Explained! What is Kerf in Laser Cutting?

If you've heard the term "kerf" in laser cutting but aren't sure what it is...you're in the right spot. 

When laser cutting, a portion of the material is eroded or burned away by the laser itself.  Because of this when you cut two pieces of material out of each other the middle one will "fall out".  Enter kerf. 

Let's say you're making a puzzle and you want the pieces to snap together and stay together or you're making a wood inlay and you don't want to use glue. If you adjust the cut to account for kerf you're essentially adding a very small offset to take the laser cut line out a tad. 

In this month's Silhouette U video of the month, I'll share the secret to setting up designs with kerf in mind so you can create laser projects that easily pop in and out rather than requiring glue or falling apart.

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