Free tool
Vinyl stick estimator: how many sticks does this cut list need?
Total feet divided by stick length always undercounts, because a piece can't span two sticks. Enter your cuts and the stick length; the estimator packs them onto sticks, longest first, and shows how many you really need and the offcut each one leaves.
| Cut length | Qty |
|---|
Lengths in inches: 70.25, 70 1/4 or 70-1/4. One profile at a time.
How the estimate works
- Pieces are sorted longest first, and each goes onto the first stick with room for it, plus one blade width. This "first fit decreasing" method is quick and close to the best possible for a cut list like a cart's.
- The end trim comes off each stick before the first cut; set it to what your saw squares off.
- Waste % raises the feet for costing and ordering, as a bill of material line does; it doesn't change the cutting plan.
- The offcuts are listed per stick. The long ones are the next cart's short pieces, so keep and rack what's worth keeping.
Why feet and sticks are both the right number, for different jobs: vinyl cut lists in sticks and feet.
Vinyl sticks — common questions
Why isn't total feet divided by stick length enough?
Because a piece can't be cut across two sticks. Eight 100-inch pieces total 66.7 feet, which is 4.2 sixteen-foot sticks on paper, but each 192-inch stick only holds one of them, so the job takes eight sticks.
Does blade kerf really matter?
Yes, when pieces are close to fitting. Two 96-inch pieces fill a 192-inch stick exactly with no blade, but with a 1/8-inch kerf they need two sticks.
Is this the same as a saw optimizer?
It uses a standard packing method that is close to optimal for most cut lists. A production optimizer also sequences cuts for the saw, uses stocked offcuts and plans across profiles and carts.