Table of Contents

What does a laser cutter do?

A laser cutter uses a high powered laser to cut intricate patterns into wood, acrylic, cardboard, felt, etc... Use the tutorials below to learn how to create files that can be read by the laser cutter using a vector imaging platform.


What is a vector image?

Have you ever printed out something from the internet and it turned out really pixelated? That's because most images on the internet are what are known as bitmap or raster images. Their resolution depends on what level of megapixel camera you have taken them with or saved them as using graphic design software. The bottom line is that vector images will never be pixelated because they are mathematical functions. They can be sized up to fit the side of a building and never change resolution!

Material our  laser cutter can deal with that is usually in stock:

Sheet material acrylic

Sheet material wood-based

Textiles

What does a file for the laser cutter look like?

Different colours are interpreted differently in by the laser cutter.

 Traditionally bright red lines (HEX: #cc0000 / RGB: 255,0,0) that are thin (stroke width .001pt) are cut with high power and low speed. 

Other colors are engraved at low power and high speed. The darker the color the more powerful the engraving. This way, even detailed photographs can be engraved.  

GCC Mercury III Laser cutter

DESIGN TOOLS

Vectr

Cloud-based tool for basic vector illustrations

Adobe Illustrator

Advanced software for vector illustrations

Laser cutters can cut and engrave vector graphics, but only engrave raster images.

Drawing Lines In Adobe Illustrator

[1] Install Adobe Illustrator on your Mac

Login to the Adobe Creative Cloud app with your school email address. Choose 'Enterprise ID' after logging in. Press the install button.

[2] Practice drawing your first 'Bezier Curves' *

For this 'pen tool'  tutorial you need to download the AI Bezier Curve Practice Files and watch the Bezier Curve Tutorial:

Finishing this tutorial takes about 45 minutes. It's a bit of work, but practice makes perfect.

[3] Practice drawing shapes with the Pen Tool

For further practice you can use these video instructions and this pack of images that it refers to. Choose one husky from set 1 and one from set 2 for your practice.

This exercise takes about 45 minutes to complete.

Choose one from Set 1 and one from Set 2 to trace and fill. When finished, hide the watermarked Example layer and screenshot your work to share. 

[4] And now take it to the max!

For further extension, use lines and fill shapes to recreate Dab Dog Max! 

When finished, hide the watermarked Example layer and screenshot your work to share. 

* A Bezier curve is a mathematical way of describing any smooth curved line. Bezier curves are named after Pierre Bézier, who used invented them in the 1960s for designing curves for the bodywork of Renault cars.  Vector graphics are complicated mathematics!

Preparing to laser cut

Preparing the Laser Cutting & Engraving Lines

How to make a Finger joints for Laser cutting 

Finger joints (laser cutting) #1

Finger Joints (Laser cutting) #2

From OnShape to Illustrator 

Onshape _ Laser.mp4

From Ilustrator to Laser Cutter

How to use laser cut

Modeling and making a Tea Light candle holder 

Making a Box with finger joints

Part 1 - making the sides 

Part 2 - Making the base 

Refer to the "Tips & Tricks' video tutorials (above) and then design your own tea-light adhering to the overall dimensions as seen in the tutorials above 

Design on the 4 sides of the sketch to allow the light of the tea candle to shine through 

How to make a linear pattern of the desired shape 

This will show you an easy way of copying your shape across the whole side of the tea candle holder 

Some pattern ideas 

Produce Detailed drawings

Of YOUR complete design (See example to the Right) 

Tea light detail.PNG

Prepare your sketch for laser 

Set your sketches up for Laser cutting 

You need to have Adobe Illustrator installed 

You need to have all parts to be cut in one file

Disregard placing an image if you are only cutting 

Files need to be cut with the assistance of Ms Thao 

EMAIL Ms Thao and CC (your teacher) 

dtpthao@unishanoi.org

cc: Your teacher

Dear Ms Thao and (your teacher), 

I have finished my tealight holder design and have attached it to this email. I have also addressed the areas below:

 

Thank you for your time, effort, and diligence in helping me to complete my product. 

Your humble pupil...

YOUR NAME