Stupid question about engraving vs cutting

There is an app specific to iOS now, you can get it in the store for free.

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WHAAAT?? That’ll make life easier!!

Okay, I see above that you are trying to work with a raster image, you will need to reduce it to two colors and trace it into a vector to make it work right. The GFUI will not cut rasters, only vectors.

I know, lots to learn but it gets easier! I don’t know what are program you are using so that is as far as I can take you right now.

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It’s actually a vector image. I just saved a JPG to share here.

I tried uploading a PDF but wasn’t able to, even via the app I downloaded (as per your suggestions.) Any thoughts? I appreciate the help!

If the original is a vector I am at a loss other that tring it saved as a SVG, sometimes one program or another saves something that chokes the GFUI. I’ve never had any trouble with PDF but I’ll have an SVG from one program work great and then try one from another and it will choke.

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Thanks! I actually connected my iMac instead of my iPad to the GF, and it seems to be uploading files ok now. And it’s recognizing the different colors for engraving/cutting! Will test it out after it’s done engraving the text image I’m working on now.

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The app actually works quite well if you can save it as an SVG from your iPad to the files area (I use Dropbox but other save areas would probably work.) Plenty of iPad apps will save an SVG (I have Inkpad and Vectornator). Then what you do is go to a saved file in your Dropbox account and Export the file then choose Open in… then choose Copy to Glowforge from the options listed. I haven’t been able to get this to work for pdf files but it does work for SVGs.

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Another newbie Q (still reading up tutorials & learning inkscape), so putting this here rather than new thread. I’ve been trying to get this for past 2 days, managed to understand get rid of clip masks too. Finally close but not quite.

If I want to have a gradient engrave and a score or cut around that, then I have to do it as separate files uploaded to the GFUI? The score (or cut) file I save as svg. I get layers. So I can have the gradient fill that is inside that score in a another layer (hidden when I save the score file), then unhide and save that (an hide the score layer) as png. (If I save as svg then of course no gradient - tested that). Problem is that if I save as png then when I ‘add artwork’ and upload it puts it somewhere else - not inside the previously loaded score. As opposed to the svg version that put it in the right spot (but no gradient).
How do I get around this?

Thank you! (+ for all the tutorials and matrix and amazing help on this forum)

No, svg is a container file. Everything can go in one file.

What you have to do is rasterize the gradient. The GF interface does not handle vector gradient engraves yet (I don’t think), so if you create a vector gradient in Inkscape, just turn it into a Bitmap before saving it in the SVG.

The interface does handle bitmap gradients just fine.

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Thanks markevans36301 and Jules!

Jules - I saw your
Glowforge Interface - Vector Files Made Easy 🤔
post/thread

That’s in AI. I can’t seem to do that in inkscape. I tried both linear and gradient fills - (with or without a stroke line). First I convert the object to path and then trace bitmap. Perhaps I have the settings incorrect there? I do see that they come up as an engrave in the GFUI - but as a block/single color no dpi or density option.
(attaching my test file): AsqgradtestINK

[Screenshot ]

I appreciate the handholding on this…

(edited to resize svg; thanks evansd2)

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Select your gradient object, and go to File->Export PNG image.

You can set specifics about the export there, including DPI.

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You might also want to read this.

Your test file came up really small in your post, it’s a dumb discourse thing, but you can alter the display size pretty easily by going back and editing your post.

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Inkscape’s not my main gig, but try this:

Create a rectangle, give it a gradient fill but no stroke color:

Then create a Bitmap copy:

Drag the copy off of the top of the original rectangle:

Select the rectangle on the bottom and convert it into a Path:
Path> Object to Path.

Then remove the fill color on the rectangle and give it a green stroke color: That will become a Cutting Line:

Last, use the Align Tools to line them back up again:

Now you have an Image file inside of a Cutline. Save it as an SVG, and both parts will show up. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thanks - that works but issue was that if a png version is used uploaded into GFUI separate from the cut/score file then it shows up at a different spot in GFUI

Thank you, Jules!!! That copy to bitmap - works great! + I get the option to vary power rather than just dpi density - sweeeeet. Thank you, thank you!

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Chuckle! My pleasure. Have fun! :smile:

1: My suggested method works without issue

The step I glossed over: You would then drag the png back into your SVG drawing. This will embed the PNG into your SVG. Sorry, I left it off because I figured you knew how to do this already. Once embedded, you can align it with your existing rectangle/any other cuts you wanted.

2: Making a bitmap copy has one negative you should know

Make a bitmap copy gives you no (simple) control over DPI, it defaults to 96. This will seem pretty jagged in an engrave on all but the lowest LPI settings.

Luckily, you can change the default DPI.

  • go to Edit->Preferences
  • scroll down to the Bitmaps section
  • change the default “Create” DPI

3: Bitmaps aren’t as capable as PNGs
Also as a rasterized image, a bitmap will not support transparency, which may be something you want later when engraving.

4: PNG export gives you a static copy of your raster
If you save it out as a PNG, you can do post processing in GIMP/photoshop/etc to get it exactly right before importing back into your SVG. This won’t always be necessary, but if you get into serious fiddly tweaking, this is the way to do it.


So for quick and dirty, yeah that make bitmap copy works well enough. I'd just up the DPI before you export a bitmap copy. Exporting the PNG is the more thorough way to do it and may be a welcome part of your workflow to have separate asset files for later adjustment.
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Thank you! That’s awesome. I wasnt thinking correctly - and importing separate png to the GFUI, rather than back to the original svg. Initailly didn’t seem much different - at 96 or 120 dpi, but upped it to 300 and it’s smooth - at least onscreen - we’ll see how different the engrave is.
Jules noted elsewhere as I checked that then the lpi (rather than dpi) makes a difference because of very close burns.

But excited, thanks for making me realize that I can now edit the png with photoshop (I have a bit of experience/smattering with that) - so now it’s possible not just to make a circular gradient to depict a rabbithole, but also to put in a teeny rabbit in it… :wink:

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