In order to cut/ engrave with our laser cutters we need to send the following information: the path/ shape we are cutting/ engraving, which material we are cutting/ engraving, and whether we are cutting/ engraving or both. We do this using vector graphics software to create a 2 dimensional path along which the laser cutter will cut.
There are many programmes you can use to design/ generate or download 2-dimensional vector graphics files (.dxf/ .svg/ .ai etc.). However you decide to design your files, we will always "print" the design from Adobe Illustrator (available on all computers in HatchLabs) to the Laser Dashboard where they will be sent to the laser cutter!
Once we have begun designing our file we need to account for the thickness of the material we will be cutting. The thickness of the material always varies slightly so you must measure the material using calipers ahead of generating your designs:
By Simon A. Eugster - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0: link
by Fu-Kwun Hwang and author of Easy Java Simulation = Francisco Esquembre, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Once we have accounted for the thickness of our material, we can upload our designs onto the computer next to the laser cutter. We have USBs available in the lab, please put your .ai, .svg, .dxf etc. file onto a USB so we can open it in Adobe Illustrator on the laser cutter computer.