LaserCut 5.3 how to make the outline red so I can cut not engrave?

[Amos De Pasquale]

I need to be able to make the outline of my image red so that I can cut rather than engrave, could you please help and guide me in this. Amos

[Rich Harman]

I need to be able to make the outline of my image red so that I can cut rather than engrave, could you please help and guide me in this. Amos

In LaserWorks you can only do this if the image is a vector. You choose to cut after rastering in the settings dialog. This does not work if the image is a .bmp or other non vector format.

[Amos De Pasquale]

Rich is LaserWorks the same as LaserCut?? Amos

[Rich Harman]

It is similar. I've only spent a few minutes with it a long time ago.

[Bill George]

I need to be able to make the outline of my image red so that I can cut rather than engrave, could you please help and guide me in this. Amos

Do you already have the outline? If your using Corel you can select it and change the color. In some laser control programs that outline also has to be changed to a hairline width. I don't have the same program as yours, but in mine you can assign that line or color, to either vector cut or raster/engrave.

[John Noell]

There may be a simpler way, but what I do is...starting in CorelDraw, select the image, then "Contour" (Effects menu -> Contour; or use F9 to get it) it to put a line (of any thickness) around it. Export just the line to LaserWorks (as a dxf file), and position it around the image. While the line is slected, click on a colour (such as red) at the bottom left to assign it to a layer. Now you can say "cut" for that layer/line.

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Amos;
Not sure about Lasercut but I am told Laserwork is very similar.
For Laserwork, I have found its a lot easier to do all by design work in Coreldraw and then import it into Laserwork as a bitmap and/or an AI illustrator file. The bitmap is everything you want engraved and set color to black and scan. The AI file is everything you want cut and set color to red (or any color) and cut. If you need a cutting outline for a bitmap image, the easiest way I have found is to ctrlD a copy in Corel, save it as a bitmap ( if it isnt one already), open it in Photopaint, convert it to Grayscale, crank the brightness down so its all black , save it back to Corel and do a Trace and then you have it- sounds complicated but can be all done in 11.2 seconds.
Good Luck
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[Bert Kemp]

You must have a vector outline select your image and ungroup all, then clic the line you want to change clic the outline pen and color and red. In laser cut clic on the engrave box and it should open and give you the option to cut or engrave, doesn't matter what color the line is, lasecut 5.3 will cut or engrave any color line.

[Neville Stewart]

I've done fairly complex layered cuts with colored layers saved in the design software and then exported as a dxf. Some of the layers changed colors when imported into LC, so watch for that too. Seems like some interpretation is lost for layer coloring. Just and FYI.

[Bert Kemp]

Good point, I've noticed color changes also, Red will be pink and black will be shades of grey. Just make sure you know which lines correspond to the color in lasercut and it will be fine.

I've done fairly complex layered cuts with colored layers saved in the design software and then exported as a dxf. Some of the layers changed colors when imported into LC, so watch for that too. Seems like some interpretation is lost for layer coloring. Just and FYI.

[Amos De Pasquale]

Thanks for the advice, I will have a go at this and let you know how I fare. Amos

[Dave Sheldrake]

Lasercut won't recognise many of the corel draw colours, it has the basic 36 web colours available so anything outside of those will be converted when run into the nearest available.

[John Frazee]

I use Lasercut 5 everyday. I use Corel for my artwork, save as an AI file. All the lines are black as I choose my colors to cut/engrave in the Lasercut software. In Lasercut, go to file=select import. Look for where you saved your file and open it. With the file open click on your outline, it should turn red to show that it's selected. With it selected click on one of the colors at the bottom of your page. It should have about 10 colors to choose from. All the lines you want to cut should be changed to the same color you selected. If there's more you want to cut just click on those lines and choose the same color you chose for the first cut. Then click on the printer icon on the top center of the page. A box will open up showing the colors you selected. You need to go to the color you selected to cut and double click. Another box will open with a dropdown, select CUT. On that same box is OPTIONS. That is where you set your speed and power. Click OK. On the box that opened first is where you turn ON/OFF that color. If all you want to do is cut and you have a color on there that you selected to engrave you need to turn off that color. I hope I haven't confused you! If you follow this step by step you should be fine. Anymore questions just ask!