SALO's PanelPrep
Cut-file prep for decorative screen panels

Any screen pattern. Any panel size. A clean cut file.

Drop in a DXF you bought or drew, set the panel size and frame, and download closed contours with true arcs. No broken splines, no slivers along the frame.

Runs in your browserDXF R12 · mm · layer CUTLaser, plasma, waterjet, router
BeforeAfter
Organic cells · library pattern
600 × 900 mm
33 edge fixes
Drag to compare. Left: the pattern cropped straight to the sheet, with the slivers that tear or burn marked in red. Right: the same pattern with a 36 mm frame and 59 closed holes, ready to cut.
The problem

The file almost never fits the job.

Pattern files are sold in a few fixed sizes and drawn for screens, not for your machine. Getting from the download to the cut usually means an evening in CAD.

Wrong size

The file comes in 4 × 8 ft. The client's gate is 1350 × 1000 mm with a 40 mm frame. Scaling distorts the shapes and cropping cuts them in half.

It won't import

Curves arrive as hundreds of loose spline pieces that CAD refuses or can't close into profiles.

One file we fixed: 905 one-segment splines in, 128 closed shapes out.

Bad edges at the frame

Where the pattern meets the frame you get slivers, needle tips and loose pieces. They warp, burn or drop out of the sheet.

How it works

Three steps, about a minute.

1

Load a pattern

Drop in any DXF: splines, polylines, arcs, circles and blocks are joined into closed shapes. Or start from one of 18 library patterns.

2

Set the panel

Width, height, frame and shape. Scale, stretch, mirror, repeat, or pin a chosen point to the panel centre.

3

Download the cut file

One DXF or SVG per size, or every size of the job in one ZIP. Closed contours, arcs and lines, one layer.

What it does

Built by people who cut metal.

Every option exists because a real panel needed it.

Frame clean-upNarrow slivers are closed, thin spikes removed and tiny edge pieces filled. Every fix is shown in colour before you export.
True arcsCurves export as arcs and straight lines instead of thousands of short segments. Smaller files, smoother cuts.
Every size at onceSet up all the sizes in a job and download them together, each with the same pattern placement.
RepeatMirror, plain or with a separating web, to fill a large panel without blowing up the shapes.
Anchor pointSnap to a hole centre or corner and place it exactly at the panel centre, a corner or any coordinate.
Panel shapesRectangle, rounded corners, arched top, circle or ellipse, plus vertical and horizontal dividers.
Minimum webFlags webs thinner than your minimum and can thicken them automatically.
Weight and open areaEstimated weight in aluminium, steel or stainless at your sheet thickness.
ProjectsSave a job with all its sizes and settings, and reopen it when the client changes a dimension.
Pattern library

18 original patterns, sized in real millimetres.

Set the cell size and web width you want on the panel. Free to use for paid work.

Star & cross400 × 600 · rectangle
Overlapping circles400 × 600 · rounded corners
Moroccan quatrefoil400 × 600 · arched top
Waves400 × 600 · rectangle
Graded hexagons400 × 600 · rectangle
Lattice with rings400 × 600 · rectangle
Pricing

Free while we're in beta.

$0
  • Every feature, no watermark, no file limits.
  • Beta members keep a founding-member price for life when paid plans start.
  • Tell us what breaks on your files and we'll fix it first.
Questions

Before you try it

Which files can I load?

DXF files with LWPOLYLINE, POLYLINE, SPLINE, CIRCLE, ARC, ELLIPSE and LINE entities, including blocks. Open lines are joined into closed shapes where their ends meet. For a DWG, save it as DXF first.

Do my files get uploaded?

No. The geometry is processed in your browser, so your DXF stays on your computer. Saved projects are stored in your browser too, and you can export them to a file.

Will it work with my machine?

The output is plain DXF R12 in millimetres: closed contours made of arcs and lines on one layer named CUT. Laser, plasma, waterjet and router CAM software reads it.

Can I sell what I cut?

Yes. Library patterns are original and free to use for paid work. For pattern files you bought elsewhere, the seller's licence still applies.

What happens after the beta?

Editing stays free. Downloads move to a monthly plan or a per-file price, and beta members get a founding price. We'll email you before anything changes.