DraftSight and Vinyl Cutting

Following on from last weeks blog on using DraftSight for Embroidery, this week we are going to talk about using DraftSight for cutting Vinyl.

Using a Vinyl Cutter in DraftSight is very similar to using a Printer or Plotter.  First of all, you need to install the Vinyl Cutter.  In our example, we will be using a Roland GS 24 to cut a prosthetic had design out of vinyl.

So, you’ve installed the driver for your Vinyl Cutter. The first next is easy, just open up a drawing file. It can be in DWG or DXF Format.  In fact, if you are using the latest version, DraftSight 2017, you can import a DGN file also!

Once you have your file open, just select Print.

From the Print Dialog box, select your Vinyl Cutter from the Printer / Plotter selection and then click on Properties button.

This launches the Roland Vinyl Cutter print interface. This gives you, the user, more control over the cutter if you want it.

In today’s example, we will accept the options as they are by selecting OK to dismiss the dialog, and then OK again in the DraftSight Print Dialog.

At this point, your design is sent to the Vinyl Cutter. Vinyl is a lot more expensive than paper, so make sure you’re happy with your design before you hit OK!

So, once your design has been cut on vynil, there are lots of pretty neat things you can so with it. You could create graphics for your cars, signs for your windows or you could do what we did and using the silkscreen print method, create a very cool looking t-shirt!.

Another of our talented team transferred the vinyl on to some coloured acrylic to create this futuristic piece of art.

Like I said in our previous blog on DraftSight and Embroidery, our aim on this project was to show that DraftSight is not just limited to the world of AEC. DraftSight is a design tool. What you design in it is only limited by your imagination.

To purchase DraftSight Professional with its productivity-boosting features for just $99, click here.

Discover more about DraftSight Professional, a powerful 2D design solution for professionals that includes productivity tools and an API for just $99.

www.DraftSight.com/Professional

MJ Smyth
The first time I used CAD, it was on a DOS PC with an 8088 processor, 640K of memory and a Hercules Mono Graphics Card... That, well that was a long long time ago. I switched to DraftSight the day it was released and haven't looked back!
MJ Smyth

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