Marble Maze

– featured case study

Laser cutting MDF

– many materials are covered in detail

Typical laser cutter

– the book details all the types available

Hibachi tealight holder

– cut and assembled by the author

Optimise speed & materials

– covered in detail in the book

This book is for complete beginners who want to master laser cutting.  It has:

1. Enough theory that the practice makes sense
2. An overall workflow – from concept to design, to cutting and finishing
3. Core Inkscape skills to enable you to use the software effectively
4. Details on how to use Inkscape specifically for laser cutting
5. Some resources to take you further

If you already have some experience with laser cutting, this book may plug gaps in your knowledge, or provide some useful perspectives, tips, or tools.

Makerspaces and educational institutions may also find the book useful for their courses and workshops because of the included practical activities.

Features

• Regularly updated – you’ll be notified of new editions
• Comprehensive – covers the entire workflow from concept, material selection, Inkscape fundamentals, Inkscape techniques specific to laser cutting, material preparation, cutting tips and techniques and finishing the final product
• Extensive – 160 pages, 35,000 words
• Education oriented – 23 activities, 8 case studies, lots of links to resources
• Supported – online forum for questions and content requests for inclusion in the next version
• Checklists and workflows to help you with getting to know your laser and use it effectively

Sample pages

• Table of Contents
• Know your laser (pg 1) – a comprehensive checklist to help you identify the capabilities of and processes used by your laser cutter
• Laser cutting workflow – a structured approach to successful laser cutting projects
• Figure 20: Vector basics – the book covers key fundamentals before moving to more advanced design and cutting techniques
• Figure 45: Bounding boxes – detailed instructions on how to configure Inkscape for laser cutting
• Evaluating downloaded SVG files – guides on how to evaluate, modify and use SVG files available on the web
• Activity 20: Creating a heart pendant – activities to make the theory practical
• Case Study: Marble maze – case studies that integrate information and skills from throughout the book so that you can see how everything fits together

What software is covered?

In addition to generally-applicable techniques, the book specifically covers:

• Inkscape (up to version 1.0)
• Deepnest
• Lightburn, LaserCut 5.3