AI-Designed, Human-Fixed: Make AI Files Laser-Ready
AI art isn't laser-ready. My operator's workflow for turning AI images into clean cut files: prep, trace, fix paths, kill duplicates, preflight. Here's how.
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Laser cutting and CNC design guides, learned on the bed.
Notes on kerf, file formats, materials and the small decisions that separate a file that cuts from a file that only looks like it should.
How to Design for Laser Cutting: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to design laser cutting files that cut first time: material, line colours, kerf, bridges and export, in eight practical steps.
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Christmas Laser Cut Files: Ornaments, Gift Boxes and Nativity Designs
Christmas laser cut files for ornaments, gift boxes, a mug box and a nativity candle holder — what each design is, what to cut it from, and when to start.
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Tab-and-Slot Desktop Organizer SVG: A Glue-Less Case Study
A tab-and-slot desktop organizer SVG for 3mm birch plywood that snaps together with no glue: the tolerance method, the software, and how to cut it cleanly.
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Hiring a Laser Cut Designer: Costs and What to Send
What changes the cost of a custom laser cut or CNC design, what to put in your brief, and how the process works from quote to test cut.
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Why Your Laser Cut File Won't Cut: 9 File Errors and Fixes
Double cuts, parts left attached, missing engraving, wrong size: nine common laser cut file errors, how to spot them and how to fix them.
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Choosing Material for Laser Cut Products That Sell
Plywood, MDF, acrylic or basswood? How material choice changes the design, the cut settings, the finish and the price your customers will accept.
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SVG or DXF? Choosing the Right Laser Cut File Format
SVG, DXF, AI, EPS and PDF all reach the laser differently. A practical guide to which format to use, what breaks in each, and how to avoid scaling disasters.
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Kerf Allowance: Why Your Laser Cut Joints Don't Fit
Kerf is the material the laser burns away. Ignore it and finger joints come out loose or won't assemble. How to measure kerf and design joints for it.
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