Short guide to the use of laser cutting machines/Use of Inkscape for Laser Cutting

In this sections of the book will be described how to use Inkscape software to create patterns to be used in laser cutting machines. Introduction Inkscape is a free and open-source software for to drawing, design and edition of vector graphics, this make it ideal to create images or design and use them to cut materials using laser cutting machines. Current Inkscape version is 1.3.2, it can be downloaded from the Inscape webside, it also includes a free portable version (1.2.1) that can be downloaded from its website. Create a new file Open Inkscape and start working in the project... the color options and unit measures can be changed at any time. Menues Left menues To create lines, draw images, create shapes or designs will be used Inkscape left menu, the most used options are: Pen, pencil, text, shapes tools, etc. with them will be created lines, draw other images, make shapes such as rectangles, circles, etc. Or create new designs. Left menues The right menues are the following: Fill and stroke Fill: In this option the colors can be changed from CYMK to RGB, for cutting change the RGBA number to FF0000 (red). Stroke and paint: In order to see the lines and objects choose one of the strokes. Choose the first option for flat colors. Gradient strokes are not uniform and can be used for raster or edging. Stroke stile: In this option can be changed the stroke width, change the units to points and use 0.072 points, this the same than use 0.001" (inches or 0.254 mm, and indicates the laser cutting machine that is a cutting line. Layers It allow to choose all the layers in the image, each time a line or object is drawn (with color or not) a new layer is created. If all the layers are selected, can be grouped as one image. Export In this menu can be choose the details of the image: size, format, etc. and export the project as a image, svg or any other format. Design of lines and objects To draw line or objects, select any of the drawing tools (pen, rectangle, circle, etc), after this, change the opacity from 0 to 100 % in order to be able to see the fillings and the strokes when they are selected. Draw a line Draw a line with the pen tool (the icon of a pen), press left click on the canvas to draw the first point, then press the left click in other part of the canvas to trace or make a line. In order to see the lines created choose a color and a stroke in the right menu. Even when a line is easy to make and does not look to useful, can be use to cut pieces in a straight line (or curved line) in the cases we just want to cut a piece of material to reduce its form or make a new form. Curved lines can be created choosing a initial dot and maintaining pressed the right click after pressing in the second point and moving it until the desired curve image is drawn. In case that the lines are not shown, click the view menu, display mode, outline, to see the lines. In the tab stroke style type 0.01 inches (0.254 mm, or 0.072 px). To cut the line in ULS: Click on file and print (or Ctrl + P) to "print the file", If the line is red, it will cut the line. If not it will engrave or raster the line on the material. To cut the line in glow forge, upload the line, select it and use glowforge menu and camera to cut the material. Creation of texts Select the option text (icon A in the left menu), type the text and then modify its size and color. Change the stroke color to red if the text will be cut (rf00000) and the width of stroke to 0.072 points to cut. If the object will be edged or raster use blue or other color and stroke. Creation of shapes Choose the shape tool, select a shape and draw it to create a rectangle, circle, star, etc. A tool that is used to properly adjust the dots that form part of the lines or objects is the rule. Creation of shapes without fill When you create a shape (square, circle, etc), it will be filled with color, click in the option stroke paint and choose the option the second option (flat color), now the shape will have a stroke that makes the shape and also a filling, the last step is to remove the filling color, to do this, click in the fill tab and select the option no paint.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odjCbP58SnY Creation of more forms New forms can be easily created with the pen tool, just draw 2 or more points, then adjust their position of each dot changing the value for x (diagonal point) or y (vertical point). In inkscape this values are located in central and top area of inkscape and is always visible, to change them, just select the dot to be modified, beside them also can be changed the units from mm to inches or points. x value of 0 is located at the beginning of the page in the left size and it increases towards the right side. y value of 0 is located at the beginning of the page in the top of the page and it increases towards the bottom of the page (canvas). The coordinates are written in the form (x, y), for example the first dot can be located in 2 inches beside the left corner of the canvas and 2 inches down of the top of the canvas, making the first dot (2, 2). For example: To create a triangle, can be used 3 points, to create a rectangle use four points. The shape tool can also be used. A tool that is used to properly adjust the dots that form part of the lines or objects is the rule. Zoom the page With the key + or - the image can be zoomed in or out. Rounding corners of object The corners of created objects (with pen tool or shape tool, such as the rectangles and squares tools) can be rounded as much as desired, this can be done in two ways: First select the object and convert to path (click in the object, path, object to path), then click in the icon node tool, after this click in the icon add corners LPE, then select the whole object, this will including all its dots and all the nodes), finally move any node far from its dot, the farther the more rounder it will get.