Week4 : Vinyl Cutter Project


For Week4 : laser cutting assignment goto:
Week4 page

Download files

Sticker for my mac

Design

When you want to get simple silhouette from complex raster image such as photographs, you may accomplish your purpose by using “trace image” feature in Adobe illustrator.
In this paragraph I am gonna briefly explain how to trace an image properly and retouch it to make a decent vector data out of raw photographs.

Making cut data on Adobe illustrator

My sample design consist of two motif: my family emblem (each Japanese family has an crest) and my sister’s face.

  1. Extract vector from raster image
    I got Naito crest in vector data, so simply open it to illustrator.
    Then import image file of my sister’s face.
    my face as a material
    Trace image tool (オブジェクト>画像トレース>作成) will convert your raster image into vector image.
    Adujust your parameters…

[Parameters]
プリセット (Presets)：シルエット(Silhouette)もしくはカスタム(or custom)
カラーモード (Color mode)：白黒 (Black and white)
しきい値 (Threshold)：170
パス (Path)：50%
コーナー (Corner)：50%
ノイズ (Noise)：１px
作成(Generate)：塗りのみチェック (Check only fill)

  1. Extend and ungroup
    Use “Extension” feature（オブジェクト>画像トレース>拡張）
    to get vector line, then ungroup（オブジェクト>グループ解除） to enable editing.
    traced

  2. Editing
    First vector lines you get from image trace tool would be something like above, but it should look like this to get all cut properly done.
    fixed
    To do this, after extending, make sure to ungroup groups and release multiple lines.
    You may use Command+Y to change the view to outline mode to make it easier to do the edit.

  3. Export it in dxf format
    Make sure to export in dxf! as silhouette studio only can read dxf for vectors. （ファイル>書き出し>書き出し形式）
    Better to put every thing within one layer
    layer construction

Introducing data to vinyl cutter

specification
Hardware Silhouette Cameo
Software Silhouette Studio
data format dxf and other img format

  1. Setting
    enter image description here
    Start up page of Silhouette studio. Select “Design”.
    enter image description here
    Choose your media size on Design Page Setting and place your data in appropriate position with proper size.
    enter image description here
    Then continue on Cut Setting, set cut style as “cut”, select your media type (in this case chose “Silhouette vinyl”) and adjust ratchet blade depth (how far the knife edge comes out from the ratchet), cutting speed and the thickness (how low the ratchet goes when cutting).

  2. Change blade depth
    enter image description here
    You need to change the blade depth to the same depth as your setting. Turn the blue handle knob to left to unlock the blade, then withdraw ratchet by pulling it upward. Use the gray tube right in front of the blue knob to change the blade depth. Simply, stick your blade in it (make sure that the red sign on the blade comes in the front) and twist it.

  3. Load media
    enter image description here
    Now, place your media to Silhouette Cameo. On the console, select “load media” option (select “load cutting mat” if you are using single layer media) to load it.
    You will need to change the extruder width if it didn’t suit the media size.
    enter image description here

  4. Test cut
    enter image description here
    Run test cut to see if your settings are OK.
    enter image description here
    It seems OK.

  5. Cutting
    enter image description here

After cutting

  1. Remove unnecessary part of the seal.
    enter image description here
  2. Attach the transfer sheet to the seal.
    enter image description here
  3. Cut the edges and finish!
    enter image description here

Download files