Laser-cutting Inspiration

Inkscape File Editing

Configuring Software

• File > Document Properties > Page - Width 600/ Height 400/ Units mm
• File > Document Properties > Snap - NOT 'Always Snap' (eg 20/10/20)
• Edit > Preferences > Tools > (tick) Geometric bounding box
• Edit > Preferences > Interface > Grids > eg x, y spacing 1, major grid every 10
• Edit > Preferences > Behaviour > Steps > 3.5433(07) px

Different Types of Cut

• Decide whether each part should be a drawn line (vector score), a filled area (raster engrave), or cut through - for overal outline or internal cut-outs.
• Set a stroke outline of a different colour for each, but no fill. The laser cutter software will be set later to apply a different treatment for each colour.

Text

• To allow lettering to be cut through material without parts falling out, download & install a stencil font, such as Awery.
• Text can be typed in, re-sized & moved.
• Once a piece of text is converted to a path (by Path > Object to Path), it’s no longer editable as text characters. Save file with different names before & after converting to path.
• Select a different stroke colour for a scored line vs filled ‘raster engrave’.

Converting File for Laser-cutting

Save file as DXF (Desktop Plotter Format) - no longer editable within Inkscape. Set options:-

• Base unit mm
• Uncheck LWPOLYLINE & ROBO-MASTER

Copy to USB stick for transfer to laser-cutter PC.