Glossary
The terms of our craft — briefly explained, no sugar-coating.
- Kerf (cutting gap)
- The laser vaporizes material — the cutting gap varies with material and thickness. Cuts run centered on the drawn line; for shape.tools products we factor the kerf into your dimensions automatically.
- Vector engraving
- The laser traces a line and engraves it into the material — precise, ideal for fine contours. In your file: red hairlines, RGB(255, 0, 0).
- Raster engraving
- The laser fills an area line by line — like a printer. Ideal for logos and larger motifs. In your file: black filled areas, RGB(0, 0, 0).
- Marking
- A very light vector engraving: the laser only traces the line on the surface — for folding or positioning aids, for example. Same color as vector engraving (red).
- P1 / P2 / P3
- Our three sheet formats: P1 = 181 × 181 mm, P2 = 384 × 384 mm, P3 = 790 × 384 mm. Your design has to fit on one of the sheets. For scale: a vinyl record cover sits between P1 and P2.
- Fit clearance
- The small extra clearance at slot joints so tenon and slot actually fit — too tight jams, too loose wobbles. For shape.tools products it is stored per material and factored in automatically.
- Verification
- The human check of your order before cutting: paths, dimensions, material. If we find a problem you get a correction link instead of faulty parts.
- Made to measure (§ 312g BGB)
- We fabricate exclusively for you — which is why there is no statutory right of withdrawal (§ 312g (2) no. 1 BGB). In return we check every file before the laser starts.