How to Create a Cutlist

Before you create a cutlist, gather everything you need to extract accurate part information.

Essential items: - Project plans or sketch — Drawings showing dimensions and part relationships - Material specifications — What sheet goods or lumber you'll use - Measuring tools — Tape measure, ruler, or calipers for verifying dimensions - Recording method — Paper, spreadsheet, or cutlist software

Helpful additions: - Calculator — For adding up totals and converting units - Reference materials — Standard plywood sizes, lumber dimensions, hardware specs - Previous cutlists — Templates from similar projects

Know your project type:

Different projects need different approaches: - Cabinets: Many parts, repeated dimensions, grain direction matters - Furniture: Fewer parts, more variety, often mixed materials - Built-ins: Site-specific dimensions, may need adjustment margins - Simple projects: Quick cutlists, minimal detail needed

Set your conventions:

Before you write anything down, decide: - Units: Inches, millimeters, or fractional inches? - Dimension order: Length × Width or Width × Length? - Naming system: Descriptive names or part numbers?

Consistency prevents errors. Pick a system and stick with it.

Every cutlist starts with knowing what you're building. Pull together all project documentation.

If working from purchased plans: - Print or display the cut list page (many plans include one) - Cross-reference with assembly drawings - Note any customizations you're making

If working from your own design: - Complete the design before starting the cutlist - Have dimensioned drawings for every component - Resolve any unclear dimensions now—not at the saw

If working from an existing piece: - Measure carefully and record immediately - Account for joinery (dados, rabbets) in your measurements - Photograph complex assemblies for reference

Common sources of project information:

Tip: If your plans have a cutlist, don't blindly trust it. Verify key dimensions against the drawings. Plan cutlists sometimes have errors or use different conventions than yours.

Go through your project systematically and list every piece that needs to be cut. This is where most mistakes happen—missing parts.

Work through the project methodically:

For a cabinet, work through each component type: 1. Case parts: Sides, top, bottom, back, shelves 2. Face frame: Stiles, rails, mullions 3. Doors: Panels, frames, or slab doors 4. Drawers: Fronts, sides, backs, bottoms 5. Internal parts: Dividers, stretchers, cleats 6. Trim: Moldings, edge bands, fillers

Use a systematic naming convention:

Good part names are: - Descriptive: "Cabinet Side Left" not "Part A" - Consistent: "Left" and "Right" or "L" and "R"—pick one - Unique: No duplicate names for different parts

Example naming system: - CB-SL: Cabinet Side Left - CB-SR: Cabinet Side Right - CB-T: Cabinet Top - CB-B: Cabinet Bottom - CB-SHELF-1, CB-SHELF-2: Shelves

Don't forget hidden parts:

These are commonly missed: - Nailer strips and mounting cleats - Drawer slides mounting boards - Adjustable shelf pin strips - Back panel nailers - Filler pieces for gaps

Count multiples carefully:

A kitchen might have 15 identical cabinet sides. Double-check quantities—cutting 14 when you need 15 is a frustrating delay.

For each part identified, record precise dimensions. This is where accuracy matters most.

Dimension order convention:

Pick one and stick with it: - Length × Width: Most common (the longer dimension first) - Width × Height × Depth: Cabinet industry standard - Grain direction first: Useful for sheet goods

Recording dimensions:

For each part, note: 1. Length — The longer dimension 2. Width — The shorter dimension 3. Thickness — If it varies within the project

Example entries:

Precision levels:

• Rough construction: Round to nearest 1/4"
• Cabinet work: 1/16" precision
• Fine furniture: 1/32" or measured to fit

Finished vs. rough dimensions:

Your cutlist should list finished part dimensions—the size you need after all cuts, trimming, and joinery. If your workflow includes cutting oversize and trimming to fit, add that margin separately and note it.

Account for joinery:

If a shelf fits into a 3/4" dado, the shelf length should be the distance between dados plus the depth of both dados. A common error: listing the cabinet interior width instead of the actual shelf length.

Assign each part to a specific material. This determines what you buy and how you organize your cuts.

Common sheet goods:

Assigning material to parts:

Consider for each part: - Will it be visible? Use better material for visible parts - Does it need to be paintable? MDF paints beautifully - Structural requirements? Plywood stronger than particleboard - Budget constraints? Mix materials strategically

Actual vs. nominal thickness:

Plywood thickness isn't always what it says: - "3/4" plywood" is often 23/32" (0.719") - "1/2" plywood" is often 15/32" (0.469") - "1/4" plywood" is often 7/32" (0.219")

This matters for dados and joinery. Measure your actual material before cutting joints.

