PREPARATION OF ILLUSTRATOR FILES FOR LASER CUTTERS

The following is a guide showing how to prepare your Illustrator File for sending to the Laser Cutter.
Your file will be checked and if it is not formatted correctly you will be asked to do so and then return
with it corrected this will not be done for you.
1.

SET THE ARTBOARD SIZE TO 900MMW X 600MMH

These are the limits of the Laser machines cutting table (it is a good idea to go to Illustrator
preferences and set units to millimetres).

2.

Click on the Document Setup button in the task bar at the bottom of your program
window to open the Document Setup window.

Click on the Edit Artboards button in the Document Setup window.

Now, enter the correct setting for the artboard in the two text fields for Width and Height in
the task bar.

Click on any tool in the Tool Box to get out of the Edit Artboards mode when youve
finished.

SET STROKE TO 0.01MM

The Printer (Laser) Driver will not recognise any other line thickness. (The exception is for etching,
which is a solid black area)

3.

Select Window>Stroke to display the Weight palette on the screen.

Enter 0.01 mm in the text field for weight.

SET THE COLOUR MODE TO RGB

Go to File > Document Colour Mode: RGB Colour

4.

SELECT COLOUR SETTINGS FOR YOUR DRAWING

The laser cutters only recognise three colours to be able to perform its function.
Red for cutting

5.

Blue for engraving

Black for etching

Select the line with the black arrow tool

In the COLOR palette, change the Fill colour to None

Then switch to the Stroke colour and apply the following settings according to the task you
want the cutter to perform:
Cut

Red: 255

Green: 0

Blue:0

Engrave

Red: 0

Green: 0

Blue: 255

Etch

Red: 0

Green: 0

Blue: 0

SAVE AS ILLUSTRATOR EPS FILE

The title of your EPS file must contain the initial of your course and your Student Number.
For example: ID 20010000.eps, IA190000000.eps, MM21000000.eps