Cut list optimizer guide
cutlist is a free online cut list optimizer for woodworkers and DIYers. Enter the plywood sheets or boards you have and the parts you need, and it lays the parts out to use as few sheets and boards as possible — accounting for saw kerf and grain direction. It runs in your browser, with no account or install.
What it does
- Sheet goods (2D): lays out panels on plywood, MDF, particleboard, melamine, hardboard, acrylic, or any other sheet material.
- Linear stock (1D): plans cuts from boards, dimensional lumber, trim, dowels, pipe, and metal tube or extrusion.
- Saw kerf: reserves the blade width between parts so the finished pieces come out at size.
- Grain direction: keeps grain or pattern running the right way on each part, and rotates parts that don’t care.
- CNC or track saw layouts: tightly nested layouts, or layouts made only of straight edge-to-edge cuts with a numbered cut sequence.
- Materials and thicknesses: keep 3/4″ plywood parts on 3/4″ plywood and 1/4″ parts on 1/4″ stock in a single project.
- Shop stock: record the sheets and boards you keep on hand, with limited or unlimited quantities, and reuse them in every plan.
- Shopping list: mark stock as Have or Buy. The optimizer uses what you have first and only puts leftover parts on stock to buy, so you see exactly which sheets or boards to pick up.
- Inches or millimeters, with saved plans, share links, CSV import and export, print or save as PDF, and copy as text.
How to make a cut list
- Choose Sheet or Linear. Sheet is for panels cut from plywood and other sheet goods; Linear is for pieces cut from boards and lengths.
- Set your stock. Add the sheet sizes (a 4×8 sheet, 48×96″ or 1220×2440 mm, is filled in for you) or board lengths you’ll buy or have on hand. Leave quantity blank for unlimited, or enter how many you have. Mark stock you still need to buy as Buy and the results list what to purchase.
- Set the kerf. Enter your blade width — 1/8″ (3 mm) is typical for a table saw or track saw.
- Add your parts. Give each one a label, width and height (or length), quantity, and grain direction. Or import them from a CSV.
- Read the layout. Every sheet or board is drawn to scale with the parts on it, alongside the stock you need and the waste percentage. Parts that don’t fit on any stock are listed with the reason.
- Take it to the shop. Print it or save it as a PDF, copy it as text, or send someone a link that opens the plan.
Sheet goods vs. linear stock
Sheet mode is a two-dimensional problem: parts have a width and a height, and they are packed onto rectangular sheets. Use it for cabinets, shelving, drawers, and anything else cut from plywood or panels.
Linear mode is one-dimensional: only length matters. Use it for face frames, legs, rails, trim, and framing lumber. Each piece is placed on the board with the least leftover length that still fits it, and a new board is started only when nothing else will do.
CNC vs. track saw layouts
Track saw (straight cuts)
A saw can’t stop in the middle of a sheet, so track saw mode only produces layouts where every part comes free with full, straight cuts from one edge to the other. Each sheet is ripped into strips, the strips are crosscut, and stacked pieces are cut apart — a guillotine layout. The cuts are numbered in the order to make them, and each sheet needs at most three changes of cutting direction. Use it with a track saw, table saw, panel saw, or circular saw and a straightedge.
CNC (nested)
CNC mode nests parts wherever they fit, which usually saves more material but can produce cuts that stop partway across the sheet. Use it with a CNC router, or when you’re cutting with a jigsaw or band saw.
Kerf and grain direction
Kerf is the width of material the blade turns into sawdust. Ignore it, and a row of parts that fits a sheet exactly on paper comes up short in the shop. cutlist reserves the kerf between neighboring parts, so set it to your blade’s width.
Grain direction matters for veneered plywood and patterned sheets. Set the grain of each sheet size, then mark each part horizontal, vertical, or any. Parts with a direction stay aligned with the sheet’s grain; parts marked any can turn 90° to fill gaps.
Importing a cut list from a spreadsheet
Import a .csv or tab-separated
file, or paste rows copied from Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Headers are matched by name, so
column order doesn’t matter and extra columns are ignored:
| Column | Also accepted | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Label | Name, Part, Piece, Description | What the part is called |
| Width, Height | W, H | Sheet parts and sheet stock |
| Length | Len, L | Linear pieces and board stock |
| Qty | Quantity, Count, Pcs | Blank means one part, or unlimited stock |
| Grain | Grain direction | H, V, or blank for any |
| Material, Thickness | Species, Stock, T | Optional; thickness accepts fractions like 3/4 |
Put the unit in a header — Width (in) or Length (mm) — and sizes are
converted if your plan uses the other unit. Exported files include the unit, so they import back
cleanly.
Saving and sharing plans
Plans save automatically in your browser, and you can keep as many as you like and switch
between them. A share link carries the whole plan in the part of the PAGE_URL after the #, which browsers never send
to a server — the person you send it to sees the plan and can save their own copy.
Frequently asked questions
Is cutlist free?
Yes. cutlist is free to use with no account, sign-up, or install, and its source code is MIT-licensed on GitHub.
How many sheets of plywood do I need?
Enter your sheet size (for example 4×8 ft, 48×96 in, or 1220×2440 mm) and every part you need, and cutlist lays the parts out and counts the sheets. Dividing total part area by sheet area underestimates, because kerf, grain direction, and offcuts too small for any part all cost material — the layout accounts for those.
Does it account for the saw blade kerf?
Yes. Set the kerf (blade width) once — it defaults to 1/8″ or 3 mm — and cutlist leaves that gap between every pair of adjacent parts.
Can it keep the wood grain running the right way?
Yes. Give each sheet a grain direction and mark parts as horizontal, vertical, or any. Parts with a grain direction are never rotated against the sheet’s grain; parts marked any can be rotated to fit better.
Can I cut the layout with a track saw or table saw?
Yes. Track saw mode only produces layouts where every part comes free with full, straight, edge-to-edge cuts, and it numbers the cuts in order. That works for track saws, table saws, and panel saws. CNC mode nests parts more tightly for cutting with a CNC router.
Does it work for lumber, 2×4s, and trim?
Yes. Linear mode plans one-dimensional stock: boards, dimensional lumber, trim, dowels, pipe, or metal tube and extrusion. Enter your stock lengths and the pieces you need, and it shows how to cut each board.
Does it support metric?
Yes. Switch between inches and millimeters at any time; existing sizes are converted.
Can I mix materials and thicknesses in one project?
Yes. Name a material and thickness on your stock (for example 3/4″ Baltic birch and 1/4″ MDF) and on each part, and parts are only laid out on matching stock.
Can I import a cut list from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Import a CSV file or paste rows straight from a spreadsheet. Columns are matched by name in any order, and parts or stock can be exported back to CSV.
Where are my plans saved?
In your browser’s local storage on your device — there is no account or server copy. To move a plan to another device or send it to someone, use a share link or export it to CSV.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The layout adapts to phones and tablets, and you can add it to your home screen like an app.
How is cutlist different from other cut list optimizers?
cutlist is built to be fast and simple: it runs entirely in your browser, the layout updates as you type, and there is no account, paywall, or project limit. Dedicated paid tools offer more advanced features; cutlist focuses on getting a good cut layout quickly.