Kumiko Pattern Generator
Pick a traditional kumiko pattern, set the cell size and how many cells across and up, and choose separate widths for the frame strips and the infill. The studio draws the panel at real-world scale and exports it as a single laser-cut lattice, with the grid, infill and border all joined, or as a 1:1 layout of the strip centrelines.
Kumiko is part of Ornament Studio, so the same fabrication checks apply: your kerf, minimum bridge and sheet size are checked live, and openings too small to cut cleanly stay solid. Designing is free; the $29 unlock covers every export in both.
Quick start
How to make a kumiko panel
Everything below runs in the studio above; the preview and fabrication checks update as you go.
Choose a pattern
Asanoha, goma and kikko are built on the three-way triangle grid; kaku-asanoha, izutsu-tsunagi and hishi on the square grid.
Size the panel
Set the cell size, then the columns and rows. The panel is always a whole number of cells, and its finished outer size is shown under the sliders.
Set the strip widths
Frame strip is the width of the grid and border, and Infill strip the width of the pieces inside each cell. Keep both above your material’s minimum bridge.
Pick the output
Cut lattice gives the one-piece panel. Score gives the strip centrelines, for engraving or for a hand-assembly template.
Export
Check the status bar reads Export-safe, then download SVG or DXF for LightBurn and RDWorks.
Before the full cut: Cut the free Calibration square first to make sure your software imports the file at the right size.
Kumiko patterns included
Asanoha (hemp leaf)
Triangle grid
Three strips run from each triangle’s corners to its centre, so six-pointed stars form wherever the triangles meet. The best-known kumiko pattern.
Goma (sesame)
Triangle grid
Three strips in every triangle, each running parallel to one side, cross to leave a small triangle at the centre: a dense, even field.
Kikko (tortoise shell)
Triangle grid
Strips from each triangle’s centre to the middle of its sides join into a hexagon net laid over the grid.
Kaku-asanoha (square hemp leaf)
Square grid
Asanoha on a square grid: a diagonal that alternates direction cell by cell, and spokes from each half’s corners to its centre.
Izutsu-tsunagi (well curb)
Square grid
A smaller square set inside each cell and tied to its corners, a frame within a frame.
Hishi (diamond)
Square grid
The midpoints of each cell’s sides joined into a diamond, so the panel reads as a diagonal lattice.
FAQ
What is kumiko?
Kumiko is a Japanese woodworking craft: thin wooden strips are notched and fitted together into a lattice without nails, held by precisely cut joints. A frame grid of strips (the jigumi) is laid out first, often a three-way triangle grid called mitsukude, and small infill pieces are fitted into each cell to make the pattern.
Can a laser cutter make kumiko?
A laser makes a kumiko-style panel rather than an assembled one. Cut lattice exports the whole panel as a single piece, so the grid strips, the infill and the border all stay joined and nothing has to be fitted together. Lamp shades, lantern sides, coasters, cabinet doors and wall panels are all common uses. If you assemble kumiko by hand, export the score layout instead and use it as a 1:1 template for the strip positions.
What strip widths should I use?
The frame strips carry the panel, so make them the wider of the two; the defaults are 3 mm for the frame and 2 mm for the infill. Thin infill is the fragile part. Set your material’s minimum bridge under Material and the studio warns you when either strip is narrower. Openings too small to cut cleanly are left solid automatically.
How big can a panel be?
The panel is a whole number of cells: choose the cell size (10 to 80 mm) and how many columns and rows. The finished size, measured to the outside of the border strip, is shown under the sliders, and the file exports at real-world scale, so a 30 mm cell is 30 mm under the laser.
Is it free?
Designing and previewing are free, and so is the calibration square for checking import scale. A one-time $29 purchase unlocks the SVG and DXF exports. It is the same unlock as Ornament Studio, so if you already own it, kumiko exports are included.
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