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Living hinge generator

A living hinge is a field of short cuts that lets plywood, card, or veneer bend. Set the rectangle, then the length of each cut, the uncut bridge, and the distance between rows. Straight, diagonal, and lattice patterns are included.

Exports SVG. See also Finger-joint box, Kerf test and calculator, Material test grid.

mm
mm

Vertical cuts flex left to right. Horizontal cuts flex top to bottom.

mm
mm

The uncut bridge between lines.

mm
EngraveKit living hinge Units are millimeters. Import at 100% scale into LightBurn or xTool Creative Space. Red is cut, blue is score, black is engrave.

207 cut lines on a 140 × 40 mm sheet.

Red paths cut. Blue paths score. Black paths engrave. Import at 100% scale.

How to use it

  1. Decide which way the piece should flex. Vertical cuts let it bend left to right. Horizontal cuts let it bend top to bottom.
  2. Start with a line about 6–10 mm, a gap of 1.5–2.5 mm, and row spacing close to the material thickness.
  3. Leave the outline on if this hinge is the whole part. Turn it off if you will paste the pattern into another drawing.
  4. Cut a short sample. If it snaps, lengthen the gap. If it is too stiff, tighten the row spacing.

Related tools

Questions

Which pattern is strongest?

A straight pattern with a generous bridge is the toughest of the three. Lattice flexes in both directions and tears sooner. Diagonal sits between them.

Does the file include the kerf?

The cuts are drawn on center. A typical 0.1 mm kerf only shortens the bridges a little. If your bridges are under 1 mm, add that kerf to the gap.

Can I hinge acrylic?

Cast acrylic can hinge for a prototype, but it creeps and cracks. Plywood, card, and veneer are the usual materials. Bend with the grain across the cuts when you can.