Laser cut box generator
Enter your size and material, check it in 2D and 3D, and download a cut-ready SVG, DXF or PDF. Free.
Outside 100 × 80 × 60 · inside 94 × 74 × 57 mm
- Parts
- 5
- Sheets
- 1
- Sheet usage
- 12%
- Cut length
- 1,993 mm
Files are in real millimetres: red = cut, blue = engrave. They open in LightBurn, RDWorks, CorelDRAW and Inkscape.
How the box generator works
A finger joint box is the classic laser cut box: each edge has a row of square fingers that lock into matching gaps on the next panel, so the box holds together firmly, often without glue. This generator draws every panel for you from three numbers, the width, depth and height, and lays all the parts out on your sheet so you waste as little material as possible.
The secret to a tight fit is kerf. Your laser beam burns away a thin line of material, usually 0.1 to 0.2 mm on a CO2 laser. If you ignore it, every finger ends up slightly too small and the joints rattle. Enter your kerf and the generator moves every cut line outward by half of it, so the finished fingers come out the right size. Holes and slots move the other way. Then pick the fit: Easy (the default) slides together by hand, Tight is a press-fit that needs a tap. Not sure of your kerf? Cut a 20 mm square, measure it, and the difference is your kerf.
The finger width starts at twice the material thickness, which is strong and looks good. The generator always uses an odd number of fingers so both ends of every edge match, and it never uses fewer than three. Choose Inside when you need a box that holds something of a known size, or Outside when the box has to fit a shelf or drawer.
Pick from an open-top tray, a closed box, a lift-off lid, a hinged lid, a sliding lid, or a box with dividers. You can engrave a label on the front, add handle holes, use dog-bone corners for CNC routers, and share the exact box with a link. Downloads are free with an OutlineHub account. Looking for ready designs? Browse our laser cutting design files.
Questions
What is kerf and what value should I use?+
Kerf is the width of material the laser burns away. Most CO2 lasers cutting 3 mm MDF or plywood have a kerf of 0.1–0.2 mm. Cut a 20 mm test square and measure it: if it comes out 19.85 mm, your kerf is 0.15 mm. The generator adds half the kerf on every side, so joints fit tight.
Should I measure the inside or the outside of the box?+
Choose Outside when the box has to fit into a space, and Inside when something has to fit into the box. With Inside, the generator adds the material thickness for you.
Which software can open the files?+
The SVG, DXF and PDF files open in LightBurn, RDWorks, CorelDRAW, Inkscape, Illustrator and AutoCAD at real size in millimetres. Red lines are cuts, blue lines are engraving.
Do I need glue?+
The Easy fit (the default) leaves a tiny gap so MDF and acrylic parts push together by hand; a drop of glue makes it permanent. Choose Tight for a press-fit that holds without glue, or Flat edges for plain panels to glue or pin.
Is the box generator free?+
Yes. You can design and preview as many boxes as you like. Downloads are free too; you only need a free OutlineHub account.