Plywood Sheet Layout Optimizer
Turn a plywood, MDF or OSB cut list into a sheet count, cutting diagrams, a cut sequence and cost, with kerf and mixed sheet sizes, by a heuristic. How it works
Use the Plywood Sheet Layout Optimizer
About the Plywood Sheet Layout Optimizer
The default cut list (one 24 × 36 top, four 12 × 36 shelves and two 18 × 80 sides) needs 2 sheets of 48 × 96 in plywood at 0.125 in kerf, with 59.4% of the sheet area used and $120.00 of sheets at $60 each. The packer is a heuristic: it returns a layout that can be cut, not a proven minimum number of sheets. Add 48 × 48 in half sheets at $25 under More stock sizes and the same list takes 1 full sheet and 2 half sheets, $110.00, because the half sheet costs less per square inch.
Default cut list on 48 × 96 in sheets (BSSF, 0.125 in kerf)
| Sheet | Part | Size | Position from the sheet corner (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Side | 18 × 80 in | 0, 0 |
| 1 | Side | 18 × 80 in | 18.125, 0 |
| 2 | Top (turned) | 36 × 24 in | 0, 0 |
| 2 | Shelf (turned) | 36 × 12 in | 0, 24.125 |
| 2 | Shelf (turned) | 36 × 12 in | 0, 36.25 |
| 2 | Shelf | 12 × 36 in | 0, 48.375 |
| 2 | Shelf | 12 × 36 in | 12.125, 48.375 |
Sheet 1 is 62.5% covered and sheet 2 is 56.3%. Parts are listed as the tool places them, largest first. The tool’s cut list rounds positions to two decimals, so 24.125 shows as 24.13. A turned part is shown with its width and height swapped.
Four 24 × 48 in panels from 48 × 96 in sheets, by kerf
| Blade kerf | Sheets needed | Material utilization |
|---|---|---|
| 0 in | 1 | 100.0% |
| 0.125 in | 2 | 50.0% |
At 0.125 in kerf, two 24 in panels plus the cut are wider than 48 in, so they no longer sit side by side.
How to use this tool
- Pick a sheet preset or type the sheet width and height, then set the blade kerf, any edge trim and the number of sheets you have (1 to 99). More stock sizes adds up to 10 other sizes, each with sheets on hand and a price. A large job is worked out in the background, and the page shows Calculating the layout… until it is done.
- Enter each part with its finished width, height and quantity, or paste rows of name, width, height and quantity into Paste parts. Lock the grain on a part that must not be turned.
- Choose a packing rule and the price per sheet. The layout updates as you type.
- Read the sheet count, the cutting diagram, the cut list and numbered cut sequence for each sheet, and the area not covered by parts.
- Press Print / Save as PDF to print one sheet per page, each with its diagram and a table of part sizes, positions and turns; choose Save as PDF in the print dialog for a file.
Frequently asked questions
- How many sheets of plywood do I need for my cut list?
- Start with area: add up the parts and divide by one sheet. The default seven parts are 5,472 in² and a 48 × 96 in sheet is 4,608 in², so no layout can use fewer than 2 sheets. The tool then fits the real shapes, which here needs 2 sheets, 59.4% used, leaving 3,744 in² not covered by parts. With long or awkward parts the real count can be higher than the area figure, which is why the layout is worth running.
- Does the optimizer find the fewest possible sheets?
- No. It sorts parts by area and places each one by a rule (BSSF, BLSF or Worst Fit), which is a heuristic and can leave a better layout unfound. On the default list all three rules give 2 sheets at 59.4%, but on other lists they can differ, so try each.
- What is blade kerf and why does it matter in a cutting layout?
- Kerf is the width of material the blade removes. The tool starts at 0.125 in and accepts 0 to 0.5 in (0 to 12 mm in metric). The layout leaves that gap between neighboring pieces, so parts that add up to exactly the sheet width can stop fitting: four 24 × 48 in panels need 2 sheets at 0.125 in kerf and 1 sheet at 0.
- What is the edge trim setting, and where does edge banding go?
- Edge trim is a strip cut off every side of the sheet, for factory edges that are chipped or out of square. It can be 0 to 1 in (0 to 25 mm), and the usable area shrinks by twice the trim each way: with 1 in a 48 × 96 in sheet offers 46 × 94 in, and the default list still needs 2 sheets, at 63.3% of the smaller area. Edge banding tape glued to a part is not this setting; if it changes the part size, add its thickness to the part sizes yourself.
- Can parts be turned to fit?
- Yes, unless the part’s grain is locked. A turned part is marked turned in the diagram and cut list. A locked part keeps its width along the sheet width, and the tool reports an error if it only fits turned.
- Why does it say Not enough sheets?
- The layout needs more sheets than the Sheets available field allows. It starts at 10 and takes 1 to 99; raise it, or shorten the cut list. The default list on 1 sheet gives this message, since it needs 2. Separately, the cut list is limited to 1,000 parts in total.
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