Introduction to Laser-Cutting

Explore laser-cut design basics: create and arrange shapes, navigate and zoom, align and resize, combine or subtract shapes, add text, and prepare files for engraving, scoring, and cutting.

Install inkscape, a free vector drawing program similar to Illustrator, from the Inkscape website, choose your operating system, run the installer, and complete the setup.

Resize the Inkscape page to your laser cutter bed in inches, then place guides at 11 and 19.5 inches to verify fit and lock them for accuracy.

Learn to navigate Inkscape for laser cutting by panning and zooming with the middle mouse button, shift and control modifiers, the zoom tool, and fit-to-page view.

Explore the square and rectangle tools in the Inkscape UI, shaping precise dimensions with drag, hold ctrl to lock proportions, and adjust width, height, and corner radii.

Learn to change shape colors and stroke with fill and stroke tools, and use color to order cutting steps. For laser cutting, the stroke matters, while the fill engraves.

Create circles, ovals, and semicircles with the circle tool, using dimensions and start and end degrees. Build polygons and stars, adjusting corners, spoke ratios, edge rounding, and randomization via handles.

Learn how to transform shapes in laser-cut design by moving, duplicating, rotating, and scaling objects with precise coordinates, snapping to 15-degree increments, and center-based rotation, and manage layering for patterns.

Master complex shapes using bezier curves and straight lines, and refine forms with the edit path by node tool, adjusting points, tangents, and converting nodes to corners or smooth curves.

Learn to align and distribute objects in laser-cutting projects by using page-relative and last-selected references, with horizontal and vertical alignment, center, edges, and baseline text alignment.

Combine multiple shapes using union, difference, intersection, exclusion, and division to create complex outlines for laser cutting, and learn to manage top shapes, paths, and cut paths.

Design a four-inch round laser-cut coaster by creating an outer ring from two circles, adding long narrow rectangles, and using path difference, intersection, and union to finalize the pattern.

Design a zigzag coaster by forming a rounded square ring, breaking the zigzag into rectangles, rotating and duplicating with snap alignment, and using path intersection and union for laser-cutting.

Design a concentric hexagonal maze for laser cutting in Inkscape by creating hexagons, applying precise dimensions, duplicating and aligning rings, and using path difference and union to cut corridors.

Discover how to build a hexagon-ring coaster with a snowflake spirograph pattern for laser cutting, using rotate around edge, path difference, union, and mirror and align for a final design.

Import each coaster into one Inkscape file as editable objects, arrange them, and optionally color-code clusters to set separate laser cutting steps.

Learn safe material selection for laser cutting, from proof grade materials to Baltic birch plywood, including pros, cons, and finishing tips like masking and glueing considerations.

Learn how to send designs to a laser cutter using Globe Forge workflow, including selecting materials, choosing or creating custom cut settings, and saving presets for Baltic birch plywood.

Design a three-layer laser-cut picture frame (6x8 outer, 4x6 inner) with a protective acrylic middle layer, decorative front, and personalized text and stars using Inkscape.

Learn to prevent or remove laser burn marks using masking, transfer tape, sanding methods, and Baltika Birch plywood and acrylics to keep edges clean.

Use calipers to measure material thickness for laser-cut parts with slots and tabs, verify fits with test parts, and prepare upcoming tabs-and-slots projects.

Design a wooden phone stand from two interlocking pieces, with holes and bottom notches for a cable, and engrave a Mandela design on the front.

Build the outer pencil holder box with precise slot joints. Align sides and bottom, and create tabs for a snug fit, preparing for honeycomb decoration and finger joints.

Create a honeycomb hexagon pattern to decorate a pencil holder, using polygon tools, snapping, grouping, and path operations to prepare laser-cut parts, with focus on two-layer inserts and finger joints.

Apply laser-cut finger joints instead of a butt joint to create a stronger, interwoven pencil box insert with more glue surface.

Assemble the pencil holder by fitting higher-slot pieces and sliding in the sides. Stain the insides with Qabbani, Black Cherry, Honey OK, and Ebonie, then slide into the outer pieces.

Design a custom laser-cut studio sign by selecting fonts, importing a vector gear, and using path unions and offset in Inkscape to engrave and cut.

Apply what you learned to start making awesome laser-cut designs, share your creations on the website, and enjoy happy lasering as the course wraps up.