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View Full Version : How would you take this line art into Lasercut?



sarah beck
04-17-2014, 11:28 AM
Hello,
I'm still having a great time playing around with different substrates and learning the best settings for each one. Still amazed at what the laser can do. Where I'm falling short is with what I can do! I want to engrave my own designs onto wood (and other substrates.) I have about a medium proficiency with photoshop, basic Illustrator skills and very limited Corel skills. My question is, I would like to take this line art and get it into the Lasercut software and engrave it so that it comes out looking basically the same as it does in this graphic.
287491
What would be the best way to do this? I have tried tracing it in Corel and then tweaking it in Lasercut with layers so that it engraves the dog grey and does shallow cuts for the white dog (see below). The problem is that when using the trace feature in Corel, for example on the white dog, it outlines both sides of the line, so it ends up sort of doing that line twice. Also, on the nose, or some areas that I would like darker it just outlines them. I can't do those nose lines as a different layer set to engrave because they are all just part of the dog's outline, so they are really one line. Maybe I need to weld lines? (Oh this becomes clumsy to describe!!)
So, am I best to try and treat this as a photograph when I prepare the file for lasercut? Or should I redraw my artwork and be aware that I need to separate the different parts of the drawing, like, for example, when drawing a nose, keep it a separate part of the drawing and don't let it touch the outside line of the dog? I have googled and searched the forums, but I can't seem to figure this out. I am trying to learn so much right now, it just feels like my head is getting bogged down and maybe I can't see a simple solution (if there is one). Here are the results I have gotten from tracing in Corel and then setting different layers in the Lasercut software:
287493

Thanks in advance!
Sarah

David Somers
04-17-2014, 12:09 PM
Sarah,

When you are tracing from the bitmap image, have you tried selecting centerline for the trace? Like you said, right now you are getting an inside and outside line which is the normal trace setting.

Dave
PS....I don't have access to Corel here so I can't look at the screens. Trying to go by memory.
Also, you might stick your Corel version and any other helpful info in your signature. That way the background details are always available to folks when you ask questions.

Chad Fitzgerald
04-17-2014, 12:14 PM
I dont know anything about how lasercut works, but in corel you could:
white dog, if you want to vector cut the outline, you can select the white dog, break curve apart(this will give you 2 seperate lines, then delete the inside or outside, which ever you do not want. However, that may goof up areas lkike the nose, ears, etc. just have to try it and see how it looks.
Or dont break the curve apart, give the two lines a fill(black) no outline, and let the laser rastor engrave it.
For the nose to change color, if you break the curve apart, you may be able to select the inside of the nose by itself, change the fill color. Or if that doesnt work i will often just draw the shape of the nose, make it the color i want and then place it over the original nose.
hope this helps, not sure if its the right way but..
Chad

Pete James
04-17-2014, 3:32 PM
I engrave most high resolution bitmaps by converting them to dithered 1 bit png files. You can control the dithering (half toning) by changing the depth of the gray dog in your paint software. In my experience png files engrave better than jpg or other bitmaps in Lasercut. The dithering will enable the lasercut software to see the gray areas as an area of black dots and the result will be an engraved area that has an appearance similar to black and white newspaper photos. The darker you make the gray area, the closer the dots will be together and the image will be darker. You will probably need to play around with it in your paint program to get the look you prefer. We do not use Corel, we do our design in Serif Draw Plus which we prefer and is only about $99 from their website. We also have excellent results converting vector files in Serif to a plt format for vector cutting or engraving. We hardly ever get the error message for unconnected lines or double lines etc that we get with Corel or AI.

Bruce Volden
04-17-2014, 8:15 PM
Sarah,
If it were ME--I would trace with Corel. The dogs are identical so I would concentrate on the white one (yes the other dog is slightly larger). Once you have it traced bring it into draw, edit the nodes you deem necessary. From there mirror it and enlarge the dog proportionately. Once it is in a vector format you can fill the larger dog to your likening. To me this seem like a GREAT time to learn what Corel Trace is capable of since it is a very simple drawing. HTH

Bruce

sarah beck
04-18-2014, 8:10 AM
Ok, thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm going to give some of them a try and see what happens.

sarah beck
04-18-2014, 8:12 AM
Yes, I've tried that and it doesn't work because of filled areas. Looks pretty funny! :)