Your Guide To Print
HOW TO LASER-CUT
LASSER CUTTING
Laser cutting is a process where by a laser cuts into material, the high power laser leaves a mark in the material that can be cut all the way through, engraved and kiss cut. These can be used to provide a interesting design both to touch and to look at. The laser cutter can cut into just about any material accept shiny reflective surfaces where the laser could bounce back off.
STEP 1
Get your design ready, to raster it has to be saved as a JPEG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, PICT, or EPS and using a vector image save it as AI, DWG, EPS or DXF. Using a vector image is the easiest and quickest way to create a laser-cut image.
(Getting the design)
So that is what this publication will guide you through. So make user the file is created in illustrator and everything is made into a stroke or outline.
STEP 2
Load the vector image on APS Ethos: 1. Design 2. Import 3. Adobe Illustrator, sleect file. 4. Laser effects
(Turning on the machine)
ON DESIGN
IMPORT
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
Turn on the Machine and load APS Ethos on the computer.
STEP 3
(Load the design)
STEP 4
Now using a 3mm block measure the distance between your material and the laser and adjust the height of the laser so it touches the top of this 3mm block.
(Loading the material)
Put your material into the machine, make sure that it is bigger than the size of the design that has been made on illustrator.
3mm MATERIAL
STEP 5
(Setting up the material)
STEP 6
(Setting up the material)
1 2
Now use the arrows to No Cut4Kiss Cut3Engrave2Cut Through1 the laser to the x axis which will be the bottom left of the material and this represents the bottom left of your work on screen. Then press enter, using the arrows
same for the y axis which will be the top right of your material and press enter again once finished.
MENU
Y
3
Now on the control panel on the laser cutting machine press 1. Online 2. Material Manager 3. Enter
X
STEP 7
(Setting up the material)
STEP 8 1
Cut Through
2 3
Engrave
4
Next go to output, then material manager and select material and then what was put into the machine so the laser knows how powerful it needs to be, then select okay.
(Setting up the Design)
Kiss Cut No Cut
OUTPUT
MATERIAL MANAGER Material Manager properties
Now go to the computer and select individual parts of your design and using the drop down menu on the top right of the screen choose if you want them cut through, engraved, kiss cut or no cut.
Material: OK
Paper
Cancel
STEP 9
(Setting up the Design)
STEP 10
(Checking the material)
Once the material is finished cutting it is ready to use, you can use sand paper to clean the dark edges if necessary.
X
OUTPUT
CUT DESIGN
Output Setup Details Manager:
Device: Material:
Paper
Port:
Send to cutter
Cancel
Now go to output again and press cut design, and check the material is correct and then your ready to send to the cutter.
STEP 11
(Cutting the Design)
BENEFITS TO LASER CUTTING Wide range of stock choice Quick Process Economical Aesthetically Pleasing Can cut intricate detail Can be used to make things for other printing methods