Guide to laser cutting at CPS, for both beginners & experienced designers.

1. Preparing your document in Adobe Illustrator

The first step in the process is to make sure your file is in the correct format. Here are the general formatting details:

• Adobe Illustrator (.ai) file
• For vector operations, your line weight needs to have a stroke weight of 0.001 in (0.072 pt), with no fill, and stroke color set to black
• Document size should be 36 in x 24 in (to match the cutting area)
• Documents need to be created and edited on your personal computer so they can be copied to the xLab PC, which is connected to the laser cutter

Set your stroke width to .001 in. This is the only setting for vector cutting. Any stroke that is set to that width will automatically be cut by the machine.

If you want to etch your design you can fill or designate any other stroke thickness. In the example below, the text will be etched and the larger thin outline of the frame will be cut.

Note: the text does not have a border because the laser will interpret that as a vector cut.

Once the stroke thicknesses have been set you are ready to print. Make sure your document size corresponds to the size of your material and that your document size is exactly than 36 in x 24 in.

Save your .ai file to your computer, then upload it to your Google Drive. Then, log onto the xLab PC, download the .ai file from your Drive, and open it in Adobe Illustrator.

2. Loading material and machine setup

Locate the Laser On/Off switch on the left side of the machine and flip the switch to the “ON” position. You will hear the laser fans turn on and some beeping.

*photo coming soon 😉

Find the air compressor switch on the column near the laser. Turn the compressor on. You’ll hear the air turn on.

*photo coming soon 😉

<aside> ⚠️ WARNING!!! If you do not turn this switch on, you will see FLAMES when you start cutting. This is a critical step.

</aside>