Getting Your Design
Set for Laser Cutting
Pick a Suitable File Format
When sketching a 2D blueprint for your piece, our system is good to go with DXF, SVG, and AI files. No matter your pick, make sure your drawing accurately represents your component. Best steer clear of any geometric bits that don’t match up with your part’s edges or, for the seasoned users, bend or engraving lines.
DXF
Commonly seen in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software like Fusion 360, SolidWorks, and the like, DXF is a popular file format. CAD designs, when knocked out as DXFs, are usually ready to hit the manufacturing floor, but you can give other software and file types a whirl too.
SVG
An SVG, a vector file format, can be whipped up using Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, and similar tools. It can carry a fair whack of geometry that might not represent the part too accurately. So, your file should only describe the part, including lines, curves, circles, and splines to mark out the part boundaries. Elements like images and text tucked away in the SVG won’t fly.
Adobe Illustrator (AI)
The native file format for Adobe Illustrator is the AI. You can get your designs ready in Illustrator or any other vector-editing software like Inkscape that’s up to handling AI. Just like an SVG, an AI file can carry a load of geometry that’s not cut out for manufacturing. Make sure your geometric elements like lines, arcs, circles, splines, and the rest, are spot on in outlining your part.
