diff --git a/OpenNest.Engine.Tests/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouterTests.cs b/OpenNest.Engine.Tests/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouterTests.cs
index 2111705c..6930a494 100644
--- a/OpenNest.Engine.Tests/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouterTests.cs
+++ b/OpenNest.Engine.Tests/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouterTests.cs
@@ -67,6 +67,45 @@ public class CutoutRouterTests
         AssertPhysical(frame, new[] { insert }, poses);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void NfpAddsOneMoreCopyToPartialShiftedLattice()
+    {
+        // Neutral 8-inch round hole, 2x1 insert, quarter-inch spacing: the shifted
+        // lattice keeps 11; an independently certified NFP pose occupies its leftover.
+        var frame = JobBuilder.Part("frame", TestShapes.Ring(18, 8), 1);
+        var insert = JobBuilder.Part("insert", TestShapes.Rectangle(2, 1), 12);
+        var lattice = CutoutLatticeFill.Fill(frame, 0, insert, 12, 0.25);
+        Assert.Equal(11, lattice.Count);
+        var poses = CutoutRouter.Fill(frame, 0, new[] { insert }, 0.25);
+        Assert.Equal(12, poses.Count);
+        Assert.Equal(Enumerable.Range(0, 12), poses.Select(p => p.InstanceIndex));
+        AssertPhysical(frame, new[] { insert }, poses);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void MiddleRatioChoosesTwoLatticeCopiesOverOneNfpCopy()
+    {
+        // 4x4 / (pi*5^2) = 0.204. A hard NFP-only threshold at 0.20 loses one copy.
+        var frame = JobBuilder.Part("frame", TestShapes.Ring(20, 10), 1);
+        var insert = JobBuilder.Part("insert", TestShapes.Rectangle(4, 4), 3);
+        Assert.InRange(16 / (System.Math.PI * 25), CutoutRouter.SmallRatio, CutoutRouter.LargeRatio);
+        var poses = CutoutRouter.Fill(frame, 0, new[] { insert }, 0.25);
+        Assert.Equal(2, poses.Count);
+        AssertPhysical(frame, new[] { insert }, poses);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void LargeRatioKeepsAnNfpPoseWhenFillCannotProduceALattice()
+    {
+        var frame = JobBuilder.Part("frame", TestShapes.Ring(18, 8), 1);
+        var insert = JobBuilder.Rectangle("insert", 4.5, 4.5, 3, RotationPolicy.Fixed(0));
+        Assert.True(20.25 / (System.Math.PI * 16) > CutoutRouter.LargeRatio);
+        Assert.Empty(CutoutLatticeFill.Fill(frame, 0, insert, 3, 0.25));
+        var poses = CutoutRouter.Fill(frame, 0, new[] { insert }, 0.25);
+        Assert.Single(poses);
+        AssertPhysical(frame, new[] { insert }, poses);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void DuplicateRequirementIdsAreRejectedBeforePlacement()
     {
@@ -149,8 +188,34 @@ public class CutoutRouterTests
                     Assert.InRange(ry, 5.25, 14.75);
                 }
                 else
-                    Assert.True(System.Math.Sqrt(rx * rx + ry * ry) <= 4.75 + 0.00001);
+                {
+                    var radius = System.Math.Abs(frameGeometry.Cutouts[0].BoundingBox.Right);
+                    Assert.True(System.Math.Sqrt(rx * rx + ry * ry) <= radius - 0.25 + 0.00001);
+                }
             }
         }
+        // Independent rectangle-vs-rectangle distance, not the production Clears predicate.
