SVG unable to print with "cut"

Community Support
1

I have an svg that I exported using Photoshop. I am pretty new to laser cutting and photoshop both so bear with me but I used Blending options to create an outline around my svg I purchased online (with a few custom tweaks so I can add hooks), then converted to a smart object , then selected that outline path and created a new path from it. At that point, I tried to print and found that the SVG exported still wouldn’t print and found this post:

I used “Copy SVG” to a new layer, hid the old layer so I had a fresh layer with only the outline in it. Then I was left with two layers total:

  1. my svg engrave layer
  2. my outline layer which only has that nice outline on it with a stroke

I used export again and uploaded. And glowforge still says engrave is the only option for the outline. I am not sure I can upload the asset - I only have a personal license but please let me know if I’m off base on that or I can upload the outline portion only. I’ve been working on this project for ages though so any help would be amazing.

2

Without looking at the file it would be hard to tell you what it needs, but you might be able to just create an Outline for cutting using the Outline feature in the Premium software trial. It does a really good job on creating cutlines.

Load the design into the interface…I’ll show a simple example below:

This design has a raster (Photoshop) image for the pink flower, and a vector cutline, the orange circles, just laid over the top. They are set up to engrave and cut respectively when you load them into the interface.

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To get a combined outline around the pixel image and the vector circles, just select both, then click the Create Outline button.

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Click on Create New Outline in the popup:

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Then if you want to adjust the size, just click the outline and you can drag the slider in or out:

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It’s extremely accurate.

5 Likes
3

For a little more technical detail - Photoshop is primarily a raster program with a few limited vector capabilities. Sadly, exporting an SVG with vector data isn’t one of them. Vectors (shape layers, paths, etc) created in PS can only be exported to Illustrator .ai format. If you have Ilustrator as well I can walk you through that.

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Just import it in to a cad program and you can make a proper file of it

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I see that the community has provided some good advice on the next best steps. I’ll keep this thread open longer, and see if any of those steps helped. Let us know how it goes!

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Thanks! Adding an outline around it in the premium trial definitely works in this case but I was hoping to learn a bit more about my software options in the process on this project - I would definitely appreciate any pointers to doing this in CAD or Illustrator if there’s a canonical post I can follow. I can get Illustrator. Or if it’s easier to create the file in Photoshop and open and save in Inkscape?

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I use Gimp which will turn a mask into a vector that can be exported. I use Inkscape to put all the vectors and images together. But the Outline in the premium software is the easiest way to go.

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8

There are a lot of ways to go about it depending on what design software you’re comfortable with. Since you’re already using Photoshop take a look at this post, I think you’ll find it useful.

https://community.glowforge.com/t/photoshop-to-illustrator-quick-outlines-and-vectors-of-photoshop-paths/

3 Likes
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Thank you! That’s precisely what I wanted! FWIW - I want a pretty detailed path and I wanted the option for an interior path that can be more painful with a the outline tool. Illustrator + Photoshop will give me that choice with a bit more pain when needed.

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I’m glad you resolved it! 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!