ILLUSTRATOR
Illustrator is another computer software program we have been using in class. Similarly to Inventor, Illustrator allows you to create a sketch that will later be turned into something real. However, rather than 3-D printing, Illustrator is how we make a sketch that will be sent to the laser or vinyl cutter. On Illustrator, you use various colors and thicknesses of lines to later tell the laser what you want it to do and it uses those codes to cut out your sketch.
Using Illustrator, I created a sketch for what I wanted my design to look like. I started with the outline, and then I added the hole for the actual chain. Next, I added my name to be engraved in the bottom corner and a smaller star in the middle.
Here is the finished sketch!
After downloading the file onto my flash drive, it was time to cut it out with the laser. In the innovation center, I uploaded the file onto the UCP software (shown on the left) and lined it up with where the piece of acrylic was placed in the laser. After making sure everything was in the right place, I clicked the large play button to begin cutting.
Here is my key chain once it was all cut out and engraved. It only took the laser about 3 minutes if that to cut out my design.
This was the Illustrator file for the vinyl cut out name.
After the vinyl name was cut out, I needed to put it onto my notebook. Above is the step my step process of applying the decal. First, I had to peel off the access vinyl and all of the extra pieces. Next, I had to apply transfer tape to the top of my name and peel off the backing. Finally, I placed the decal on my notebook and peeled off the transfer tape leaving the final product.
WHAT I LEARNED
I learned so much about Illustrator during this unit. To begin, I learned what Illustrator actually was and what it is used for. I got to experiment with different shapes and how to create different designs in the software. Once I was finished designing on Illustrator, I learned how to use the UCP software and set up the laser so I was able to cut and engrave various things that I had designed. Not only did I learn how to use Illustrator for the laser, but also for the vinyl cutter. I didn't even know what vinyl was before this project so that is another thing that I learned. Cutting on the vinyl cutter is not the same as the laser so that was also something new for me. Along the way, almost everything we do in this class is new to me, and that's what makes it so interesting. I learned so much about how to use Illustrator for the laser and vinyl cutter during this unit.