The laser cutter needs to a path to cut along and it is Adobe Illustrator you use to make that path.
By using Illustrator you can make a path that is accurate and in exactly the right position but there is some preparation that needs to be done first.
The image you start with makes a big diference to how much work you have to do in editing or tidying up the result. The better the quality of the original, the better the tracing. A low resolution image from the internet will trace badly, not have enough detail and require you to tidy-up or redraw missing parts. It may help if open the image in Photoshop first to increase the contrast making the image easier to trace.
Important! This process is one small step in preparing your artwork for the laser cutter. It is important that you speak to the technician who will be helping you run the actual job to advise you on material suitability, time, availability etc. Basically can it be done as I expect?
1. Place your image into Illustrator using File>Place... and selecting the image from your computer.
2. With the image selected, open the Tracing Presets and Options (a small down pointing arrow) and select the Tracing Options...
3. Selecting this will open the following dialogue box. Here you can adjust settings according to the image you are using and the result you require. In preparing your image for use on the laser cutter you might want to start by duplicating the settings shown ensuring you are tracing Stokes and not Fills.
4. Depending on the size and resolution of the image it will process and show the result.
You can't edit the tracing until you have clicked on the Expand button.
By using Illustrator you can make a path that is accurate and in exactly the right position but there is some preparation that needs to be done first.
The image you start with makes a big diference to how much work you have to do in editing or tidying up the result. The better the quality of the original, the better the tracing. A low resolution image from the internet will trace badly, not have enough detail and require you to tidy-up or redraw missing parts. It may help if open the image in Photoshop first to increase the contrast making the image easier to trace.
Important! This process is one small step in preparing your artwork for the laser cutter. It is important that you speak to the technician who will be helping you run the actual job to advise you on material suitability, time, availability etc. Basically can it be done as I expect?
1. Place your image into Illustrator using File>Place... and selecting the image from your computer.
You can't edit the tracing until you have clicked on the Expand button.
5. The result you get might contain a number of different stroke widths and the laser cutter will need a single width line to follow, it will also make your editing task easier to see. With all the paths selected click on the Stroke Weight drop-down and select a small point size. This example is highly detailed and would not be suitable as it would burn away most of the material in the process. Again, speak to your friendly local technician for advice.
6. You will now need to spend some time deciding what parts to delete, what parts to keep and how to make a path that is suitable for use on the laser cutter.
6. You will now need to spend some time deciding what parts to delete, what parts to keep and how to make a path that is suitable for use on the laser cutter.
If you double-click on the tracing with the Selection Tool (black arrow) you will enter Isolation Mode. With this mode you can edit individual parts inside the grouped object. You will know that you are in Isolation Mode by the grey bar that appears above your image. To exit, press esc on your keyboard or click on the left pointing arrow in the grey bar.
