Programs for drawing laser-cut parts – Pololu Custom Laser User Manual
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Programs for drawing laser-cut parts
We use CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X6 to draw and cut parts. We can also open files from a variety of other
programs (please see our accepted file types above). If you need a program to draw your parts in vector-format, here
are a few free trials or completely free programs to try:
• Open Office Draw: This free vector-graphics drawing software is part of a free office suite,
. You will have to download the entire suite of programs to use Open Office Draw. Please
save files in PDF format.
• Inkscape:
This
free
vector-graphics
drawing
software
is
available
at
Please be sure to include a 1" square size reference in your SVG file generated from
Inkscape, as sometimes there are scaling issues when opening SVG files in the software we use.
• CorelDRAW trial version: You can download a free trial of this vector-graphics drawing software (with
capabilities similar to Adobe Illustrator) at
Please save your files in CDR
format (default).
• TurboCAD professional trial version: You can download a free trial of this CAD software at
. Please save your file as a DXF (compatible with AutoCAD
version 2004 or earlier). You can access this option in TurboCAD in the “Save As” window under a “Setup”
button or tab. Please see accepted file types above to learn about certain restrictions on the file for larger parts.
Setting up a sketch or mock-up (if we are drawing your parts for you)
To laser cut parts, we will need one of the accepted file types listed above. If you would like us to draw your parts
on the computer for you, you will need to prepare a mock-up file of your parts or a file with a written description
communicating the parts you need. The file can be any file type that we can read, such as a text file with a written
description, a scan of a hand sketch (JPG, GIF, BMP, PDF), a mock-up in Word, Paint, or Excel, etc.
To request a quote that includes file creation, please submit your file in the quote request form and mention that you
need us to draw your parts in the special instructions field. File creation costs are listed at our laser cutting pricing
page.
Please follow these guidelines when
preparing your mock-up file:
• Written descriptions should include
all sizes of parts, quantities required,
and material types and colors for each
part. For example:
Custom Laser Cutting Guide
© 2001–2014 Pololu Corporation
5. Instructions for Laser Cutting File Setup
Page 19 of 29