# Read a setup sheet to prepare tools

Use a setup sheet to confirm the job, gather the right tools, and enter cutting data at the machine.

Source: https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/guides/read-setup-sheet/
Updated: 2026-10-29

**Prerequisites:** None — the setup sheet can be printed for a job or project at any status.

**Required permission:** Engineering → Jobs (for a job's sheet) or Engineering → Projects (for a project's sheet) — User or above. Admins and Managers can print the sheet for any job or project; Users only for the ones they created.

A setup sheet is the bridge between engineering and the tool room. It tells you exactly which tools a job needs, where to find them, whether they are in stock, and how to set them up on the machine. This guide shows you how to open a setup sheet and use it to prepare tools for a job.

For definitions of every field on the sheet, see the [Setup Sheets Reference](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/reference/setup-sheets/) and the [Tool List Reference](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/reference/tool-lists/).

:::caution[Verify before machining]
Calculated speeds, feeds and depths are starting values. Before you machine, check the tool geometry, units, cutting parameters and the machine's limits against the tool manufacturer's data and your shop's procedures. See section 10 of the [Terms of Service](https://toolingmetrics.com/eng/legal/terms).
:::

## Open the setup sheet

1. In the sidebar, click **Engineering → Projects** and open the project.
1. Open the **Job** you are preparing for.
1. Click **Setup Sheet** in the bottom toolbar. The sheet opens as a PDF in a new tab.

Setup sheets have no menu entry of their own: they are generated on demand from the job or project. To print the sheet for every job in a project, click **Setup Sheet** in the project's bottom toolbar instead.

## Prepare tools using the setup sheet

1. Confirm the part number, material, and machine shown in the header match the physical job before you begin.
1. Work through the tool list top to bottom, in T-code order.
1. For each row, locate the component products listed in the **Components** column and assemble the tool per the stack order.
1. Load the assembled tool into the machine pocket shown in the **T** column.
1. Enter the cutting data values (**n** and **vf**) from the **Cutting Data** column into the controller tool table.
1. Check the **Inventory** column before you start: green means all components for that tool are in stock; red means a component is missing or low — check with purchasing or the tool store before scheduling the job.
1. Read the job notes and operation notes at the bottom of the sheet before starting setup — operation notes often capture knowledge from previous runs that is not in the NC program.

To generate physical tool records and pick lists automatically for each row, use the [Setup Assistant](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/guides/use-setup-assistant/) instead of gathering tools manually.

## Next

- [Setup Sheets Reference](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/reference/setup-sheets/) — field definitions for the header, tool list, cutting data, and notes.
- [Tool List Reference](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/reference/tool-lists/) — field definitions for the on-screen Tool List tab.
- [Setup Assistant](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/guides/use-setup-assistant/) — generate tool records and pick lists automatically.