Different ways to get a laser cut file.
You can either design your own file (in your preferred software) or you can download a premade file.
For downloadable files, we would recommend Thingiverse.
For designing a file, we would recommend AutoCAD, Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator. AutoCAD and Inkscape are both free for students. Adobe Illustrator is discounted for students but can be used for free in the uCreate Multimedia area. Take a look at our Multimedia knowledge base for information on Inkscape.
At the beginning of your laser cut session, you will be asked to open your file in Inkscape. No matter what software you use to design your file, we recommend setting up your file in Inkscape before coming in for your booking.
Setting up a file in Inkscape.
Your Inkscape file should be on a canvas sized 609.6 x 609.6mm. This is the size of the laser bed.
When your file is sent to the print driver (Epilog Dashboard) which programs the laser cutter, the Epilog Dashboard will automatically sort your file into parts to raster and vector lines to engrave or cut.
In order for something to be recognised as a vector line in Inkscape, it must be set to hairline.
File types.
At the beginning of your laser cut session, you will be asked to open your file in Inkscape. No matter what software you use to design your file, we recommend setting up your file in Inkscape before coming in for your booking.
If you are not able to set up and bring an Inkscape file to your session, there are a variety of different file types you can bring.
A list of all the file types which can be imported into Inkscape can be found here.
The file type you use, depends on the type of cut or engrave you want to do. Some common file types are:
Vector file: SVG, DXF, PDF, AI (Adobe Illustrator)
Raster file: JPG, PNG, PDF, AI (Adobe Illustrator)
Design considerations.
There are a few things to be aware of when designing your own laser cut file.
You should not design to cut any pieces that are thinner than the thickness of your material.
Cutting small pieces out of thick material is a FIRE RISK.
Any different types of lasering should be put in different layers and use different colours.
This will make the setup of your cut faster when you come into uCreate for your booking.
Ensure your file does not have any double lines. The line will cut multiple times. If you are unsure, select everything in your file in Inkscape and select path > flatten.