What is Illustrator?
Illustrator (officially Adobe Illustrator) is a vector graphics editor, or keeping it simple, a place where you can do artwork. Design graphics. Mainly used for designing not as complicated drawings as you might see on things like Pinterest or Tumblr. For this project, we are designing a key chain on Illustrator, then uploading it to a laser. We will also later be working with the vinyl cutter to place our names on our notebooks. Folks, I will be very impressed if you have a laser and/or a vinyl cutter at home... but realistically speaking this is more of a school project.
Key Chain
Don't worry, I know what you're thinking, "Lauren what am I looking at". Well, it's a key chain. I placed the autobot symbol in the smack dab center and placed my name under it. I smoothed my corners (because I can't handle otherwise) and took way too much time trying to perfectly place my circle. That red outline you see is where it will be cut out, the black is what will be engraved. Interestingly enough, it didn't print out my name, it printed everything out except my name. Am I mad? No. Do I want to know what I did wrong? Definitely! That calls for a different time though, when I don't have three people waiting to use the printer. If there's anything scarier then your parents when they're mad, it's your mad classmates.
Step-by-Step Process For Laser Printing
Admit it, you want to know how to laser print if you don't already. Well good news! Here is a how to for laser printing, just make sure you have a laser.
1. With a computer hooked up to the laser you are going to open up Illustrator and click File -> Print-> VLS6.60 -> Setup -> Preferences 2. Go to the materials tab and put in the thickness of your material and then find what material you're using (I used Extruded acrylic), then you can click OK. 3. Open the UCP software, turn on your laser and then with using the focus tool (looks like an arrow pointing down) and line the laser up to one of your corners of the material. (If you haven't put in your material by now, you should) and then click the relocation button. It looks like to arrows intersecting each other. Make sure then that all of your design's corners are on the material. 4. Press play! It won't be hot when it's done, so you can take it out right away. Make sure to get all of the bits! |
Vinyl - Putting My Name on a Journal
How to Weed Your Vinyl Cut
Don't make fun of the name.
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Tip: never call this a sticker, it's a decal! If you call a decal a sticker... there will be consequences. ;)
1. You'll be using Illustrator again for this, when you're done designing click Document Setup -> Edit Artboards -> make sure that all text outlines are there and double check the size of the project. 2. Load your vinyl cutter, you'll need to make sure it's on the grips and that it lines up straight. Press "Roll-1 front set" then "Enter" it should display that it's ready. 3. Now open up your file on a computer hooked up to the cutter. (the following is from my teacher's resource page)
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Summary
Hello all, I hope this helps you with whatever you want to use Illustrator for! These two projects taught me to not get mad at myself if things go wrong. As you saw, my key chain didn't turn out perfect and I'll admit that my name isn't straight on my journal and there are a few air pockets. I simply let it go, it doesn't bother me! I found that you can enjoy stuff a lot more if you don't hold things to the standard of perfection. I mean, give it your all, but if something goes wrong, don't beat yourself up for it! Enjoy designing, this shouldn't be that stressful! As always, go out there and create something! Best wishes, Lauren.