+        for (var i = 0; i < poses.Count; i++)
+            for (var j = i + 1; j < poses.Count; j++)
+            {
+                var a = Bounds(poses[i]);
+                var b = Bounds(poses[j]);
+                var dx = System.Math.Max(0, System.Math.Max(a.Left - b.Right, b.Left - a.Right));
+                var dy = System.Math.Max(0, System.Math.Max(a.Bottom - b.Top, b.Bottom - a.Top));
+                Assert.True(System.Math.Sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy) >= 0.25 - 0.00001,
+                    $"independent material gap too small: {poses[i]} vs {poses[j]}");
+            }
+
+        (double Left, double Right, double Bottom, double Top) Bounds(NestJobPlacement pose)
+        {
+            var box = JobPartGeometry.Read(inserts.Single(p => p.Id == pose.PartId).Geometry).Bounds;
+            var corners = new[] { (box.Left, box.Bottom), (box.Right, box.Bottom),
+                (box.Right, box.Top), (box.Left, box.Top) };
+            var x = corners.Select(c => pose.X + c.Item1 * System.Math.Cos(pose.Rotation)
+                - c.Item2 * System.Math.Sin(pose.Rotation)).ToArray();
+            var y = corners.Select(c => pose.Y + c.Item1 * System.Math.Sin(pose.Rotation)
+                + c.Item2 * System.Math.Cos(pose.Rotation)).ToArray();
+            return (x.Min(), x.Max(), y.Min(), y.Max());
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/OpenNest.Engine/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouter.cs b/OpenNest.Engine/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouter.cs
index c47f9391..78fdf9d2 100644
--- a/OpenNest.Engine/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouter.cs
+++ b/OpenNest.Engine/Jobs/Cutouts/CutoutRouter.cs
@@ -7,13 +7,17 @@ using System.Threading;
 namespace OpenNest.Engine.Jobs.Cutouts;
 
 /// <summary>Internal frame-local cutout proposal. Never changes demand, stock or a live plate.</summary>
-/// <remarks>Tries shifted partial Fill for a type with at least three requested copies,
-/// prefers it only when it beats a single NFP pose, then fills residual demand
-/// with NFP poses. No tuned ratio cutoff is claimed: the
-/// historical 0.10/0.20 routing thresholds still require measured acceptance.
-/// Fill's equal-score pose nondeterminism is tracked as PM c98c21bd.</remarks>
+/// <remarks>Area ratio selects search order, not placement permission. The small-insert path
+/// prefers a shifted partial lattice; the middle compares it with occupied-aware NFP search;
+/// the large-insert path tries NFP first. All accepted poses are clearance-checked.
+/// Fill's equal-score pose nondeterminism remains PM c98c21bd.</remarks>
 internal static class CutoutRouter
 {
+    // Calibrated as search-order hints, not hard geometry cutoffs. Round-hole neutral tests
+    // show a Fill win at 0.204, so the original proposed >0.20 NFP-only rule loses copies.
+    internal const double SmallRatio = 0.10;
+    internal const double LargeRatio = 0.35;
+
     internal static IReadOnlyList<NestJobPlacement> Fill(NestJobPart frame, int cutoutIndex,
         IReadOnlyList<NestJobPart> inserts, double spacing, CancellationToken token = default)
     {
@@ -28,8 +32,7 @@ internal static class CutoutRouter
         ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfNegative(cutoutIndex);
         ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfGreaterThanOrEqual(cutoutIndex, frameGeometry.Cutouts.Count);
         var hole = frameGeometry.Cutouts[cutoutIndex];
-        if (!hole.IsClosed() || !Supported(frameGeometry.Bounds)
-            || !Supported(hole.BoundingBox))
+        if (!hole.IsClosed() || !Supported(frameGeometry.Bounds) || !Supported(hole.BoundingBox))
             return Array.Empty<NestJobPlacement>();
         if (inserts.Any(p => p == null || !SupportedGeometry(p)))
             return Array.Empty<NestJobPlacement>();
@@ -40,42 +43,75 @@ internal static class CutoutRouter
 
         var accepted = new List<NestJobPlacement>();
         var occupied = new List<(JobPartGeometry Geometry, NestJobPlacement Pose)>();
+        var holeArea = System.Math.Abs(hole.Area());
         // Preserve caller requirement order: priorities are a whole-job concern, not inferred here.
         foreach (var part in inserts)
         {
             token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
             var geometry = JobPartGeometry.Read(part.Geometry);
-            if (part.Quantity >= 3)
+            var ratio = geometry.MaterialArea / holeArea;
+            // Unsupported or degenerate material cannot establish a useful routing ratio;
+            // NFP retains its own fail-closed checks and the bounded lattice is not tried.
+            var tryLattice = part.Quantity >= 3 && double.IsFinite(ratio) && ratio > 0;
+            var nfpFirst = !tryLattice || ratio >= LargeRatio;
+            var compareBoth = tryLattice && ratio >= SmallRatio && ratio < LargeRatio;
+            var nfp = nfpFirst ? Nfp(Array.Empty<NestJobPlacement>()) : null;
+            var lattice = tryLattice && (!nfpFirst || nfp!.Count < part.Quantity)
+                ? CutoutLatticeFill.Fill(frame, cutoutIndex, part, part.Quantity, spacing,
+                    CutoutLatticeFill.DefaultShiftSteps, occupied, token)
+                : Array.Empty<NestJobPlacement>();
+            IReadOnlyList<NestJobPlacement> chosen;
+            if (compareBoth || (nfpFirst && lattice.Count > 0))
             {
-                // Geometric work is bounded inside Fill. Do not infer a ratio threshold
-                // from material area before measuring cutout jobs; try both proposals.
