Oversize per side
Some parts are cut deliberately larger and brought to their final size later. Veneered and laminated panels are trimmed after pressing; boards that go through a trimming edge bander lose a little on every banded edge; a CNC finishing pass needs material to remove. Adding that allowance to every row by hand works, but then the parts table no longer says what you are building, and every change has to be made twice.
Oversize per side keeps the two apart. The parts table holds the finished size. The optimizer adds the allowance when it runs.
Where to find it
2D Panel mode → the Settings section of the left sidebar → click More → open Blade & trim → Oversize per side. Enter the amount per side in the active unit (mm, cm or in). 0 turns it off.
The field only appears in 2D Panel mode. A bar in 1D Linear or Wood is cut to length, and the Nesting engine works on part outlines, so neither reads it.
What it does
Every 2D part grows by the oversize on each side, so its width and its height both grow by twice the value:
| Finished size (parts table) | Oversize per side | Cut size (packed and cut) |
|---|---|---|
| 400 × 800 | 5 mm | 410 × 810 |
| 600 × 800 | 2 mm | 604 × 804 |
| 250 × 250 | 10 mm | 270 × 270 |
The plan is built from the cut size. The sheet count, the yield and the sawing plan are honest about the extra material, and a part that only just fits a sheet at its finished size may stop fitting once it is oversized. The results then report it as a part that could not be placed, listed at the finished size you typed.
The oversize is recorded with each result. If you change the field after a run, that result keeps the value it was cut with.
What you see in the results and exports
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| On-screen cut list | The Size column is the cut size; a Finished size column is added next to it. |
| The detailed cut list shows W×H as the cut size and adds a Finished size column. The How we optimized block names the oversize. | |
| Excel (.xlsx) | The Cut list tab adds two columns — finished width and finished length — after the existing ones. The Overview tab names the oversize. |
| CSV | Two extra columns at the end of every row: the finished width and height. |
| Sheet diagrams | Parts are drawn and labelled at the cut size, because that is what the saw cuts. |
With the field at 0, none of these columns or rows appear. The exports are the same as without the setting.
What keeps the finished size
- Edge banding lengths are measured on the finished edges.
- Panel labels print the finished size of each part.
- Area-based prices and selling prices use the finished area.
Oversize is not an edge-banding deduction. If your edge bander needs the board cut smaller by the tape thickness, that is a separate adjustment.
Not the same as kerf or trim
| Setting | What it removes or adds | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Blade kerf | Material lost in each cut | Between two parts |
| Trim per side | A strip off the raw board | The sheet edges |
| Oversize per side | Extra material on each part | Around every part |
The three add up. See Settings for the kerf and the trim.
Plans and saving
Oversize per side works on every plan, guests included. It is saved with the project and with the unsaved draft, and it is converted with the rest of the settings when you switch between mm, cm and inches. It is not part of your saved personal defaults: Reset to my defaults sets it back to 0.