By Printara

2026-10-23

Laser Stencil Letters: Keep the Centers Connected

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The center of an O can look perfectly placed in a drawing and still fall out when its surrounding letter is cut. For a one-piece stencil, the question is not just whether the lettering looks right. It is whether every piece you need to keep remains connected to the sheet.

1. Decide what stays and what is removed

Mark the retained sheet and the openings in contrasting colors in a review copy. In a stencil, the letter is usually an opening; its enclosed center must remain part of the sheet. In a sign made from separate positive letters, the retained material is different. Do not apply the same bridge plan without first deciding which object you want.

Check each enclosed space, including both centers in a B and the small opening in an A. Ponoko's laser-cut metal design guide explicitly calls for stencilized lettering or bridges to retain letter centers. Its dimensional rules apply to its metal process, not automatically to wood, plastic or another cutting service.

2. Make the permanent connections part of the design

A stencil bridge is retained material connecting an inner island to the surrounding sheet. Review the actual cut boundaries, not just a thick display stroke laid over a line. Trace a route through material from each center to the outer sheet without crossing a cut. If there is no route, that center is detached in the proposed cut geometry.

Place bridges where the letter remains recognizable, then review the whole word at its final size. A connection that works visually in an O may obscure the opening of a small A. If the design becomes cramped, consider changing the typeface, enlarging the lettering or simplifying details rather than hiding the problem with a thinner connector.

3. Do not confuse stencil bridges with breakaway tabs

LightBurn's Tabs / Bridges documentation describes skipped sections of a cut that keep pieces in the stock until they are removed. Properly sized for that purpose, they can be broken after cutting. That is a temporary retention task.

A permanent stencil connection has a different job: it stays attached while you position, lift and reuse the stencil. A tab left unbroken may leave material connecting the same pieces, but enabling tabs does not establish that the resulting connector is suitable for that use. Decide which connections are permanent and tell the cutting operator which tabs, if any, are intended for removal.

4. Recheck after scaling and before toolpath output

Measure the narrowest part of every bridge at the intended finished size. Uniformly shrinking a design also shrinks its connectors. Check the material, thickness and feature limits with the operator who will cut it; there is no universal bridge width offered by this guide.

Kerf matters too. LightBurn explains that the laser removes a width of material and that its Kerf Offset changes the output path without changing the underlying shape. Review the final toolpath with the operator's settings, not only the artwork shown before compensation.

• Check every bridge, not just the largest letter.
• Inspect for extra cut lines crossing a connection, including lines hidden beneath filled artwork.
• Confirm which paths are cuts and which are only scores or engravings.
• Keep explanatory colors, dimensions and notes separate from the production file unless the operator explicitly requests them.

5. Use a representative sample before the full sheet

Ask the operator to include the smallest letter and most awkward bridge in a small sample at the actual final size. Use the intended material and thickness, with the operator's approved process. This is a proposed check, not a report of a cut performed for this article.

After cutting, check that intended centers remain attached, openings are usable, and handling does not immediately damage the connections. Record the file version, material, thickness and observed result. A sample that survives one lift does not prove repeated-use durability. If it fails, keep the failed piece and change a clearly identified design feature before comparing another sample.

6. Send an unambiguous file and brief

Supply the final-size vector file, a separate marked-up reference showing retained material, and a note distinguishing permanent bridges from removable tabs. Ask the operator to flag any feature below their limits before cutting. A preview image alone cannot communicate every cut-path decision.