Engraving and cutting the same svg design

[1211patti]

I have purchase a cute little fox black and white svg file that I had hoped to cut around the perimeter and then engrave the inside detail of it’s face. However when I uploaded the file and began to size and tried to do that it would only let me cut or just engrave. I have done this on one of my own hand drawn designs that the machine traced for me and it worked wonderfully! What am I doing wrong with this file? How can I highlight the perimeter to cut and the center detail to engrave.
Thanks!!

[Jules]

Generally we will create a cut line for around the outside of the engrave areas using an Auto-Trace program. What design program are you using, Inkscape, Illustrator or one of the other ones?

[1211patti]

Hi!
I am LEARNING to use Inkscape.
This is all new to me.

[Jules]

That’s okay, there are some great tutorials for how to get started in Inkscape here, and quite a few folks who know how to use it really well. (I’m not one of them, but I can probably get you started with a tutorial that tells you how to do what you are trying to do.)

This one discusses how to do a complex trace in Inkscape. If yours is a simple raster image, it should be easy to do using this method.

A method to create offset outline around a bitmap using Inkscape

I’ve seen folks asking how to create an outline around a bitmap (or collection of vectors) so they don’t have to cut just a rectangle. There are several tutorials already, but here’s a technique that I’ve used for bitmaps in various programs for many, many years, and I haven’t seen it posted yet. I’ve adapted it to Inkscape as that’s all the rage. I’m using the image supplied by @Darth_Sixstring as their post prompted me to put this walk-through together. NOTE: this technique works great for s…

If your file is already a vector engrave, all you would need to do is copy the outermost path line in the same place, change the color of the copy, and give it no fill. That will become a vector cutting path. The general rule is Fills get engraved. Stroked paths with no fill become cut or score lines. So if you create a second copy of the outside path, and give it a different color stroke, you’re creating a cutting line.

[1211patti]

Thank you for your help! I will be working on this today.

[beerfaced]

Here is the simplest method I’ve found:
-Import your image
-Select and trace bitmap then delete original image
-With one image still selected duplicate it and move it to the side
-With it still selected click Break Apart
-Now click on the solid image and drag it off to the side (this may take a few tries to get the entire background image)
-Keep the solid image and delete all the bits that appeared behind it
-Change the colour of the solid image
-Click both images and align vertically and horizontally
-Save as SVG and upload to the Glowforge.

[1211patti]

UPDATE…I did it! Thank you! Super pleased with how the final product turned out!

[Jules]

Fantastic!

[vee]

Thanks for the help here, everyone! I’m glad to hear you were able to get the result you wanted. I’m going to close this thread. If you run into any other trouble, please start a new topic, or email us at support@glowforge.com. We’re here to help!