LASER CUTTING
ARTWORK
Creating Artwork for Your Cutting Projects
To achieve precise and accurate laser cutting for your designs, we require vector files of your artwork. These files must be created using professional drawing or editing software, as vector files provide the necessary data for the laser to follow exact paths and cut your design with clean, sharp edges.
Unlike traditional printing, laser cutting works by interpreting the colours and lines in your file to determine exactly where to cut. This means it’s essential to prepare your artwork correctly so the laser can identify the cutting lines. Different laser machines interpret colours in various ways, but our laser specifically recognises cutting lines in RGB RED with a line thickness of "hairline" or 0.01mm. Using the correct colour and line thickness is crucial to ensure the laser follows your design with precision.
When setting up your artwork, make sure that all paths are closed and that there are no overlapping or duplicate lines, as these can cause errors or inconsistencies during the cutting process. Properly organising your file not only ensures the best results but also helps us streamline the production process.
For more detailed instructions, please review our artwork preparation guidelines below.
Ready to get started?
If you have any questions or need help preparing your files, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is here to assist you every step of the way. Contact us now and let’s bring your project to life!
Prepare Your Artwork Correctly!
Top Tips
All dimensions must be in mm.
Allow at least 3mm from the edge of the material.
Use RGB colour palette – the laser cannot read CMYK.
Double check all dimensions are correct.
Place items horizontally across the page, close together.
Ensure all paths are closed.
Delete all duplicated lines.
Cutting Area Size
Our laser accommodates sheets up to 1030mm x 630mm, providing ample space for a wide variety of projects.
All layouts must have a border of at least 3mm from the edge of the sheet.
Laser Cut Lines
-
Draw thin, RED lines where you want the laser to cut.
-
Use colour palette RGB
-
Use RED (R255, G0, B0)
-
Line thickness of "hairline" or 0.01mm
-
Use outline pen for lines
-
Ensure paths are continuous
-
Delete ALL duplicate lines
Design Layout & Nesting
When creating your artwork, leave at least 2mm between elements to be cut in the layout.
If your artwork has a lot of elements on one sheet of material, nest them close together but ensure there's a 2mm space between each of the elements.
Ideally, elements should be no closer together than the thickness of the material; i.e., if using 3mm thick acrylic, set each element 3mm apart.
All layouts must have a border of at least 3mm all the way around the sheet of material.
AutoCAD® FILES
If you are using AutoCAD® to draw your artwork, please ensure the file is two-dimensional.
Line Sharing
Line sharing is when two elements are next to each other so they share a single cut line; this is very commonly used in laser cutting as it cuts down on cutting time and price.
When creating line-sharing cut lines, it's important to delete those duplicated lines. If you have any duplicated lines on top of each other (you may not see them by eye), the laser will see them and will cut all the paths on the artwork and will cut the same line twice or however many times it's been duplicated, causing the material to melt or warp and reducing the quality of the finished product.
Laser Kerf
The laser kerf refers to how much of the material the laser disintegrates when cutting. The size of the kerf is dependent on the material used and the laser beam tolerance (laser beam width).
You may need to adjust your artwork to allow for the laser kerf if you require an element to be locked into something.
For example:
For an internal hole diameter of 10mm, your artwork should be slightly smaller to allow for the laser kerf, maybe 9.5mm.
For an external hole diameter of 10mm, your artwork should be slightly bigger, maybe 10.5mm.
These are examples and should not be used to work out your artwork.
Cutting Text
Any text to be cut will need to be converted from a font to line art (outlines or curves).
By converting the text, it converts the font into a 'vector' and preserves the font you have originally used. This enables us to open the file on our end without any font errors, as the software program will substitute the font for a different one.
Small Cut Details
Laser cutting enables small details to be cut effortlessly.
However, as the laser disintegrates the material as it cuts, it can burn away up to 0.4mm of the material (depending on the material and its thickness).
It's highly recommended that small details should be no smaller than the material thickness used. For example, if using 3mm thick acrylic, the very small elements of your design should be no less than 3mm wide – anything thinner may result in the final product being warped and fragile.
This general rule can be relaxed a little, but it will depend on the material used as to the final result achieved. We can discuss your requirements and the best way to achieve your required outcome.
Cutting Out Letters & Numbers
Precision is key when cutting out letters and numbers, so it's important to carefully design your artwork.
Tailor your design to match your desired outcome, ensuring every detail is suited to the laser cutting process.
When laser cutting letters and numbers, the middle island in certain letters and numbers (a,o,p,0,8,9 etc.) will also be cut leaving a huge hole in the middle.
This will be the result of cutting out a letter with a middle island.
By adding tabs (or bridges) to the letter, we can break the letter or number apart to stop the middle island from falling out.
Common Questions:
No, only vector files can be used for laser cutting, as they provide the precise paths needed for accurate cuts.
If your lines are thicker than "hairline" (0.01mm), the laser will not follow them correctly, leading to inaccurate cuts.
Overlapping paths can cause cutting errors. Make sure all paths are clean, closed, and non-duplicated to avoid issues.
Check out our full range of FAQs HERE.
