So you wanna laser cut something, but you don’t know how to set up your file. Classic! We’ve all been there. Let’s walk through the steps from making your file to exporting it in illustrator.
Before we make a file, lets walk through what the glowforge can do. The glowforge has three operations: cutting, scoring, and engraving. When you create your design, it is important to know what exactly you want to cut, what you want engraved, and what you want scored.
Specifications
parameter | capability |
operations | cutting, scoring, engraving |
materials | plywood, hardboard, MDF, paper, cardboard, card stock, matboard, plastic (acrylic, HDPE), leather, fabric, composites |
size range | Maximum cutting area: 19.5" x 11” |
performance | ? |
file types | .pdf, .svg, .png, .jpg, others |
safety level | ? |
Best practices with files
- Have files in RGB color mode.
- Make all lines you want to cut the same color (check with the select same tool in illustrator)
- Check for invisible objects with white fill. Glowforge will interpret these as objects you want to etch!
- Don’t use clipping masks
- All vectors must be "aligned to center.”
- Always check your digital proof for spelling and grammar!
when exporting as .SVG, make sure to set Font to Convert To Outlines and keep Responsive and Minify UNCHECKED! If you not do this the file will import but will scale without notifying you!