Glowforge Pro

The Makerspace has a Glowforge Pro laser cutter machine.

Open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document.
Set the document size to match the size of the work area of the laser (11"x19").
Design your project using any shapes, text, or images you like.
Once you are finished designing, select all objects of the same operation type (ie, cutting, engraving, etching) and go to Object > Group to group them together.
Next, you need to convert your design to an SVG file. To do this, go to File > Export > Export As.
In the Export As window, select SVG (.svg) from the Format dropdown menu.
Click Export and save your file to your computer.

Place your material on the Glowforge bed and secure it with masking tape or honeycomb pins.
Open the Glowforge app and upload your SVG file.
Select the appropriate settings for your material and project.
Press the small remote on top of the laser cutter to turn on air filtration.
Click the Print button to start cutting.

Use hairlines for all of your cut lines. Hairlines are the thinnest stroke weight in Illustrator and will produce the cleanest cuts.
Make sure that all of your objects are closed paths. If an object is not a closed path, the laser will not be able to cut it correctly.
If you are cutting text, make sure that it is converted to outlines. To do this, select the text and go to Type > Create Outlines.
If you are engraving an image, make sure that it is converted to grayscale. To do this, select the image and go to Image > Mode > Grayscale.

Instructions for cleaning the Glowforge can be found at Cleaning The GlowForge.

Laser Cart Reservations

This cart can be reserved for Curricular and Workshop use. Please use this calendar to make a reservation.