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy_NsIVL2ashttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU6RElJXh4c I other words, select the icon "Add corners LPE", this will allow to round specific sections of objects with many edges, select the menu path, path effects and choosing the radius for each edge. The shortcut for this option is command+&.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXrzemHHQG0 Other option is selecting the object and convert to path (click in the object, path, object to path), following, choose the option select paths and noodles, it is the second icon in the right menu (below select icon, under the main menu). Once the option select paths and noodles is active three dots can be seen in the borders of the objects:Select the the upper left corner of the object and move it downward this will allow to change the length or right of the object. The upper right corner will allow to round the object move it more an the object will be more rounded. Move the circled widget dot until the desired roundness is achieved.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy_NsIVL2ashttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU6RElJXh4c Notes: If the object is a circle it will allow to erase part of the circle or make a circle with a cut section. If the object is a polygon the option will allow to change the number of parts of the polygon. Use of the rule To see the rule in the canvas press Ctrl + R or select view, rulers, show rulers. A measuring tape can be used to measuring of physical objects or planed designs, and the using these measures to draw them in the canvas using the rule to choose the dots. Use of the coordinates for each dot or object The rule may not be necessary when using the x and y values, for example, drawing a straight line of 2 inches, the first dot can use the coordinate (2,2) and the second dot can use the coordinate (4, 2). If a object has more than one dot, they can be aligned in the same way, for example a rectangle with 4 dots, 2 inches long can have the following dots: (2, 2) (2, 4) (4, 2) (4, 4). The objects can also be aligned with the align tool, for this, click in the window menu and choose align (control+shift +A) after selecting the edit nodes option and then using the right menu. Save or export the file When you completed your file save it in svg format. Use of inkscape in "Universal Laser Systems" machines To cut with inkscape documents in ULS machines you will make use of adequate colors (red and black) and correct stroke (0.072 inches) Changing the color of the lines or shapes To change the color of a line or an object choose the option Fill: In this option the colors can be changed from CYMK to RGB, for cutting change the RGBA number to FF0000 (red). To change the color of a line or an object, click on the object, then in the properties window, appearance section, click on the square beside the fill option and in the filling space beside #, type the color number. RGB color model uses a system of 6 number and letters, the three more used colors in laser cutting to indicate what type of task will be done with the line or object are the following: Black, to raster etching (00000) Blue, to vector etching (0000FF) Red, to cut Cutting (ff00000) Choose the color palette icon and type ff0000, this will create a red color, this will indicate the printer that the line or object will be cut, or 000000 to raster etch, or 0000ff to vector etch. Cutting, vector etching and raster etching Once you have designed an object use the color numbers to complete the desired task. Cutting Use red color, ff00000, this will cut the object in the desired shape. Raster etching Use black color, 00000, this will vector etch the design. Vector etching Use blue color, 0000FF, this will vector etch the design. Changing the depth of the stroke Create a path or vectorize raster images To vectorize an image with Inkscape select the following options: From the path menu choose the option Trace bitmap, the the option brightness cutoff, and select multiple scans (by colors 8 or 20). The option object un-group, This will create 8 or 20 (depending the number of color selected), it will be 20 layers to choose between the parts, they will be overlay one over each one, they will be vectors. If the options Path, un-group are selected, each layer can be moved to seen separated and be used or deleted. For logos or simple design can be selected 2 colors to separate use 2 (or 4 or 8) for logos. Move all not needed, leave the image or images that represent the desired image to use. Then can close path, and select image size to change its size and save it as svg, this image can also be seen in illustrator or be used in laser cutting machines. Other useful options are outside edge e inside edge, these can be erased, and the option simplify to remove the number of dots. The different colors allow to control and choose the order in which the object will be cut. Create and cut or raster a frame for the design Print to sent the file to the laser cutting machine To sent the document created to the laser cutting machine just press the keys Ctrl + p and choose the laser cutting machine, after this the file will be sent to the Universal Laser Systems control panel software, and from them the cutting can be started. Use of inkscape in Glowforge cutters Create the file, upload into the Glowforge page and start the cutting. See also Short guide to the use of laser cutting machines/Use of Adobe Illustrator for Laser Cutting References