Glowforge Laser

 Laser Safety 

The laser cutter/engraver requires constant monitoring to ensure the safety of you and others in the makerspace. You must follow these rules when using the laser cutter/engraver:




 Glowforge Tutorial 

1.

Turn on the Glowforge and the ventilation fan 

The power button can be found on the back of the Glowforge. 

Underneath the table the Glowforge sits on is the ventilation fan. The red power button can be found on its right side. 

2.

Put your material in the laser bed

Open the lid of the machine to load and position material. Make sure the material is positioned correctly within the engraving area, against the top left corner.

3.

Close the lid

4.

Open the Glowforge software

Use the Glowforge software on one of the makerspace computers. Ask an intern if you need help.

5.

Create a new project

On the dashboard, click Create and then Upload from file. 

Find the file you want to engrave or cut.  Compatible picture formats include JPG, PNG, and SVG

6.

Identify material

Click at the the top left corner of the screen and selecting from the drop down menu of available materials. 

Please ask a Makerspace intern if you are unsure which material to choose. 

This should be done before the material is placed in the machine. 

7.

Place your design

Drag your whole design to place it where you want it on your material. 

Once this is placed, you will be able to adjust the image by using the corner feature to make the image smaller/ larger and center the image to your desired place.

When the image is adjusted it should be completely lined up with the way that you want the machine to cut. 

8.

Click Print

When you are satisfied with the placement of your design, click PRINT in the app

9.

Select the print button on the machine

When the button on your Glowforge button starts glowing, press it and watch it print.