With Valentine's Day just around the corner what better way to show someone special how much you care by creating a Love sign for them. This Love sign is made from 3 different colors of acrylic but can be made with other materials just as easy with only a few adjustments to the settings.
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Step 1: Items Needed
Step 1) Here are the items needed to complete this project, 2 different color plastic compatible spray paint. I find the Painter's touch works the best for bonding and for shine. This can be found in most hardware stores as it is a popular brand. Next up is 3 pieces of Xtool brand 1/24th black cast acrylic. Out of the 3 pieces needed 2 of them are painted prior to the starting of the project. 1 is painted white and the other is painted red. For this project full sheets are not needed just pieces large enough to cover the area needed to make the parts. The third item is a bonding agent with this project the simplest way is to use very thin 2 sided tape. There is all kinds of different types of thin 2-sided tape found on amazon. Now this tape can be applied before cutting in the laser or can be applied after.
Step 2: Designing Stage
Step 2) With this step we start with a clean fresh session of XCS software. The first thing is to create a word using the text feature, this word happens to be LOVE. Once this is done a whimsical fun loving font is chosen. Once this is in place you will want to adjust the settings of letter spacing. Within the text editor this can be achieved by setting a number value in the spacing box. For this project I chose 2 to widen the word. This second thing to do is to resize the entire word to a workable size. Remember the size chosen here will relate to almost the finished size of the project.
Step 3: Adding Hearts
Step 3) Now it is time to add hearts, this is easily done by using the shapes list of items. The stock heart works and is applied to the work area. Once this heart is on the work area it is slightly sized to fit the lettering for a proper ratio. The next step is to add an outline to the heart, this can be achieved with the outline feature. You will want a smaller outline so a size of offset is set to 0.200. This gives just enough room for the desired effect.
Step 4: More Hearts and Placement.
Step 4) Now that we have one heart placed with an outline we will want three more for a total of 4 of them. This is done with the array feature, simply by adjusting the options set it to 4 columns and 1 row. When this is done there will be 4 identical hearts with outlines on the work area. Each of these hearts are not grouped so they can be moved easily. Now it is time to move the outline portion of the hearts so they are over top each letter. One for each letter, this is all based one what you want and how it looks so you can place them where ever you want for different effects.
Step 5: Removing the outline Hearts
Step 5) Now it is time to use the combine feature of XCS software, by highlighting all of the hearts and letters together from the drop down selecting subtract removes the outline of the hearts from each letter. After this is done it lloks like parts of the letters are missing pieces. Now the second inner parts of the outlined hearts can be placed over top the letters to achieve the effect of letters with hearts combined together with a border.
Step 6: Creating a Base
Step 6) Now that the word has the hearts all set up a base or a backing will be needed to keep it all together. This is done by highlighting the entire project and selecting outline once again. This time a larger outline is needed so the offset is set to 0.500 to give a nice thick border all around the letters.
Step 7: Setting and final adjustments.
Setting 1
Process Method
Laser Cut
Process Material
Transparent Acrylic
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
100
Speed(mm/s)
10
Pass
1
Setting 2
Process Method
Laser Score
Process Material
Transparent Acrylic
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
15
Speed(mm/s)
20
Pass
1
Other Parameters
When scoring for alignment the power does not need to be set high, it is only to give you enough score to see where the pieces need to be placed to keep everything lined up.
Step 7) With everything all set up and the design all finished an easy way to complete the project is an aid from the laser machine by copying the letters and hearts to be cut separate. This then leaves the original design in tack on the work area and the letters and hearts in place can be set to score for easy alignment when assembling. As you can see each layer is labeled.
Step 8: All the Bits and Pieces
Step 8) When everything is ready to go to the laser the pieces can be done in any order providing you do all the pieces. Once the pieces are all scored and cut the assembly is easy by using the 2 sided tape to bond everything together. I use a 2 sided tape that has a backing that can be removed to reveal the adhesive. Once each piece has the backing removed it is then simply applied to the backing in the corresponding place like a puzzle.
Step 9: Ready to display or Gift
Step 9) Now the Love sign is complete with the hearts, this makes a perfect gift for that special someone on Valentine's Day with a strong message built right in.
Step 1) Here are the items needed to complete this project, 2 different color plastic compatible spray paint. I find the Painter's touch works the best for bonding and for shine. This can be found in most hardware stores as it is a popular brand. Next up is 3 pieces of Xtool brand 1/24th black cast acrylic. Out of the 3 pieces needed 2 of them are painted prior to the starting of the project. 1 is painted white and the other is painted red. For this project full sheets are not needed just pieces large enough to cover the area needed to make the parts. The third item is a bonding agent with this project the simplest way is to use very thin 2 sided tape. There is all kinds of different types of thin 2-sided tape found on amazon. Now this tape can be applied before cutting in the laser or can be applied after.
Step 2) With this step we start with a clean fresh session of XCS software. The first thing is to create a word using the text feature, this word happens to be LOVE. Once this is done a whimsical fun loving font is chosen. Once this is in place you will want to adjust the settings of letter spacing. Within the text editor this can be achieved by setting a number value in the spacing box. For this project I chose 2 to widen the word. This second thing to do is to resize the entire word to a workable size. Remember the size chosen here will relate to almost the finished size of the project.
Step 3) Now it is time to add hearts, this is easily done by using the shapes list of items. The stock heart works and is applied to the work area. Once this heart is on the work area it is slightly sized to fit the lettering for a proper ratio. The next step is to add an outline to the heart, this can be achieved with the outline feature. You will want a smaller outline so a size of offset is set to 0.200. This gives just enough room for the desired effect.
Step 4) Now that we have one heart placed with an outline we will want three more for a total of 4 of them. This is done with the array feature, simply by adjusting the options set it to 4 columns and 1 row. When this is done there will be 4 identical hearts with outlines on the work area. Each of these hearts are not grouped so they can be moved easily. Now it is time to move the outline portion of the hearts so they are over top each letter. One for each letter, this is all based one what you want and how it looks so you can place them where ever you want for different effects.
Step 5) Now it is time to use the combine feature of XCS software, by highlighting all of the hearts and letters together from the drop down selecting subtract removes the outline of the hearts from each letter. After this is done it lloks like parts of the letters are missing pieces. Now the second inner parts of the outlined hearts can be placed over top the letters to achieve the effect of letters with hearts combined together with a border.
Step 6) Now that the word has the hearts all set up a base or a backing will be needed to keep it all together. This is done by highlighting the entire project and selecting outline once again. This time a larger outline is needed so the offset is set to 0.500 to give a nice thick border all around the letters.
Step 7) With everything all set up and the design all finished an easy way to complete the project is an aid from the laser machine by copying the letters and hearts to be cut separate. This then leaves the original design in tack on the work area and the letters and hearts in place can be set to score for easy alignment when assembling. As you can see each layer is labeled.
Step 8) When everything is ready to go to the laser the pieces can be done in any order providing you do all the pieces. Once the pieces are all scored and cut the assembly is easy by using the 2 sided tape to bond everything together. I use a 2 sided tape that has a backing that can be removed to reveal the adhesive. Once each piece has the backing removed it is then simply applied to the backing in the corresponding place like a puzzle.
Step 9) Now the Love sign is complete with the hearts, this makes a perfect gift for that special someone on Valentine's Day with a strong message built right in.