Group by material in your cutlist:

Organizing parts by material makes: - Purchasing easier (quick totals per material) - Cutting more efficient (batch similar parts) - Mistakes less likely (clear separation)

For visible parts, grain direction and edge treatment often matter. Capture this information now.

Grain direction:

Grain direction matters when: - The part will be visible - The material has obvious grain (plywood, veneered boards) - Aesthetic continuity matters (matching grain across doors)

Notation systems for grain:

• Arrow indicator: Draw an arrow showing grain direction
• Text notation: "Grain runs lengthwise" or "L=grain"
• Dimension order: First dimension always = grain direction

Example grain notation:

Edge banding requirements:

Many sheet goods need edge treatment on visible edges. Common systems:

By edge position: - L1, L2: Long edges 1 and 2 - W1, W2: Width edges 1 and 2 - All: All four edges

By edge type: - F: Front edge - T, B: Top, Bottom - L, R: Left, Right

Example edge banding notation:

Keep it simple:

For basic projects, "2 edges" or "front edge only" is clear enough. Complex notation is only worth the effort on complex projects.

Count how many of each part you need. Simple math, but easy to get wrong.

Counting strategies:

For unique parts: Most parts appear once. Just mark quantity "1".

For repeated parts: Count carefully. Common multiples: - Cabinet sides: Always 2 - Shelves: Varies by design (3, 4, 5...) - Face frame stiles: 2 per opening + 1 - Drawer boxes: Multiply by number of drawers

For symmetric assemblies: A pair of nightstands = 2× every part. List as: - Quantity: 2 each (for nightstand pair) - Or list once with quantity doubled

Double-check with math:

If you have 10 cabinets, each with 2 sides: - Cabinet sides needed: 10 × 2 = 20 - Count your list: should total 20

Account for spares:

For complex or expensive parts, consider cutting 1-2 extras: - Drawer fronts (visible, hard to match later) - Doors (grain matching issues) - Any part that's difficult to remake

Note spares separately: "Door Panel: 12 (+1 spare)"

Quantity pitfalls:

• Shared parts: One shelf serves two cabinets = half as many shelves as you might think
• Handed parts: Left and right versions = half of total, not equal to total
• Nested parts: Drawer in drawer = don't double-count

With all information gathered, organize your cutlist for clarity and usability.

Grouping strategies:

By material (recommended): Groups all plywood parts, then all MDF parts, etc. - Makes material purchasing easy - Efficient at the saw (process one material type at a time)

By assembly: Groups all parts for each cabinet or subassembly. - Good for complex projects with many identical units - Easier assembly reference

By size: Groups parts from largest to smallest. - Efficient cutting sequence (large parts first) - Good for manual nesting

Effective part naming:

Create a clear header:

Your cutlist should include: - Project name - Date created - Version number (if you revise it) - Units used - Any special conventions

Example cutlist header:

PROJECT: Kitchen Cabinets - Smith Residence DATE: 2026-04-15 (v2) UNITS: Inches DIMENSIONS: Length × Width GRAIN: First dimension = grain direction

This prevents confusion if you return to the project later or share it with others.

Before cutting anything, verify your cutlist is complete and accurate. Errors found now cost nothing to fix.

Completeness check:

Go back through your plans and confirm: - Every part on the drawing is on the cutlist - No phantom parts (listed but not in design) - Quantities match the assembly drawings

Dimension verification:

For critical parts, double-check: - Do parts that meet have compatible dimensions? - Do shelves fit between sides? - Do doors cover openings with correct overlay?

Quick sanity checks: - Face frame stile + stile + opening width = cabinet width? - Drawer front + gaps = opening width? - Cabinet depth − back panel thickness − face frame = shelf depth?

Material totals:

Add up total square inches by material: - Sum (Length × Width × Quantity) for each material - Divide by sheet size (e.g., 4608 sq in for 4×8) - Add 15-20% for waste - Compare to what you planned to buy

Common errors to catch:

Test with software:

Import your cutlist into nesting software. If parts don't fit on expected number of sheets, something's wrong. The optimizer is a great error-checker.

Templates speed up cutlist creation. Here are examples for common project types.

Simple bookshelf cutlist:

Kitchen base cabinet cutlist:

Drawer box cutlist (per drawer):

Spreadsheet template columns:

For your own template, include: 1. Part name 2. Length 3. Width 4. Thickness (optional) 5. Quantity 6. Material 7. Grain direction (optional) 8. Edge banding (optional) 9. Notes

You can download templates or build your own in Excel or Google Sheets.

