Whole line not printing at same time

Ok, how can I explain this. I have 5 objects that are the same. They are grouped together with the same color but they will not print the whole line at the same time. They are aligned the same.

-Mark

You will need to make them one item in your design software and probably rasterize the file. The Glowforge interface will not treat them as a unit.

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The GF UI has no concept of ā€œgroupsā€. You need to make them a single object (in Inkscape it’s called ā€œcombineā€) to get them to be considered one object.

(edited - I said Union but it’s Combine, ⌘K)

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Well, maybe not explaining correctly . Lets say I have 5 words on the same line. it all lines up on the same y axes. Why is the Glowforge doing each word individually and not the whole row?

-Mark

If they were created separately, they are unique items as far as the Glowforge is concerned.

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The file was created in Illustrator

As one text box?

No copy paste. But 1 font works right the other does not. Seems the thicker the font will print the whole line…

I’ve seen this happen many times when copy/paste is used, too. I don’t have an explanation for it at all, but as long as they eventually all get printed I guess I don’t really care.

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Well, what makes no sense it one font (thick) will do the whole row, but a thinner one will not…

-Mark

Well no…that’s true. I wasn’t speaking about the thinness or thickness of the font…only the random sequence of printing. Somehow, I think the font part of your issue is not related to the sequencing…but, I could be wrong.

It may not make sense but you’ve been given the answer. The GF has no concept of groups.

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Did you copy/paste before or after outlining and merging the text/font?

Before would result in separate Illustrator objects.
After, if you had the whole line selected, would result in a single compound path object.

I don’t think you mentioned if you are engraving or cutting? GF doesn’t care about lining up on axes. With vector data, both cuts and engraves, it tends to jump around. For engraves you can make a rasterized copy of your whole text line and it will be one object that will ā€˜print’ in the orderly fashion you seem to be wanting. (Object>Rasterize, choose a DPI matching your engrave LPI)

When you have an image with a vector line around it, only the image will engrave. If you make all the copies one thing then the line on the outside will have its thickness added to the overall size.

The easiest thing is to make all the lines set to engrave and forget engraving the image part. That engrave will be done all at once (if all the same color) and make a very nice engrave.

If the thickness of the lines is near zero then the increase of making a single image will be zero also. but silly. Images will always engrave one at a time no matter what, but vectors will engrave all at once if all the same color.

If any vector is too close to the edge all but that one will engrave. If any part of an image is too close to the edge then nothing will engrave.

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