SVG nesting, save your material

Fit your SVG designs tightly on a Cricut or Silhouette mat, or any sheet size, so you get more from each piece of vinyl, paper or card. It all runs in your browser.

Drop SVG files here
One design or several · you can add more later
Choose SVG files

How to nest an SVG

  1. Add your designs. Drop one or more SVG files. Don’t have an SVG yet? Turn a PNG or JPG into an SVG first.
  2. Set the size and copies. Type the width each design should be when cut, and how many you need. The height follows.
  3. Choose your sheet. Pick a Cricut or Silhouette mat, A4, Letter, or your own size, then set the spacing between pieces and the margin around the edge.
  4. Start nesting. You’ll see the best layout so far as it improves. Stop whenever you’re happy.
  5. Download the SVG. The file has the real sheet size and holds only your designs, so no sheet outline gets cut. Upload it to your cutting software and check the size before cutting.

Why nest instead of lining things up by hand?

Dragging shapes around a mat works for three or four pieces. With a sheet full of stickers or an order of 20 decals, it’s slow, and it’s easy to leave wasted gaps.

Real outlines, not boxes

Each piece is placed by its actual shape, so the curve of one design can sit in the gap beside another.

Free material stays together

Pieces are packed towards the top of the sheet, leaving what’s spare in one strip at the bottom that you can trim off and keep.

Your choice of rotation

Turn rotation off for materials with a direction, such as patterned vinyl, glitter or some fabrics, or allow 90° or 45° turns for a tighter fit.

Private and free

Your designs stay on your computer. The whole search happens in your browser, using several processor cores at once.

Who it’s for

Vinyl crafters

Save vinyl on decals, shirts and mugs by filling the mat before you cut. Spacing keeps room for weeding.

Sticker makers

Build a sticker sheet layout on A4 or Letter with as many copies as fit, then turn it into a PDF or a PNG for printing.

Paper and card makers

Fit card toppers, tags and flowers with lots of loose parts by nesting each shape separately.

Laser and CNC hobbyists

Set a custom sheet size for your bed or stock and leave spacing for the cut width.

Cleaning up first? Delete stray shapes in the SVG editor, then come back and nest. See all the free SVG tools.

More free SVG tools

HEIC to JPGiPhone HEIC photos to JPG or PNG: several at once, and a step on to SVG if you want it. PDF to SVGPick a PDF page and turn it into a traced SVG with the main converter. QR code to SVGQR codes as clean vector shapes for vinyl and print: link, Wi-Fi, email, phone. SVG editorDelete stray shapes, move, resize, recolour and add text, then download your SVG. SVG offsetWeld shapes into one and add a sticker border or layered offset, in inches or mm. SVG optimizerCompress SVG files without changing the look: several at once, with the saved % shown. SVG to PDFA true vector PDF from any SVG: fit to artwork, A4, Letter or custom, one page or many. SVG to PNGSharp PNG or JPG from any SVG: transparent, at any size or print DPI, many at once. Text to SVGType text, pick a font and download real outlines. Script letters can weld into one piece. ToolsAll free tools.

Questions

What is SVG nesting?

Nesting means arranging shapes on a sheet so they sit close together, using the real outline of each shape instead of a box around it. A curved design can tuck in beside another one, so more fits on the same piece of vinyl, paper or card.

Is this SVG nesting tool free?

Yes. It’s free, with no sign-up and no watermark. It runs in your browser on your own computer, and your files are not uploaded.

How do I nest an SVG for Cricut?

Drop your SVG here, choose the Cricut 12×12 or 12×24 mat, set the width and the number of copies, and click Start nesting. Download the result and upload it to Design Space. Once it’s on the canvas, select everything and click Attach, otherwise Design Space may rearrange the pieces on the mat. Check the size before you cut.

Does it work for Silhouette?

Yes. Choose the Silhouette 12×12 sheet and open the nested SVG in Silhouette Studio. Importing SVG files needs Designer Edition or higher; check that the size is still right after importing.

What’s the difference between keep the design whole and each shape separately?

Keep the design whole moves the design as one object, which is right for a sticker or a layered picture. Each shape separately lets every loose shape move on its own, which suits a set of cut-outs or a word in loose letters. Shapes that touch or overlap always stay together. Remember that separately nested letters will no longer read as a word.

Why does the search keep running?

Nesting has no quick perfect answer, so the tool tries one arrangement after another and shows the best so far. It stops on its own when it has gone a good while without finding anything better, and you can click Stop at any time and keep the best layout.

What if my designs don’t fit on one sheet?

The tool opens as many sheets as it needs and shows them as tabs, and you can download each one. A design that is larger than the sheet can’t be placed, so you’ll see a message with its size. Make it smaller or choose a bigger sheet.

Are pieces placed inside the holes of other pieces?

No. Each piece is placed around the outside of the others, so the space inside a ring or a wreath stays empty. For a word in one piece, or several loose parts kept as a whole design, the outline is drawn around the entire design.