What File Does the Laser Cutter Use

Documentation for use with laser cutting machines

Before getting into laser cutting, one needs to ensure that all their designs are in the right format, or the results will be undesirable. For both laser cutting and laser etching, one can use raster files, which are made with individual pixels and are used to create images for computer screens or paper printing. By literal definition, this file extension serves as a map for your laser machine to etch images onto materials, but the output quality (resolution) may degrade compared to most of the raster file formats. Common file extensions for raster files are bitmap or bmp.
Next are CAD or 3D design files, which are used for shapes and models during laser engraving. Both are digital files created through mathematical algorithms, but the only difference lies in their application. In the current industry setting, most of the files compatible with the laser cutting technology are in vector mode.

1.Vector Files and Common Extensions

Vector files (commonly available as scalable image graphics, or .svg) have received a bigger industrial following due to their significant use in the precise cutting machine, among other commonly used cutters. In vectors, images are created with the help of mathematical formulas that define a point over a grid, which may sound a little complex to new learners, but in reality, it is very simple to create vector lines. One of the biggest advantages of using vector files in editing media and laser cutting is that they do not use pixels, therefore, if they are blown up or reduced in size, there is no loss in quality. Due to this characteristic, they are used in precise laser cutting and are particularly useful during engraving and etching.

2.Commonly used Vector Format

The most common is .svg which allows you to infinitely modify the size of these vector file types without affecting picture clarity or laser-cutting project results. CDR or Coreldraw file extensions, are specific to software like CorelDraw and other Corel. Another one is AI, or Adobe Illustrator, which is commonly used for laser printing patterns and logos.

Pros and Cons of Vector Files 

So now you know about What file does the laser cutter use and their common extensions, you should also learn their positives and negatives. Vector images are very popular because they are easy to refine; their sizes can be reduced or enlarged with the image quality still being unaltered.

Due to this property, everyone can create a small vector design and later resize it according to the dimensions of their required surface during laser cutting. It is easy to edit vector files because all you have to do is click on the shapes you wish to directly edit rather than go deep with the pixels.

The only downside of using vector files for laser cutting is that they are more complex to make than the simpler raster or bitmap files. With this, the resources needed to make vector files are less compared to what is needed to make raster or bitmap files, which leads to less exposure to the programs for the vector files in the beginning and therefore a very small learning curve.