What do I need?
For laser cutting, you need a vector drawing, which is a digital drawing made up of lines. You can use programs such as Adobe Illustrator, AutoCad and Rhinoceros for this purpose. Work according to our drawing rules so your drawing will be read correctly.
Drawing layout
Format your drawing according to the rules below to order immediately. You can use almost any vector editing program for this.
File Types
DWG, DXF, AI, PDF
Scale
1:1
Unit
Millimeters
Maximum size
1200x600 mm
Outlines
Convert text and tessellations to outlines
Clean files
No size markings, frames, centerlines, etc.
Layer name and line color
As described below
Layers and colors
Use the correct layer name and line color for laser cutting or engraving.
The preview in the uploader shows how your drawing is loaded, we produce what the preview shows.
color | Layer name | Line type | |
---|---|---|---|
Cut | Blue (rgb 0,0,255) | cut | lines, polylines,curves, splines |
Line engraving | Red (rgb 255,0,0) | line engraving | lines, polylines,curves, splines |
Surface Engraving | Magenta (rgb 255,0,255) | planar engraving | closed lines, polylines,curves and splines |
Also check out the tutorial How do I make an engraving?
Drawing Tips
Convert text elements to vector lines
Convert shapes into lines according to the drawing rules
Convert overlapping plane engravings to shapes
Merging overlapping cut lines
Draw a frame around engravings to upload them
Litters
If you need different parts of the same material, you can combine them into one drawing (nests). Read how nesting works here
Cut width
The cutting width of the laser beam, or cutting loss, is between 0.15 and 0.2 mm depending on the material.
When you draw a line, half the cut width disappears on both sides.
An example with a cut width of 0.2 mm:
You can compensate for the cut width in your drawing. This is necessary, for example, to make close-fitting joints.
Video
Software and templates
It is not necessary to use a template but it will help you get started quickly.
How do I create a design for laser cutting?
The possibilities with laser cutting are endless, but this sometimes makes finding a starting point difficult. In addition, it can be confusing to take into account all drawing rules. To j...