How to send drawing files for a fast quote

The drawing file you send tells us immediately whether the job will move quickly or slowly. Not because one format looks better than another, but because of whether the file carries enough information to decide on.

DXF and DWG — sheet metal and cutting

Best for 2D work such as laser cutting, bending and drilling. Watch for duplicated lines stacked on top of each other and open polylines: the cutting machine reads those as separate paths, and the file has to come back for correction.

STEP — 3D work

A neutral format that virtually every CAD package opens the same way, ideal for CNC and assembly work. A native file from one specific package cannot be opened by anyone without that package.

PDF — a supporting document, not the source

A dimensioned PDF is excellent for confirming a shared understanding, and should always accompany the DXF or STEP. A PDF on its own means we have to redraw the part, which adds both time and the chance of an error.

Always state these on the drawing

Units, required surface finish, datum references, and tolerances only where they genuinely matter. With no units stated, the assumption is millimetres — right almost every time, and very expensive on the occasion it is not.

Every file you send is held in private storage, opened only by the engineer responsible for the job, and every time a file is opened it is logged.