STEP 1 - Setting Up My Project: 

This step includes choosing a photo that will be the outline of the keychain, as well as setting up Adobe Illustrator. The photo should be clear and easy to outline and visualize without the actual picture. To set up Adobe Illustrator, you should select a plain. drawing board and set it to 4x4 inches. 

STEP 2 - Designing the Keychain Shape on Adobe Illustrator: 

This step includes using the curvature tool to outline the chosen photo. Insert the photo and use the tool using a computer's trackpad or mouse. It is important to have a mix of curved and straight lines to make the outline look realistic, without there being too much detail where the outline is jagged. The photo should be embeded, and the amount of anchor dots should be limited for clarity. 

STEP 3 - Adding engraving for detail using Adobe Illustrator: 

This step includes using the curvature tool to add shapes inside the outline to make the keychain look more like the chosen photo. This is done by adding filled in shapes that appear black on the wood keychain when burned. 

STEP 4 - Prepare keychain for the Laser Cutting ON Adobe Illustrator:

After your keychain looks clean and has its final edits, a hole for the key ring needs to be added. The hole should measure 0.2x0.2 inches so that the keyring can move around but also be snug. The hole should be positioned on the edge of the keychain design, but given a slight space so the hole doesn't crack when it is printed. (this was a problem for me!)

STEP 5 - Prepare keychain for laser cutting by setting printer settings

Windows software is required for this step as it is what pairs with the laser cutter. This step includes saving my work to my google drive so that I can access it on the windows computer. I then press file, print, select my file, and ensure that there are two layers, one being the engraving and the other the cut vector. The laser cuter needs to then be set to wood, have the fan on, to then procede to load the wood into the laser cutter. Make sure the wood is pressing against the far left corner, and prosition the laser so that in cuts on the portion of  wood that is desired. Finally, close the laser cutter and make sure you hear a 'click'.

STEP 6 - Create the sticker

Now that the keychain is cut, use Adobe Illustrator to create a sticker for the opposite side. Use only the outine of the design with the keyhole, and group the two. Use the mirror tool to flip the sticker so that it lines up with the opposite side of the keychain. Then, find a photo that still fits a the theme of your keychain but is a different photo then what was used for the outilne. Insert the image, embed it, 'bring it back', and then 'make clipping mask' to make the photo fit into the outline. Finally, put the image in isolation mode so that you can easily make final edits and orient the photo that looks the best. 

STEP 7: Prepare the Sticker to be Printed:

Download Versaworks color library on Adobe Illustrator, so that you can make the outline stroke the correct pink color, and set to 1pt. The design should then be sent to the vinyl printer and before priniting verify that there is a pink 'dancing line'. This ensures that the outline is the correct size and is fit to your image. 

STEP 8 - Finalize the Keychain: 

Once the sticker is printed, cut it out of the sticker paper sheet and stick it onto your wood, engraved keychain. Sand the edges if wanted and at the keyring to the hole.