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Arrange on stock

Start a design

Shape one of the base templates, or draw your own from a blank sheet.

Choose a templateBase templates in the sizes people make them
View & snap 0.5 mm

Design settings

Selected feature

Node type
Arrange
Offset

Cut outside the line by the grind allowance, or draw a bevel line as a true offset of the edge.

Keep geometry

Retained, unlike a snap: re-applied after every later edit.

Construction & dimensions
Checks

What a cutter would either refuse or quietly get wrong.

Further design settings

Drag points to shape · Add curve point adds control · more under ?

Preview & print

Sheet preview

Settings

The preview updates as you change settings.

How to print and join sheetsScale, margins and lining up the seams

Through the print dialog

  1. Set Scale 100% and Margins: None. The default “Fit to printable area” shrinks everything by about 4% and quietly ruins the template.
  2. Measure the ruler on the printed sheet. It must be exactly 100 mm. If it is not, fix the print dialog, never the design.
  3. For several sheets, use the seam labels to find adjoining pages. Trim or overlap as labelled, line up the continuing drawing, then tape or glue.

Printing a downloaded PDF

Print PDF, in the Export menu, writes the page size and the artwork both in millimetres, so the file is prepared at actual size. Choose Actual size / 100% when printing it, and verify the 100 mm ruler. PDF viewers can still shrink a print.

Use the seam labels to match adjoining pages. Trim or overlap as labelled, line up the continuing drawing, then tape or glue from the back.

The full print guide covers checking the ruler and joining sheets in more detail.

Reference

Help

Getting started

  1. Choose a template. Pick a knife and a size from Templates, or start a blank drawing from New.
  2. Shape it. Type exact sizes under Design settings, or drag the points on the drawing.
  3. Print at 1:1. Choose Print, print at 100% scale, then measure the 100 mm ruler.

Shaping a template

Change a size
Type it under Essentials, then press Enter; Escape puts the old value back. Or drag a field's name left and right to scrub it. Every other measurement is under Blade, Tang & handle, Grind & steel and Corners.
Reshape a curve
Drag its diamonds. For more control, choose Curve points, then Add curve point and click the curve. Set the new point to Corner, Smooth or Symmetric under Selected feature. Alt-click a point to remove it.
Round a corner
Choose Round corner and click a corner. The radius is in the options under the drawing. Hold Shift for a straight cut instead. Each corner also has its own radius under Corners.
Measure
Choose Measure and click two points. It snaps to corners, midpoints, hole centres and edges. Keep on drawing prints the dimension.
Thickness and grind
Under Grind & steel: set the bar stock thickness, add a distal taper, and show the bevel line. Print the plan view adds the blade seen from the spine, at 1:1.
Undo or start over
Undo steps back one change. Reset to template puts the original template back, after asking.

Printing at 1:1

The ruler on each sheet must measure exactly 100 mm. If it does not, change the print settings, never the design.

Scale
100%. In Chrome: More settings, Scale, Custom, 100. “Fit to printable area” shrinks everything by about 4%.
Margins
None. The artwork already sits inside a safe margin.
Several sheets
Use the seam labels to match adjoining pages, follow the trim or overlap instruction, line up the continuing outline, then tape or glue the pages together.
Using a PDF
Print PDF is in the Export menu. Print it at Actual size or 100%. It is also the file to send a print shop.

Stock nesting demo

See Arrange on stock in motion. This short, silent demo loops as you reach it, with written steps underneath.

A mixed batch. One bar.

Six blanks from five profiles, packed onto one 800 × 100 mm bar.

Follow along
  1. Open Arrange on stock. This example uses an 800 × 100 mm bar.
  2. Add a Gyuto 210, Bunka 165, Nakiri 165, Honesuki 150 and Petty 135. Set the Petty quantity to two.
  3. The demo reduces part spacing from 8 mm to 2 mm. Choose a clearance that suits your actual cutting method.
  4. Review tight spots and the remaining offcut before exporting.

Reading the drawing

On screen

The points you drag. None of them print.

Dark ringA main point: the heel, the tip, a point on the spine or edge.
Light ringA point on the tang: the machi, the shoulders, the butt, a point on a full-tang handle.
DiamondA curve control. Drag it to bend the curve. Its line runs back to the point it pulls on.
Faint ringA reference, not a cut: the bevel line, the plunge, a named corner.
Crossed circleA hole to drill.
SolidSelected. Its controls appear under Selected feature.
PaleThe point that the field you are pointing at in the panel moves.

On paper

Standard drafting lines, so they survive a black-and-white printer.

Heavy lineThe line you cut to.
DashedA grind reference: the bevel or shinogi line, and the plunge.
Chain-dashA datum or centreline, for transferring measurements to steel.
Fine dotsConstruction geometry. Never cut, never ground.
HairlineDimensions, witness lines and the millimetre grid.

Saving

Print guideAboutPrivacyTermsSupport

Keyboard shortcuts

On a template, the tool keys are V, N, F and R. The rest need a free drawing.

Tools

V
Select
N
Curve points
F
Round corner
R
Measure
D
Repeated dimensions
L
Line
C
Curve
A
Circular arc
H
Hole
T
Trim
G
Construction
E
Eraser
M
Move entire drawing
S
Serrations

Editing

Ctrl Z
Undo
Ctrl Shift Z
Redo (also Ctrl Y)
Delete
Remove the selection
Ctrl A
Select everything
← → ↑ ↓
Nudge by the grid step; add Shift for 0.1 mm
Enter
Close outline, or apply a typed value
Ctrl S
Save to your account
Shift ↑ ↓
In a field: step by 10; Alt for a tenth
Esc
Cancel, back to Select, or close a menu

View

Mouse wheel
Zoom in and out around the pointer
Two-finger scroll
Pan on a trackpad; a plain drag on empty paper pans too
Space
Hold and drag to pan
Ctrl + scroll
Zoom, or pinch
0
Fit the drawing to the view
+ -
Zoom in and out
Alt
Hold to ignore snapping
?
Open this help

On a Mac, use ⌘ for Ctrl.

Free drawing

Start one
Choose Blank drawing from New, or turn a template into a drawing with Edit as free drawing at the bottom of the settings.
Draw
Line: drag between two points. Curve: drag between its ends, release, then pull to bend it. Hole: click to place, or with a finger, slide it into place and lift.
Parts
Drag a pin hole or a blade outline from Parts onto the drawing. It snaps as it lands and arrives selected, so the next drag moves it.
Finish a path
Finish line leaves it open. Close outline joins its ends.
Select
Hold Shift and drag across empty paper to box-select; a plain drag pans, as it does on a template. Shift-click adds to the selection. Double-click a line to select its whole path. Drag any selected point to move the group, or any line of a selected path to move the path.
With a finger
Hold still on empty paper, then drag, to box-select. Hold a point to add it to the selection. Double-tap a line to select its path. Pinch to zoom, and drag with two fingers to pan.
Exact values
Selected feature takes coordinates, lengths and angles. Keep geometry locks a relationship so later edits keep it. Checks lists what a cutter would refuse.
More tools
Trim, Construction, Eraser, Move and Serrations are under More tools. Pin the ones you use to the toolbar.

Sheet
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