Flat round ornaments
A name is wide and short, so on a round blank its box has to fit inside the circle with its corners clear of the edge. For a circle of diameter D, a margin m and a box h tall for every 1 in of width (r = h ÷ w), the widest box that fits is:
We use a margin of 0.2 in and r = 0.35, which is roughly the shape of a five- or six-letter welded script name (Emma in Dancing Script is 0.35, Oliver 0.37, Charlotte 0.24). With Fit a box, long names then fill the width and short ones stop at the height, so every name on the list fits the same blank.
| Ornament diameter | Name box | Open the maker |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 in | 1.98 × 0.69 in | 1.98 × 0.69 |
| 3 in | 2.45 × 0.85 in | 2.45 × 0.85 |
| 80 mm (3.15 in) | 2.59 × 0.9 in | 2.59 × 0.9 |
| 3.5 in | 2.92 × 1.02 in | 2.92 × 1.02 |
| 4 in | 3.39 × 1.18 in | 3.39 × 1.18 |
Boxes rounded down. A welded name rarely fills the corners of its box, so you can usually go a little bigger if you also add a year or a second line.
Ball ornaments
On a ball the vinyl has to bend in two directions at once, and the wider the name, the more it has to stretch at the ends. Keep the name narrower than you would on a flat disc of the same size, use permanent (adhesive) vinyl rather than iron-on, and stick one test name on before you cut the batch.
Cut-out names and backing layers
For a name cut out on its own, in wood or acrylic on a laser or in layered cardstock on a Cricut, add a backing layer (Pro). It is an offset outline around the welded name with the holes filled, so the dots of i and j, accents and the letters all sit on one solid shape. Set the offset to 0.1 to 0.2 in for a 3 in name: smaller looks like a thin outline, larger like a plaque.
- The SVG holds the backing and the name as two paths in two colours, backing first. Design Space puts each colour on its own mat, so the name and the backing can be cut from different materials.
- The size you set is the name’s size; the backing adds the offset on every side. The list under the mat shows both.
- For a hanging hole, add a small circle to the backing in your design or laser software. The maker doesn’t add one, because where it goes depends on the name.
- In laser software, check one name’s size after import. The file states inches, but import settings differ between programs.
Family name ornaments
For one ornament with several names, such as Mom, Dad, Liam and Ava, give each name its own line in the maker and size them with Same height, so the letters match. They come out as separate welded pieces on the mat; arrange them on the ornament, or stack them in Design Space and Attach them before cutting. If the names came from an Etsy order, the Pro CSV import can split “Mom, Dad, Liam & Ava” into four names for you.
Name proportions and sizes: our own measurements with the name maker, 8 October 2026. The box formula is the largest rectangle of a given shape inside a circle.