LASER CUTTING SET UP INSTRUCTIONS
ďƒž This document will guide you through the correct set up for your Adobe Illustrator files for laser cutting. Following the instructions in this document will assist us in understanding what you want from your job and help us get your job done as efficiently and correctly as possible.
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ďƒž Technical information Large machine cutting area: 1200mm x 880mm Small machine cutting area: 900mm x 580mm Accepted file types: AI, PDF, DWG 2013 Material Types: We can cut Paper, Cardboard, Acrylic Perspex, MDF, Interior Plywood, Fabric and Corflute. We are open to trying other materials so if you are unsure if we can cut your material please call us to confirm. Material Thickness: Your materials can be between .01mm to 8mm in thickness. We are able to cut some materials that have thicknesses of 8mm - 20mm but these materials are limited, please call us if you are unsure if we can cut your material. Pricing: Students: $35 p/h* Individuals: $55 p/h Commercial: $75 p/h *Students must provide a valid ID when requesting the discounted rate. Student after hours rate: $40 p/h. Additional costs: ​File Set up: $80 p/h Taping: $3.00 - $8.00 If you would like a quote for a specific job please email us or call us. Ph: 09 3599450 Email: workshopsmailbox@gmail.com Address: Shop 1, La Gonda Arcade 203 Karangahape Road Auckland CBD
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Opening a new Adobe Illustrator document. In the ‘New Document’ window you will need to have your Artboards sized to your exact material size. Colour Mode must be in RGB otherwise the file cannot be read by the laser cutter and your file will not be cut.
Important Once you’ve opened your new document please ensure you check that your colour settings in your colour tab are also in RGB as they can sometimes still be set to CMYK especially if you have just converted your file from CMYK to RGB. To access colour settings click Window > Colour.
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ďƒž Cut, Etch line and Raster Settings There are specific colours for Cut lines, Etch lines and Raster areas. Cut lines must have a stroke of 0.01pt that is RGB Blue 255. They must not be filled with white or any other colour. Etch lines must have a stroke of 0.01pt that is RGB Green 255. They must not be filled with white or any other colour. Raster areas must have a fill of RGB Red 255 and must not have a stroke. Cut
Etch line
Raster
ďƒž Important If you have specific instructions for your file you must either explain to us in person or leave notes on your file in black text. We will delete the back text before cutting. If you require multiple depths of raster or line engraving then you may use the other colours such as magenta or cyan. You must explicitly state this in your file or explained to us in person if you require this. 4
ďƒž Text: Cutting, Line Etching or Rasterizing If you would like to cut, line etch or rasterize type on your file you will need to first expand it or create outlines. Select all of the type on your document Select > Object > Text Objects Right Click Select Create Outlines Follow cut, line etch or raster settings on previous page.
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ďƒž Things that can go wrong! Please check files for the following. Duplicate lines: Your file may have duplicate lines, especially if you have imported the file from another program , they are hard to spot, they generally look darker or slightly thicker than the singular lines. If you have double or triple duplicates of a line the laser cutter will cut that line multiple times, taking longer to finish the job. This will end up costing you more so ensure you do not have any duplicated lines.
Cutting to the edge of your material: Be aware that it is quite difficult to line up the laser to all of the edges of your material as the material is usually cut crooked on one or more sides (even though it looks straight to the eye) this may result in some of your contours being slightly smaller or larger than what you intended, so best keep within the size of your material.
Not touching material edge.
Touching material edge.
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ďƒž Converting CMYK TO RGB If you have come to the end of your file set up and just realised you have been working in CMYK the entire time you must select File > Document Color Mode > RGB Color. Please also ensure your colour settings tab is also in RGB, see page 3 for details.
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Saving your file When saving your file please ensure you name it with your first and last name, your contact number and the material type. LanaKay_023446589_2mmGreyCard.ai Please save your file as an Adobe illustrator CS5 file using the drop down format menu when saving. See page 9 for example.
Multiple files
If you have multiple files for the same type / size of material you can use multiple art boards in the one file. If you have multiple files for multiple materials please save each file individually and label it with its corresponding material type. If you have a single file you would like cut multiple times please label the file with a x(number) the number being the amount of copies you would like cut. LanaKay_023446589_2mmGreyCard_x4.ai
Material drop off
We do not currently stock materials in store so you will need to drop off your materials to us along with your file for cutting. You can also drop your materials and then email through your file at a later time. Please ensure material is flat. If material is not flat we may not be able to cut it.
Acrylic perspex
Please try not to cut strips of acrylic, the acrylic heats up which results in warping and bent / curved strips. If cutting strips please ensure there is spacing of at lease 5mm between each strip.
Small parts
If you are cutting anything smaller than 5mm x 5mm there is a chance that these pieces may fall through the honeycomb of the laser cutter’s bed. These will be irretrievable so please provide a piece of card that is the same size as your material that we can place under your material to catch these small pieces
Autocad > Illustrator
If you are saving a DWG file please save it as a 2013 version as this is the only dwg version we can open. It is important to check your DWG file in Illustrator after you have saved it as the line work can duplicate and scale can change. After you have checked over your file in Illustrator you can then save it as an Illustrator CS5 file.
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