Our site is under construction and the information will be updated as we continue to test the prototyping machines

Preparing the file and materials for the Versa Laser

File Format

The laser cutter accepts vector files created by the following applications

• Adobe Illustrator cs
• Freehand
• Corel Draw
• AutoCad

We currently only have (illustrator and Autocad) as drawing software in the lab

VersaLaser operates by means of color coding:

	Cutting
	Lines must be 0.001 in thickness (or else it will not cut) Lines must be colored in Pure Red ( r = 255, g = 0, b = 0 ) Note that in illustrator the color mode must be in RGB for this to work.
	Marking
	Lines can be any thickness Lines must be black ( r = 0, g = 0, b = 0 ) Lighter colors produce lighter markings
	Engraving
	Lines can be any thickness Lines must be Pure Blue ( r = 0, g = 255, b = 0 )

These colors should be transferred to the view on the laser cutter driver. (If any color is not properly showing in the driver view, it will not print or cut as intended)

Download the VERSALASER DRIVER to test your configuration.

Materials

You need to bring your own materials.

Its best to test your part on cardboard first. Before executing it on the actual material.

AVOID MIRRORS and REFLECTIVE MATERIALS

MAXIMUM THICHNESS FOR CUTTING IS 1/4 INCH

The size of the Laser Cutter Bed is 16 x 12 inches ( therefore your material must be 16x12 inch or less)

For Cutting & Marking or Engraving:

• Fabric & Leather
• Paper & Cardboard
• Plastic & Acrylic (sheet, film & molded)
• Rubber (natural, synthetic & foam)
• Wood & Hard Organics

For Marking Only:

• Glass & Ceramic
• Metal (coated & bare)
• Stone (natural & synthetic)

Plexiglass and Cardboard are available at the CMU Art Store in the University Center and in Top Notch Art store in Craig Street.

Cost

The cost for using the versaLaser cutter in the Rapid Prototype Lab is $5 per use.