TROTEC Print & Cut

The Trotec’s print and cut tool uses a camera system to precisely cut printed graphics on certain materials. For our demonstration in class, we printed out package designs that we created and utilized the trotec to cut them out.

Before uploading your files to the Trotec software, you need to be sure to prepare them correctly. The first step is to add registration marks, or black circles, on all four corners of your design. You are then going to make another file with the registration marks converted to outlines, and only the cut lines visible, not the printed design. Once you have both of the files created, you can print your design onto your selected material. The files that I used are above, the first one with my design, and the second one with my cut lines.

Once I had my design printed onto my paper, I put it into the laser and uploaded my cut file to the software. I aligned the registration marks on the cut file with the dots on my printed material and made sure to select “Print & Cut.” The camera software then scanned the registration marks and slightly adjusted the cut path to cut perfectly because my alignment was slightly off. Once my package was cut out, I removed it from the laser and folded it into the box, and it was a success.