The Universal Laser Systems VersaLaser is a 2-axis plotter, meaning it can move along the X and Y axes. The laser beam is focused through a lens, creating a focal point two inches below the lens where the beam is the most intense. In order to cut with the most precision, the focal point needs to be focused at the top of the surface it is cutting. For this reason, the laser is most efficient and precise when cutting sheet material.
basic mechanics of the laser cutter; click to enlarge.
The laser cutter can do three things:
CUT cuts all the way through a material.
ENGRAVE cuts slightly into the surface of the material. It can be used to create text, graphics, or even texture on the surface of a material.
RASTER engraves a pixelated image onto the surface of the material using variable intensity. This allows a black and white image to be created, where 100% black translates to 100% laser intensity, and 0% black translates to 0% intensity.
Cut and Engrave follow vector paths, while Raster accepts pixelated images in grayscale. The laser cutter’s software decides which mode to use based on the color (in RGB mode).
Cut is red (R=255, G=0, B=0).
Engrave is blue (R=0, G=0, B=255).
Raster images are grayscale.
There are two programs you can prepare your file in: Rhino and Adobe Illustrator.
Rhino
After you have drawn your curves in the TOP view, you must separate and mark the curves that need to be cut and engraved. First open the Layers panel (Apple+L) and add a new layer. Click on the black box in the layer panel to change the color. You should end up with something like this:
Next, select the curves intended to be cut. Under the Object Properties panel (Apple+J), select the appropriate layer for the selected curves:
Repeat this process for the curves intended to be engraved (if necessary).
Save the file as a .3dm file.
Scroll down to learn how to incorporate raster images into a file.
Adobe Illustrator
After drawing your paths, put all of the cut paths in one layer and all of the engrave paths in another. Your layer window should look similar to this:
Make sure you name your layers!
When your file is ready and your cut and engrave layers have been established (and named), go to File>Save As.
Name your document and hit the Save button. At the next dialog, go under the Version drop-down menu and select Illustrator 8 under ‘Legacy Formats’. It looks like this:
We use Rhino with the laser cutter software to cut vectors. If your file is not saved as an .ai Illustrator version 8 file, it will not import to Rhino correctly and we will not be able to cut it.
Engraving Raster Images
If you would like to engrave an image, you must submit it separately as a .JPEG or .TIFF. The setup is simple: measure within your file to find out exactly where you want the picture to go. Open up Adobe Photoshop and put your image on a white background exactly where you intend for it to be within the document. In the following example the image is intended to go 0.5″ in from the left and top, so the picture has been modified accordingly. The JPEG or TIFF image should always line up with the top left corner of the document.
Note that the raster layer in the Rhino document pictured above is not necessary; it is for demonstration only.
Image Resolution
Keep in mind that the laser software converts grayscale to halftone before engraving; the quality of the halftone depends on the resolution of your image. The laser can cut up to 1000 pixels per inch (dpi), but the higher the resolution, the longer the laser will take to cut. Stop by the tech room to see some examples of raster engravings at different resolutions to get an idea of what your file might require.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Just e-mail iduarts.techroom@gmail.com.
