
What does readiness mean?
Closed paths, no duplicates, no overlaps, features above the minimum for the chosen process, no text or raster, everything inside the sheet, and real units. The checker tests each and passes the file only when all hold.