So i have been using my laser for about a year now and have been able to figure out most issues i have had, but i have hit a wall with this one.
So i am trying to make these tokens, and am able to engrave the design perfectly fine. The issue is, is i have never figured out how to make cuttable lines. The image below is what im trying to do (the red line just shows what i wanted to cut and black is what i engrave on the wood). I tried making the cutting line its own thing and just using the trace feature, but then it cuts a ring instead of a filled circle. Is there a way that i can make it engrave one thing and cut the other? How can i make designs to be cuttable instead of just a picture? (Note: I have my files in png format. I havent quite figured out how to make SVGs)
You are close to the solution with your 2 layers for this project. Many use red layer for their “cut” layer and the others, black for example for “engraving”. In addition to the fact that the engraving layer can also be used as a fill, the only difference between the two types of layers is power and speed.
I’m just booting up my comuter to show you what I’m talking about with your example.
Thank you for posting this question. If I am understanding, you have an image (PNG of filled text and filled circle lines) and also want to cut that image out after engraving the image. If so, you can add a second layer with the cut line shape used to do the cut.
First layer image for engrave, then a second layer with cut shape set to ‘Line’ for cutting.
I usually switch all my image to black and white when i engrave them. I switched it to red just show here on the forums haha. Does keeping it red make it possible to cut it? The issue is, is when i put it into lightburn it doesnt follow the lines. It just goes back and forth from the bottom up and so it doesnt actually follow the line.
So with my project, im gonna be doing like 50+ per sheet. Do i have to go through and add 50 circles everytime or is there a way i can just upload it straight into lightburn to cut and engrave?
It will not do that with the blue layer, here it is intended/set to line.
Black is in fill and will behave as you have set its properties in the “Cut setting editor”
So i guess i usually just engrave everything as a PNG (the picture below was just engraved as a PNG (it also took 1.5 hours haha)) and then i was going to have it trace the second image to be able to cut. Turns out i overlayed it wrong and the cutting was off, but i guess my question is: What’s the best way to use the trace feature? Will it speed up the engraving process?
How did you add the cutting line? Did you add it while on lightburn or is there a way that i could upload a png and itll just make a line that i can cut? Like with that first image, i had tried using the trace feature while it had an extra ring around each circle to be cut, but when i used trace, it traced the inside and outside of the outer circle. When it cut it out, it made a ring instead of a circle
As @bernd.dk points out, you can build an Array, or copies of the original, as described here:
The colors are used to set a different layer. Each layer has its own settings and can also have sub-layers, providing you many options for how you’d like to produce a given job. In this case, I would use 2 layers. The first I would set to Fill and place the image on that layer. Next, I would place the shape used to do the cut (your outer circle shown in red) on a second layer set to line with the speed and power set to cut the shape out. Using the ‘Array’ tools, you can then create copies to produce as many of the original as you’d like.
It might be helpful to review our Beginner Project to help with understanding some of the LightBurn basics and general work flow.
Unfortunately i cant use the build array feature because each of the 50 tokens will say something different. I meant to say that there would just be 50 total to see if i had to go through and add 50 circles to each token i had.
I understand the layers, but when i do all these steps it doesn’t let me set the red line to cut out the shape. It still treats it like it is an image and tries going back and forth until it reaches the top. No matter what i do it doesn’t follow the outer line.
Are all your tokens the same diameter? If they are you can create a circle the size you want to cut on it’s own layer. Use the array tool to create your 50 cut lines then center each token within a circle. (select token, shift select any circle then use the bullseye to center align to circle)
But, as @Rick writes, try to start with the basics of LightBurn. It’s not meant arrogantly by me (us), it’s just a necessary step in the right direction, otherwise all the options in LightBurn will be too overwhelming.
Have you gone through out beginner docs? I think they will help you understand some of the stumbling blocks you’re encountering, like what layers are used for and how to use them, how to align jobs etc.
The one on the left would be perfect!
