Changes

=== CorelDRAW ===

=== CorelDRAW ===

The program you will be using to design is CorelDraw. It allows you to type in words, edit logos, make your own logos and such to engrave or cut out of your material.

The program you will be using to design is CorelDraw. It allows you to type in words, edit logos, make your own logos and such to engrave or cut out of your material.

First off, to get your design, just copy an image and paste it into CorelDraw just like you would if you were plagiarizing an essay. Once you paste it in, hit P in order to center the image on the page. In the top left, you can alter the dimensions of the page you are putting the image on, and even the image itself. If you want to keep the image dimensions consistent, but just scale it down, click the lock button to the right of these dimensions. If you want to make your own design using text, squares, circles, etc, you can find everything you need in the column on the far left of the client.

First off, to get your design, just copy an image and paste it into CorelDraw just like you would if you were plagiarizing an essay. Once you paste it in, hit P in order to center the image on the page. In the top left, you can alter the dimensions of the page you are putting the image on, and even the image itself. If you want to keep the image dimensions consistent, but just scale it down, click the lock button to the right of these dimensions. If you want to make your own design using text, squares, circles, etc, you can find everything you need in the column on the far left of the client.

Once you have your design, we need to alter the colors a little bit so the Laser Cutter can understand what you want it to do. It goes like this: a red line with a hairline thickness will cut, and anything that is black will engrave. In order to do this, we need to split up the image into different pieces. This is called BitMapping, where it will divide the image into different pieces based on the color. Just right click and select Outline Trace → Logo. This works for the vast majority of things. If the detail is not good enough, try the other options and have some fun. After this, right click on the image and select Ungroup All Objects. This splits the image up into groups based on color, so you can tell the Laser Cutter what to cut and engrave.

Once you have your design, we need to alter the colors a little bit so the Laser Cutter can understand what you want it to do. It goes like this: a red line with a hairline thickness will cut, and anything that is black will engrave. In order to do this, we need to split up the image into different pieces. This is called BitMapping, where it will divide the image into different pieces based on the color. Just right click and select Outline Trace → Logo. This works for the vast majority of things. If the detail is not good enough, try the other options and have some fun. After this, right click on the image and select Ungroup All Objects. This splits the image up into groups based on color, so you can tell the Laser Cutter what to cut and engrave.

Here is where you change colors. Select a block of color, and on the right, you will see a window allowing you to change the Outline (line thickness) and Fill (color). Be sure to set the color scale to RGB. You will see values for R, G, and B, where all colors can be made using these. When each color has a 0 next to it, it will be fully black. When the red has a 255 next to it and the other have 0, it will be fully red. Make sure you check these bit values before continuing, since the machine is set to cutting material ONLY when it sees 255, 0, 0, and it will engrave material ONLY when it sees 0, 0, 0. Everything else, make it white, which is 255, 255, 255. You can drag around the value in the little box of colors to make this quicker.

Here is where you change colors. Select a block of color, and on the right, you will see a window allowing you to change the Outline (line thickness) and Fill (color). Be sure to set the color scale to RGB. You will see values for R, G, and B, where all colors can be made using these. When each color has a 0 next to it, it will be fully black. When the red has a 255 next to it and the other have 0, it will be fully red. Make sure you check these bit values before continuing, since the machine is set to cutting material ONLY when it sees 255, 0, 0, and it will engrave material ONLY when it sees 0, 0, 0. Everything else, make it white, which is 255, 255, 255. You can drag around the value in the little box of colors to make this quicker.

So once you have finished your design, it’s time to send it to the Laser Cutter! Hit print, make sure it is sending to Trotec Engraver. Select Preferences to make sure you select Minimize to Jobsize, 500 dpi, and consult the supervisor for the Halftone option. For normal engraving on most materials, you’ll use Black and White, but there are some areas where you can alter it. Sometimes the Minimize to Jobsize option does not work. If this happens, enter the dimensions of your design into the top right of the Preferences.

So once you have finished your design, it’s time to send it to the Laser Cutter! Hit print, make sure it is sending to Trotec Engraver. Select Preferences to make sure you select Minimize to Jobsize, 500 dpi, and consult the supervisor for the Halftone option. For normal engraving on most materials, you’ll use Black and White, but there are some areas where you can alter it. Sometimes the Minimize to Jobsize option does not work. If this happens, enter the dimensions of your design into the top right of the Preferences.

=== Job Control & Laser Cutter ===

=== Job Control & Laser Cutter ===

[[File:Laser Cutter 5.png|thumb|1081x1081px]]

[[File:Laser Cutter 5.png|thumb|754x754px]]

Job Control lets you set up/create Material Profiles, change between the HoneyComb Table and the Rotary tool (mostly used for Hydroflasks), and choose a location to cut on your material.

Job Control lets you set up/create Material Profiles, change between the HoneyComb Table and the Rotary tool (mostly used for Hydroflasks), and choose a location to cut on your material.

After you send your design to Job Control it will let you name your design and it will store it in a window on the right. If you do not see your design, be sure to select See All at the bottom of that window. This lets you see files ALL dpi types, rather than just a specific dpi type. Then select your material at the top left.

After you send your design to Job Control it will let you name your design and it will store it in a window on the right. If you do not see your design, be sure to select See All at the bottom of that window. This lets you see files ALL dpi types, rather than just a specific dpi type. Then select your material at the top left.

[[File:Laser Cutter 6.png|thumb|841x841px]]

[[File:Laser Cutter 6.png|thumb|510x510px]]

You can check the print preview by double clicking the box showing your preview in the bottom right. If it is not locked onto your design, then it did not Minimize to Jobsize, and when it starts, you will look like an idiot when you see that it is not cutting your material in the right place, or it is just missing your material completely. Go back to the Preferences in Corel Draw, do what you were instructed to do, then resend.

You can check the print preview by double clicking the box showing your preview in the bottom right. If it is not locked onto your design, then it did not Minimize to Jobsize, and when it starts, you will look like an idiot when you see that it is not cutting your material in the right place, or it is just missing your material completely. Go back to the Preferences in Corel Draw, do what you were instructed to do, then resend.