Create beautiful artwork and branding with Laser Engraving Technology
HOW TO PREPARE A FILE FOR ENGRAVING
How to prepare your file for engraving with laser technology.
When you want to engrave a logo or even an image with laser technology it is very important that your image be worked on with a vector base program. You can use a BMP file but resolution and quality as much as editing capabilities are easier when using a vector image. Illustrator and Corel Draw are easy programs to use when creating your file.
Follow these steps to create your file.
Open your program and a new document, use the TEXT tool and write the word you want to engrave.
Image 1. Shows a word written with a chosen font. This font can be edited, it is not yet an object, we now want to transform this word into an object.
Image 2. Shows how to transform this word into an object.
In Illustrator, select the word, click on the ‘TYPE’ button on your top menu, then click ‘CREATE OUTLINES’.
This easy step will automatically turn your letters into individual objects.
On image 3., you will see the contour of the word is now selected instead of the base as shown on image 2.
Your font is now a group of objects.
You can transform these objects as much as you want by using your PEN tool and modifying the anchors, but we will talk about this in a future tutorial.
Your almost done! When using the laser technology you have to make sure the file is one whole object, not a group of objects.
Select the object you created and get rid of the filling. You will then see the outline only as shown on image 4.
Now, that’s what happens, even if you can’t see it, the laser will see the lines that separate all letters and these lines will be engraved if we don’t correct it.
Select the object, click the button ‘WINDOW’ in the top menu and select ‘PATHFINDER’ in the scroll down menu as shown on image 5.
The PATHFINDER window will open and many features will be available for you to use (This will soon become your best friend when it comes to creating objects).
Click on the top right corner one shown in image 6. in the red circle.
Your object will become a whole.
If you have 2-3 or more words, all words can be individual objects same with non cursive fonts, all letters will be treated as 1 object.
Export your file in .DXF and send it to us – your file is ready for engraving!
See result of laser engraving on wood.
Now, with this file, we can engrave your logo or anything, leather, wood, plastic, metal, cardboard, ceramic, cork, …anything!
This file can also be used for laser cutting the logo.