How To: Laser Cut & Engrave City Maps - Adobe Illustrator

[@michaelasandering6203]

Thank you for this amazing instructional video. I will engrave some coasters with our city to give as a present to visitors.

[@HubertRoguski]

Cool ideas! Thanks for sharing.

[@dianemakes]

What a great instructional video!! Thank you! I did everything you said and I made a wonderful map of my city on Baltic Birch. Great for gifting!

[@epiloglaser]

We're happy to hear you found it useful!

[@imarmodels]

Really easy to follow, thanks for sharing!

[@epiloglaser]

Glad it was helpful!

[@signaturelaserdesigns7556]

This is fascinating. Great step by step instructions for engraving a map. We will be trying this. thank you for the video.

[@klarah1505]

Thanks for the tutorial! Is there a trick how to zoom out/cover a larger area but still contain the level of details as in the zoomed in version?

[@Adventures.withKatrina]

love this! Any suggestions on how to engrave the land, and lazer the roads? Editing every NODE is so exhausting lol.

[@eduardolaguna9328]

¡Great! The world of design has changed a lot.

[@robertprice9052]

I can't seem to get the detail I want in the area I would like to cover

[@becomealasergenius3396]

Very nice video👍🏼

[@nnlark]

Great instructions! Had seen this styling before, never thought about this as an engraving/cutting method.

[@ecekeskiner5558]

Thank you, nice video!

[@viosabarileva]

This is a very informative video. I'm using maps to papercut so the lines need to be thicker. Any idea how to achieve that?

[@davidbotero4291]

how long does it take, cutting and engraving ?

[@coulterjb22]

Thanks for the walkthrough. I am using CS4 and getting jagged streets/lines. i don't have the same customization settings as your newer version of Ai. i have a feeling my old version of Ai is going to be a problem getting straight vectors. Thoughts?

[@epiloglaser]

Hi ChaffineMachine - the Image Trace features in the newest version of Adobe CC have come a long way since the CS4 version released in 2008. We suggest reducing the amount of detail in the Trace features, then you may be able to smooth out the jagged lines you mentioned with the Simplify path feature under Object / Path / Simplify. The Simplify path feature will allow you to remove unnecessary and unwanted anchor points and simplify artwork, without making significant changes in the original path shape.

[@coulterjb22]

@@epiloglaser Thanks for the response. It might be time to upgrade or settle on lower quality.....upgrade it is.

[@GeoffreyMoran]

Your tutorial is great! I just keep getting a weird path all around my map which in turn becomes a cut path. Any ideas why this might be happening?

[@benjaminsieber1589]

Hi Geoffrey - is the line around the outside of the map section as a box?

[@GeoffreyMoran]

Benjamin Sieber it would appear that way yes. When I try to delete the path, it deletes the entire map. Just to be clear the box is saying that it is a path not just the image or object box.

[@serhii2929]

Hello! In what format I need to save final design in AI for engraving/cutting? DXF??? Thanks!

[@benjaminsieber1589]

Any format that supports a vector line will do. You'll need vector lines for cutting. DXF, SVG, PDF, and EPS are examples of file types that support vector lines.

[@serhii2929]

@@benjaminsieber1589 Thanks so much

[@JJ-up5be]

I missed the AI instructions in this video

[@jeffreycunningtown5730]

I did it with Woodglut.

[@futhaiter366]

Most us american city look boring and dead. All streets in cols and rows. Our european cities are grown and are full of curves and criss and cross streets. Much more interesting and natual.