Changes

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.

Then you can save in info by selecting the button that shows the JC logo near the bottom of the window, and select OK to send the design to Job Control.

Then you can save in info by selecting the button that shows the JC logo near the bottom of the window, and select OK to send the design to Job Control.