Is there any way to add text as the top layer that will be scored, but not have the letters be transparent so items from the picture behind will not be scored inside the letters?
Welcome to the forum.
What you describe is not possible within the Glowforge interface, but it may be possible in a vector graphics program.
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Thanks…I had a feeling that was the case…was trying some “creative” alternatives, but coming up short every time.
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To do what you are describing, you are going to have to composite your image in an image editing program of some sort. The text will need to be removed from the background.
Usually, when people talk about a “picture,” they mean a raster/bitmap image that is being engraved (where the laser moves back and forth, burning one line at a time). Is that what your bottom layer is?
If so, a fairly easy way to do this would be to import the bitmap into a vector editor like Inkscape (which is free, open source software). Then you can put your text (with a white outline and fill) over the bitmap image, export a modified bitmap with the text cut out as a PNG, re-import that image and align the vector text over the text removed from the image.
For example, here’s the original image:
Add some white, no-outline text over it in Inkscape, convert the text to a vector object, export that as a new PNG:
Re-import the new PNG you just created, copy in your vectorized text, set it to no fill and add an outline:
If you save that as an SVG and, upload it to the GFUI, it should do what you are describing.
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Ever,
I appreciate your thoughts/advice. I am working with 3rd and 4th graders and was trying to eliminate a lot of steps…the idea was to have an svg image imported or even generated by their AI art generator and then add text over the top of it…and then scoring both…but wo the scoring on the insides of the letters…almost like the letters have a “fill” function that I didn’t know about. It sounds like my simple fix is cuts on the letters instead of a score…and then recut the letters and puzzle them in later.
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You could try Cuttle.xyz, they have an educational discount. You could create a template that allows them to insert and image and type the letters over it while masking the image and outining the letters. Once you have the template it would be three steps.
- Insert image
- Type text
- Copy and paste into the Glowforge UI
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Yeah, you need to be using a different tool, the GF app is far from a design tool except for the most basic use cases.
Simplify your requirements, or switch tools.
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