Adobe Illustrator - Basic functions
Unlike the probably known Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator is not about taking existing images afterwards later. Instead, Illustrator is intended for From zero to create a completely new design file. So mostly with an empty character area you have the option of creating graphics with a variety of tools.
The special thing about it is that a pure illustrator file, not based on pixels, but on vectors. In plain text, that means, no matter how close you're to a vector, or path to get, you will never see individual pixels, but always only an infinitely enlarged bare presentation of this object.
As already mentioned, you have different tools in Illustrator, which you can use to use Create design. We want to summarize a pair of them in the following section.
- Selection tool: Without this small, inconspicuous tool, the whole program would not work. This does exactly what the name suggests. This allows you to select your objects and then move, transform or duplicate
- Crayon Tool / Curve Scorer: These two tools are intended to create free molds. While the drawing pin tool is well suited to straight lines to be added, which can be added subsequently even curves, the winding factor is more intended to create directly organic elements. Hard corners can only be added via detours.
- Text tool: In this tool, everyone should be clear what it does. The text created thereby can be formatted and adapted by any other text editing program and adjusted as desired. An advantage here is Illustrator that the text can be converted into paths and thus even more individual adapted.
- Line segment tool: With this tool, very stumps can be produced in individual lines when objects are still missing individual edges or the like. However, the actual force of this tool is that you can create auxiliary lines with these lines, or can be measured distances or lengths.
- Form tool: If you do not completely freely create your forms, but already want to use existing, you can use the mold tool for that. Here are rectangles, over ellipses up to stars, everything the heart desires. Of course, you can also change these forms in retrospect.
- Scissors tool: The scissors can mainly be practical if you want to use parts of objects. For example, do you have a circle and want to cut out an eighth, you can simply take the scissors, click on the desired points once, and the path is already divided.
- Transform: Transforming is not done directly in a separate tool. Instead, you right-click on the object to be transformed, hover over "Transform" and click on the desired transformation. The most important ones are "Rotate", "Mirror" and "Scale".
- Pathfinder: With the Pathfinder several objects can be adjusted at once. For example, they can be combined, but it can also be removed from the rear. Overall, 10 different processing options are available here.
Difference between engraving and cut files and their file formats
With the Mr Beam can be different materials engraving and cut. Of course, files must have different features that we want to briefly summarize here.
Create a laser file for cutting
Cut Only with vector files possible. They have the same properties named above at Adobe Illustrator. The difference is that no special program is needed to open it. So you can easily show yourself in any browser. You can also call and edit it in Illustrator if necessary. Your Mr Beam can drive along the lines of this file and cut there. So it's irrelevant how thick your lines are, as the lines are cut along the path. Instead, you can give your paths but different colors to assign each color to different laser parameters.
The files have the file extension SVG And can be exported directly from Adobe Illustrator. Click on this "File"> "Save As" and select as a file type "SVG (* .svg)" and click on "Save". Then an option window opens in which you can still embed potential pixel images in the SVG. This is only relevant if you also have pictures in the file that should be enriched later. Finally, click OK.
Create a laser file for engraving
the Mr Beam Can engrave in two different ways. Variant one also uses SVG files. The only difference to cutting is that the laser Then does not penetrate so far into the material. This is done by faster movement of the Laser head, lower laser intensity or a smaller range of flow. That's just efficient if you want to engrave only paths. A good example of this would be a kink in a carton.
However, if you want to engrave surfaces or even pictures, you can also use normal pixel graphics, for example in JPG or PNG format. Then the Mr Beam The image pixel series for pixel series, as it makes, for example, a printer. The Mr Beam interprets the colors of your picture in different brightness levels, which makes you with the right one Laser parameters Even whole pictures in grayscale can engrave perfectly engraved.
Create your own laser file
This should help you own Laser file Nothing standing in the way. With a basic understanding of Adobe Illustrator and the knowledge of how you are a file perfect for yours Mr Beam prepared, you are well prepared to achieve wonderful results and with our community under #madewithmrbeam to share. For more Tutorials and inspiration Just pursue ours Mr Beam Blog. Have fun with the laser!
