Design for print / Laser cut

23 / 10 / 13

OUGD504 / DESIGN FOR PRINT.

LASER CUTTING.

INDUCTION / TESTING

I have used laser cutting before however not for a couple of years, I am already aware of the possibilities that come with this process, however I am excited to utilise the method again now I have more confidence and knowledge on my Graphic Design practice.

'Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, but is also starting to be used by schools, small businesses, and hobbyists. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high-power laser, by computer, at the material to be cut. The material then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas, leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials.'
SOURCE

To refresh my self and gain the right knowledge to be able to use this machinery I attended a laser cutting workshop.

Within this session we were shown some of the possibilities of working with the machinery from the type of materials that are usable and the effects that you can create using the laser cutter. The most common materials used to laser cut are wood, acrylic, card and paper, however there are endless possibilities on other materials that could be used such as food items, glass and tissue paper.

Here are some examples that were presented to us demonstrating the effects.

CUT THROUGH / CARD BOARD

WOOD / ETCHED FOR STAMPING

GLASS / ETCHED

LINO / ETCHED FOR STAMPING

PAPER / CUT OUT

ACRYLIC / CUTOUT

Materials such as metal or materials that have a mirrored surface are not suitable to use in the laser cutting machinery. This is simply because they will reflect the laser been causing it to bounce back.

There is a way around this by using mirrored acrylic that have a matt surface on the back. This means that you have to ensure your design is cut backwards so as when turned over the design on the acrylic will be the correct way round.

It was then demonstrated to us how to set up your document to print using the laser cutter. There are 4 effects to choose from:

KISS CUT - very light raster one the surface

ENGRAVE - Deep indent into the surface

RASTER / ETCH - in between engraving and kiss cut.

CUTOUT - Laser penetrates straight through the material.

First you have to ensue that thou have chosen the desired effect from the four above with in the different lines of your design. Then make the correct set ups regarding the type and depth of your chosen material.

After inserting your material, use the measuring block supplied to make sure the tip of the laser pointer is at the correct distance from there surface of you material.

Using the directions on the laser cutter screen enter in the dimensions by directing the laser beam manually from the bottom left hand corner up to the top right hand corner. This will allow the machine to work out the dimensions of your plate.

For the laser to start you have to make sure that the lid is shut tight, you can then send your design to print.

This is the test print I was able to make during the session with the guidance of the technician. it used the methods of etching, cutout and engraving

This was another example that the technician produce to demonstrate how you can etch images using the gradient and tone present in the picture. this was done using the rester technique after the image had been adjusted to the correct settings.

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30 / 10 / 13

LASER CUT SESSION

EXPERIMENTATION.

After the induction I booked a slot for my self so I could then  get used to working with the machinery on my own to gain confidence. I went with a few different things to use for experimenting however I had not set up the illustrator files correctly and I was only able to use one of them due to the time limits.

I wanted to cut out for embossing as well as etching and engraving but I was only able to etch at this point.

This is the design I used for an experiment, I used a 3D typography to see how this would appear when etched into wood. (This is just a little tester piece that a whipped up in about 2 minutes!)

The short video above shows the laser cutter in action when etching and cutting out my design from a scrap of ply wood that I was supplied with by the technician.

i am very happy with the out come of the little bit of practice I had however I definitely want to come back to the laser cutter and try it out a lot more. I would like to experiment with different materials as well as the different methods and design types.