You can create cutlists by hand or with software. Each has advantages.

Manual (paper or spreadsheet):

Advantages: - No learning curve - Works offline, anywhere - Full control over format - Good for simple projects

Disadvantages: - Error-prone for large projects - Manual material calculations - No automatic optimization - Hard to revise efficiently

Best for: Quick projects, sketching ideas, field work

Spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets):

Advantages: - Automatic totals and calculations - Easy sorting and filtering - Templates reusable across projects - Shareable with collaborators

Disadvantages: - Still no built-in optimization - Layout planning is separate - Formulas can break with edits

Best for: Medium projects, teams, documentation

Dedicated cutlist software:

Advantages: - Direct integration with nesting optimization - Visual cutting diagrams generated automatically - Material utilization reports - Import from CSV and Excel spreadsheets - Kerf compensation built in

Disadvantages: - Learning curve (usually minimal) - Requires internet for web apps - May have costs for advanced features

Best for: Any project with sheet goods, professionals, efficiency-focused work

Hybrid approach:

Many professionals: 1. Sketch initial designs on paper 2. Build detailed cutlist in spreadsheet 3. Import to nesting software for optimization

This combines flexibility with optimization power.

Once your cutlist is complete, import it into nesting software to generate optimized cutting layouts.

Supported import formats:

Most nesting software accepts: - CSV files: Simple, universal format - Excel files (.xlsx): Native spreadsheet format - Copy-paste: Direct from spreadsheet

Preparing your cutlist for import:

1. Use standard column headers:
2. - Part Name, Length, Width, Quantity, Material
3. - Software maps your columns to its fields

1. Remove formatting:
2. - No merged cells
3. - No extra header rows
4. - Clean numbers (no "inches" text in dimension cells)

1. Consistent units:
2. - All dimensions in same unit
3. - Software handles conversion if needed

1. One part per row:
2. - Don't combine multiple parts in one row
3. - Each unique part gets its own line

Importing into EZNESTING:

1. Prepare your CSV or Excel file
2. Click "Import" in the parts panel
3. Map columns to fields (Part Name → Name, Length → Length, etc.)
4. Review imported parts
5. Click "Optimize" to generate layouts

Common import issues:

After import:

Review the imported parts before optimizing: - Are all parts present? - Do dimensions look correct? - Is material assigned properly?

Fix any issues in the software or your source file.

How detailed should my cutlist be? Include enough detail to cut accurately without referencing plans. At minimum: part name, dimensions, quantity, and material. Add grain and edge banding for visible parts.

Should cutlist dimensions include joinery allowances? List finished part dimensions. A shelf that fits in dados should be listed at its full length including the portions that sit in the dados. Don't list the "visible" length.

How do I handle parts cut from solid wood vs. sheet goods? Separate them in your cutlist. Sheet goods parts go to nesting optimization; solid wood parts go to a lumber cutlist for linear optimization.

What if I need to modify dimensions after creating the cutlist? Update the source (spreadsheet or software), re-import if needed, and regenerate cutting layouts. Keep version numbers on your cutlists to track changes.

Should I include hardware in my cutlist? Cutlists are typically for cut parts only. Hardware goes on a separate bill of materials (BOM). Some software handles both.

How do I create a cutlist from SketchUp? Use a cutlist extension like "CutList" or "OpenCutList." These extract part dimensions directly from your model and export to CSV for nesting software.

What's the best way to label parts during cutting? Write the part name from your cutlist on masking tape applied to each part. Peel off before finishing. Some people use paint markers on hidden surfaces.

A good cutlist prevents waste, catches errors before they're cut in wood, and makes complex projects manageable. Take the time to build it right.

The cutlist creation process:

1. Gather plans and materials information
2. Identify every part systematically
3. Record accurate dimensions
4. Assign materials and thickness
5. Note grain and edge requirements
6. Calculate quantities carefully
7. Organize logically
8. Validate before cutting

Key principles:

• Be systematic: Work through designs methodically
• Be consistent: Same conventions throughout
• Be complete: Every part, every detail
• Verify before cutting: Errors are free to fix on paper

From cutlist to cuts:

Your cutlist is the input for nesting software. Import it into EZNESTING to: - Arrange parts on sheets efficiently - See exactly how many sheets you need - Get visual cutting diagrams - Minimize waste automatically

Start your next project with a solid cutlist—and let software handle the optimization.