PNG files printing smaller than Size in Illustrator

[jonmoore]

I have been trying to make aluminum business cards, so I laid out my file to engrave in Illustrator. The size of the file is 3.5 x 2 in illustrator and prints on a printer fine, but when I GF it is comes out about 75% of the size. I am using a .png file to engrave. Can anyone help. I have seen a lot about .svg files, but nothing about .png

[Jules]

That might have something to do with the settings that you are using for your SVG file.

Are you using Save As or Export? (Save As used to be recommended for fewest problems, I’m not sure whether that still holds or not.)

Glowforge Interface - Correctly Save a File as an SVG for the GFUI

For All Programs: If you want to engrave a bitmap (raster) style image and include it inside a vector SVG file, you need to Embed the image in the file if you want it to stay aligned inside the SVG file. Otherwise you will need to re-load the raster file and use the camera to align it visually. (That’s fine, but you will completely lose the benefit of more accurate alignment that you get from the design software.) There are instructions for how to Embed raster images for some of the main 2D…

[josephtpage]

Sounds like the 72 dpi versus 96 dpi problem.

[jbmanning5]

So I take it you’re just exporting a PNG out from Illustrator?

The problem is that images don’t use actual real units. So you’re just exporting out an image at a specific pixel Width and Height and then it’s left to whatever software app to display based on pixel units.

Your best bet would be to size it appropriately in Illustrator and then export a SVG with the PNG(s) embedded. That way the SVG specified the image size in specific units.

[jonmoore]

Ok, these are all very helpful. The dpi thing did help, thanks @josephtpage
The other suggestions for the embedded .svg file worked as well.

I have not reprinted yet, but it looks good on the screen. I will give it a try and show a pic if I can. Thanks Community

[vee]

I’m glad you resolved it! I’m going to close this thread - if the problem reoccurs, go ahead and post a new topic. Thanks for letting us know about this!