Makerspace: News

Virtual Maker Monday for September 14, 2020 | Laser Cut Keychains

Even though we operate a bit differently this semester, the Makerspace is still available to help you create amazing things! For our inaugural Virtual Maker Monday, we will show you how to prepare your own graphic for a laser cut keychain. This is not a scheduled event, but a fun way for you to prepare your own custom image for so you have everything you need ready before you make an appointment with us. Your appointment does not have to be on Monday, either. We are open Monday through Wednesday from 11am-4pm.

We will be using Inkscape to prepare our image for laser cutting. Download and install the free, cross-platform software on your computer.

Open Inkscape

• Prepare the document where your graphic will live
  • File>Document Properties (Shift+Ctrl+D)
  • Set custom page size to 12"x12"
  • Save and Title Document to your computer (save early and save often)

You can either import an image that you find online or create your own. This week, we'll focus on importing one we find online.

Some places to look for images:

• Open Clip Art
• Google Image Search

• Choose a high-resolution image, with a solid background
  • High contrast - The laser can only do a monochrome gradient, so a greyscale or black and white image are best
  • Good Search keywords: Vector, Clipart, Grayscale
  • Download the image you find to your computer

• Converting to Bitmap
  • If you zoom into your image (Ctrl + Scroll) you may notice squares, or pixels.
  • This is fine for rastering, or etching an image. I want to be able to cut along the edges of my image though. To do that, I need to trace my image. It is possible to trace everything by hand, but it can become tedious. Alternatively, we can use “Trace Bitmap”
    • Path>Trace Bitmap (Shift + Alt + B)
  • Many of the options are image specific to play around with options. I decided on multiple scans, Grays, with smoothing off.
  • 
  • Now if we open Object manager Object>Objects, we get a tree list of all the objects in our document.
  • 
  • The g1538 object is the group of curves, or vectors that I just created. The image1479 is my original imported image. It is still behind my vector; I like to move it off my page, so I have just in case I need to recreate my bitmap later.
  • Expand on the g1538, if you click on the different paths each highlights a different part of my object. Once I find the one that is the background, I can delete it.
  • NOTE: Save early and save often! Inkscape is a great free tool, but it can have unexpected crashes. To minimize lost work, make sure to use useful titles for your work.
    • File>Save (Ctrl+S)
• Resize as necessary
  • With the background deleted you can have a better idea for the size of your piece.
  • Keep in mind that our page is 12”x12”
  • Note: Ctrl + Left Mouse Drag: Resizes selected object(s) while preserving the aspect ratio
  • While holding Ctrl, drag the arrows until you are satisfied. Alternatively, adjust the size directly using the width and height textboxes in the toolbar. Make sure the padlock is locked to preserve aspect ratio.
  • To rotate the object, simply click on your object twice.
  • If at any point you want to undo, Edit>Undo (Ctrl+Z) or click
  • 
  • As this is a keychain, I am making my logo 1.25” x 1”
• Final Export: When you are happy with your image, File>Export to PNG. We will then help you laser etch your design on a keychain when you visit.

If you want to learn more about Inkscape and creating your own logos and graphics, check out this eBook from the Library https://xplore.xavier.edu/record=b2802167

Once you have prepared your graphic, make a laser cutter appointment with us! Your laser cut will be free if you mention this Maker Monday tutorial! To save even more time, send us your files prior to your visit.