looking for someone to convert jpgs to DXFs

[welderbabe]

I am looking for someone I can email jpg images to and they will convert them to DXF files for lasercutting and email them back to me! For some reason when I export to DXF all I wind up with is bad text files.

I'd be happy if someone can tell me the steps to do this, I can place my images in Illustrator and trace but then I reach the edge of my envelope!

[The Repro Kid]

A jpg contains no vector data and so cannot be converted into any type of a useful DXF. You need to trace your pattern and then delete the JPG from your Illustrator file before exporting to DXF.

Best to get familiar with the pen tool, and just trace the patterns yourself. For any type of cut patterns you really should have an efficiently and thoughtfully traced file.

I'll make cut patterns for an iCut machine in Illustrator and even with simple square cuts I'll break apart the rectangles, extend each line segment a 1/6" of an inch in each direction and then selectively cut a re-paste each line in the most efficient order I think the machine should make the cuts.

This would probably be a good method for your laser cuts, then you can export to DXF. My iCut machine will take AI files.

[TORCH511]

Doesn't i-cut extend the cuts for you? When I first started making files for a zund M-800 knife cutter, using and old, old, VERY old version of i-cut back when it was put out by MGE you had to extend the cuts (how far depended on the thickness of the material and the angle of the blade)

Later versions we had did that for you and you could set the blade (by type) and it would just figure that out for you, which made my job easier.

Laser cutting does not suffer from the same problem, since the laser burns out away from the cutting path. It's like extending the cutting path in all directions ALL the time.

This brings up a whole NEW potential probems, depending on the tolerances you are working with and the material you are cutting. The width of the laser, plus the rusulting burn creates a cutting path that can get wide. If you are dealing with tolerances below .020" (and even if you are not) it becomes a good idea to offest you cutting path to allow for this. Which way you offset depends on what area you are keeping (out), and what is being discarded (in). You also have to be weary of places the laser may cross close to itself as in text.

[The Repro Kid]

I don't know which iCut machine we have Torch, but I'm guessing it's old because if we don't extend the cuts it will tend to cut a round corner instead of square because the bit or the router tries to follow the path around the corner. Breaking the path and extending seems to negate that problem. But I'm strictly pre-press and thankfully we don't have to be involved in any finishing manufacturing tasks. We just prepare print files and engineer cut files and cut layout schemes and print and maintain the HPs, occasionally I will run and maintain the big press as well during the night. As far as the blade and router offsets, I just create more bleed depending on if they are using a router as opposed to a blade, and let the finishing crew take of any offsetting on the iCut itself. I do know that our iCut is very large and can cut displays 14.5' max.