1. Start by inserting your photo frame in the upper left hand corner of engraving system.
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| 2. Customize any of the text and graphics in the design. |
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3. Draw a vector box around the design and
run only that job. Make sure to leave the lid
open and the Red Dot Pointer on - we are just performing this step to ensure our design will
be properly centered. |
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4. Once you're satisfied with the placement of the design, remove the vector box and send the job to the laser. You will need to consult your owner's manual, but the following settings were used on a 35-watt Mini 24.
Speed: 40%
Power: 100%
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How the frame was created:
Here we'll show you how we created the design for the frame itself. These helpful tips may come in handy the next time you design a new project! |
1. In CorelDRAW, create two rectangles to represent the outer perimeter of the frame
and the inner perimeter of the area where the photo will go. The outer dimensions for the LaserBits frame are 9" x 7” and the cut out dimensions are 5.5625" x 3.5625”.
Put these two rectangles on a layer called
Outlines. To see and add layers, go to Window>Dockers>Object Manager. The Object Manager will appear on the right side of your screen.
Next, align and distribute these two rectangles evenly – Arrange>Align and Distribute>Align Centers Horizontally – and - Arrange>Align and Distribute>Align Centers Vertically. |
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2. Create a new layer titled "Boxes." We will be reverse engraving parts of this frame (for example, the names Kristine and Brad.) With reverse engraving, the item is not actually engraved away, but everything around it is. So in our picture, the names and ampersand were not engrave, but the wood around these items was.
Here we need to create black filled boxes (no outline) to be engraved away. First, create a box that is 1.719" x 3.5" and align it to the top left of the edge of your page. Next, create a box that is 4.5" x 1.719" and align that to the top left of the edge of your page. |
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| 3. Now group the two boxes by selecting them both and going to Arrange>Group. After grouping them (with them still selected) select Ctrl+D to duplicate them. Rotate the object 180 degrees. Then, align the box to the bottom right of the edge of your page. |
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4. There is one last piece of text to add – the ampersand. If you add this piece as you normally would, part of the ampersand hangs over the edge of where the photo will be; however, there's a remedy for this.
First, convert the ampersand to curves by selecting it. Then go to Arrange>Convert to Curves.
Next, open the Shaping Docker (Windows>Dockers>Shaping). Select the ampersand, hold the Shift key down on the keyboard, select the inner rectangle – now both are selected.
Select Front minus Back from the Shaping Docker and select Apply. You're all set to engrave! |
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Remember to remove your "Outline" layer so that nothing on the project is cut. Those were created as guides for the project but are not necessary on the final engraving. |
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