Accuracy vs node count
Every extra node is a stop the machine has to make. The right level of detail depends on the material and the size you cut at, not on how good the preview looks.
The trade
More nodes mean a closer copy of the source, and a slower, noisier job. On a 40 mm sticker nobody can see a 0.1 mm wobble; on a 600 mm sign they can. So the question is never “which is most accurate” but “how accurate does this job need to be”.
Three practical levels
- Fine — for artwork under 50 mm with fine lettering. Accept more nodes; the travel distance is short anyway.
- Standard — the default. Right for most stickers, labels and packaging dielines.
- Bold — thick strokes, large signs, or soft materials where the knife needs a simple path to follow.
A rule of thumb
If the finished outline has more than roughly 2,000 nodes for a single small shape, simplify it. Fewer nodes also means smaller PLT files, faster transfer and less chance of the controller choking on a long path.
Related
Straight runs made of many tiny segments are cleaned up at send time by Merge collinear, which is usually cheaper than lowering trace quality.