-                var usable = CutoutLatticeFill.Fill(frame, cutoutIndex, part, part.Quantity,
-                    spacing, CutoutLatticeFill.DefaultShiftSteps, occupied, token);
-                // A one-copy lattice adds no value over the geometry-aware NFP search;
-                // retain the latter's stable candidate order for that tie.
-                if (usable.Count > 1 || (usable.Count == 1
-                    && CutoutNfpProposal.Find(frame, cutoutIndex, part, spacing, occupied, token) == null))
-                    foreach (var pose in usable)
-                    {
-                        token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
-                        Accept(pose);
-                    }
+                nfp ??= Nfp(Array.Empty<NestJobPlacement>());
+                var fromLattice = Complete(lattice);
+                chosen = fromLattice.Count > nfp.Count ? fromLattice : nfp;
             }
-            while (accepted.Count(p => p.PartId == part.Id) < part.Quantity)
+            else if (nfpFirst)
+                chosen = nfp!;
+            else
             {
-                token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
-                var pose = CutoutNfpProposal.Find(frame, cutoutIndex, part, spacing, occupied, token);
-                if (pose == null)
-                    break;
-                Accept(pose with { InstanceIndex = accepted.Count(p => p.PartId == part.Id) });
+                // A single Fill copy ties one NFP pose; prefer NFP's stable candidate
+                // order, but retain the lattice copy if bounded NFP found nothing.
+                var seed = lattice.Count > 1 ? lattice : Array.Empty<NestJobPlacement>();
+                chosen = Complete(seed);
+                if (chosen.Count == 0 && lattice.Count == 1)
+                    chosen = lattice;
             }
 
-            void Accept(NestJobPlacement pose)
+            foreach (var pose in chosen)
             {
+                token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
                 var indexed = pose with { InstanceIndex = accepted.Count(p => p.PartId == part.Id) };
                 accepted.Add(indexed);
                 occupied.Add((geometry, indexed));
             }
+
+            IReadOnlyList<NestJobPlacement> Complete(IReadOnlyList<NestJobPlacement> seed)
+            {
+                if (seed.Count >= part.Quantity)
+                    return seed;
+                var result = new List<NestJobPlacement>(seed);
+                result.AddRange(Nfp(seed));
+                return result;
+            }
+
+            IReadOnlyList<NestJobPlacement> Nfp(IReadOnlyList<NestJobPlacement> seed)
+            {
+                var result = new List<NestJobPlacement>();
+                var local = new List<(JobPartGeometry Geometry, NestJobPlacement Pose)>(occupied);
+                local.AddRange(seed.Select(p => (geometry, p)));
+                while (seed.Count + result.Count < part.Quantity)
+                {
+                    token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
+                    var pose = CutoutNfpProposal.Find(frame, cutoutIndex, part, spacing, local, token);
+                    if (pose == null)
+                        break;
+                    result.Add(pose);
+                    local.Add((geometry, pose));
+                }
+                return result;
+            }
         }
         token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
         return accepted.ToArray();
diff --git a/docs/nesting-engines.md b/docs/nesting-engines.md
index 6b92139b..a81268a1 100644
--- a/docs/nesting-engines.md
+++ b/docs/nesting-engines.md
@@ -89,8 +89,14 @@ original requirement IDs, reindexes accepted copies and checks clearance against
 and every previously accepted insert. Lattice shifts account for occupied poses before
 quantity trimming; a pre-fill work limit declines giant grids and lets bounded NFP sampling
 try instead. A null NFP proposal is not proof of geometric impossibility. No material-area
-ratio cutoff is enabled: the proposed 0.10/0.20 routing thresholds still need measured
-neutral and sanitized-job evidence. The router has no pipeline caller and does not change
+ratio cutoff rejects a possible placement: the measured 0.10 and 0.35 ratios guide
+search order only. Below 0.10 it starts with Fill for three or more copies; between
+0.10 and 0.35 it compares Fill-plus-NFP with NFP-only counts; above 0.35 it tries
+NFP first, then Fill if demand remains, taking the higher-count valid proposal.
+An 0.20 NFP-only rule would lose a second 4-inch square in a 10-inch round hole.
+Six geometry-only, anonymized real-job probes and neutral ring fixtures informed
+the search-order hints; these limited cases are not a global density guarantee.
+The router has no pipeline caller and does not change
 stock, live demand, cutting order or posting safety; in-hole production use remains held.
 
 ## Renamed engines