Laser Engraving Street/ Road Maps with the Glowforge using Silhouette Studio

In this video I use Google Maps to create a custom road map for the city and state of interest, then use Silhouette Studio to trace the map and add text. The Silhouette Studio file can then be saved as an svg for cutting and engraving with the Glowforge laser.
Materials used- White board/ Marker board from Home Depot, this is the slick dry erase type board, I believe this is it here tinyurl.com/HDwhiteboard
Ready to give in and get a Glowforge of your own? Here's the deal, every owner has a referral code that saves you $500 off a Pro and $250 off a Plus. BUT if my videos help you gain that confidence to HIT THE BUY BUTTON, I'd greatly appreciate you using my code!
Click here: glowforge.us/r/ALZXLFFY
You save $500 off a Pro, $250 off a Plus, $125 off a Basic and I get the same to keep creating!
Also, from 8/6/21-9/6/21 there is a 40% off coupon for Glowforge's Proofgrade materials when purchasing a Pro or Plus.

[@karolewagnerdesigns]

Great video! I appreciate how calm you are and detailed!

[@NicholasGomez]

This is GOLD!! Thanks a ton for sharing your process in creating this item.

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

:D You are welcome!

[@joybidwell9487]

You are a great teacher! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

[@andieskiball7485]

FANTASTIC TUTORIAL!!! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

😁😊

[@shadowliving6858]

So Very Helpful! Thanks for taking the time to share.

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

You're welcome, thanks for watching ☺️

[@sandyrowlette8722]

You do a wonderful job teaching! Thank you so much.

[@TheWinger1008]

Don't stop making videos. I don't even have my Glowforge yet and have learned so much. Can't wait to try this. Keep up the good work.

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Thank you for the kind words 😁

[@melissanewton2643]

Thank you! I’m excited to try this!

[@jeanbrown2137]

Great video, lots of valuable detailed information! Thanks so much .... very helpful for new GF owners! Much appreciated ☆☆☆☆☆☆

[@marcieglanzer5023]

I just discovered you on KZbin and subscribed right away! Your demos and explanations are so clear and easy to follow. I have used Silhouette for several years, so seeing you use it for your Glowforge designs is so helpful. I just ordered my GF a few days ago, eagerly awaiting its arrival to try some of these techniques, especially the map and recipe cutting board. Great job!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind comment! Having Silhouette experience is such a huge help to get up and running faster. I hope you love making with it and hope I can continue to impress with my future tutorials 😁😁

[@pauladrew1874]

Thanks so much for this great video! Can't wait to give this a try!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

You're welcome! I wish I could see how yours turns out

[@lemonsqueezycrafts6818]

More! More! Really appreciate your videos! Thank you!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

You're welcome 😊 More are in the works!

[@Reeveseye]

This is a great video. I like your idea of using smooth whiteboard to engrave these maps. I’ve used my Glowforge to make a lot of maps as well, although I tend to use Baltic Birch plywood so I can make them three dimensional wood map charts that show depth in nearby bodies of water. I agree with you that Google maps styling wizard is the best free method for making custom street maps. A tip for anyone who doesn’t have Silhouette Studio would be to go deeper into the styling wizard settings and blank out all the land features beneath the streets. You can pretty much turn everything in the background of the map white, including the water. Then you can zoom in and screen capture all the street lines without having to import them into Silhouette Studio (assuming you’re working with a Glowforge, which can engrave from basic JPG images).

[@BOss-xr7ej]

This is a great video. You have helped me out so much with this one video more so than the 30 other videos I have watched trying to learn about settings.

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Thank you for that awesome compliment! Glad to hear it helped you 😁

[@jeromyashcraft4571]

Great vid. Thanks for sharing.

[@xunilpenguin]

Fantastic!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

😄

[@anndeichasnoff9380]

You are the BEST! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing tutorial!!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Aw thanks :D You're welcome!

[@nicoleshort1391]

YOU ROCK! Thanks :)

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

You're welcome! 😁

[@matchstickdesignco]

You can also just hit the PrtScr key for a screen capture.

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes, great point! Admittedly, I avoided that button here because it captures both my monitors and I don't know how to make it choose one or if that is possible... hmm google search!

[@donutmac995]

Awesome video! Great and simple idea.. Thanks! Have you ever done an actual photo on something like this?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Thanks for watching! No, I still haven't gotten into doing photo engraves. I'm not sure if this would be the best material for it or not. If you experiment, let me know! 😁

[@moxiepilot9209]

Tell me you are an aviator! I saw this video and immediately thought it would be a great project for certain pilot training milestones! ❤

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

My husband has a private license. He proposed to me after flying out of that airport :) I definitely have more aviation themed projects in mind! Do you do any projects for pilots? I would love to follow you on Instagram or something.

[@moxiepilot9209]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts I'm currently working on wrapping up my commercial license and then CFI right after. I'm trying to think of ways to fund training and eventually helping women and girls achieve success in aviation as well so also funding some sort of scholarship program or non-profit. Now I have so many ideas of projects to make to raise money, but the glowforge (on top of conserving funds for flight training) seems terribly out of reach right now. But man I love these projects! 😍😍😍 For now I guess I'll just ogle your work!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@moxiepilot9209 that is so awesome! Best wishes with all those goals! If you ever want to see a project idea you have come to live, let me know 😊

[@moxiepilot9209]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts I'd like to (someday) make something similar to this but with the airport diagram and then text with first solo details, date, tail number, rwy, etc. Then maybe something with dates for my PPL and instrument rating, etc. Nice little commemorative array. I'd include some sort of laser cut frame to hold the photo of me withmy plane and my certificate. Sigh. 😊

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@moxiepilot9209 shoot me an email, I have a design in mind I've been wanting to draw up and I think it'd work well with your idea too. Send me your info you listed above and I'll mess with it between projects (if you want to of course!) [e-mail]

[@MrChucklepuff]

This is great! Subscribed! How would I make the maps that cut out the roads and everything and then you glue it onto wood? Makes the map 3d.

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

That is something I need to experiment with when I get the chance.

[@gaylefoley3899]

I probably missed something. When you did the name you have it in the red outline. I get that for where you want to cut or engrave. But when I do the subtract. I lose the red around the city and state. Any ideas?

[@bigb7930]

Great video. Have you done any similar projects on leather?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Thank you. I have used faux leather/ leatherette but not for map making. I've engraved passport covers, wallets, hat patches, keychains... What do you have in mind?

[@keithlaliberty3444]

Do you have a tutorial for making the frame for these? I love this video!!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

No, I haven't made one for that yet but I will make note to include that in a future tutorial 😁

[@joshfruik5607]

Very nice video! Did you have to pay for silhouette studio? To be able to transfer as correct file format

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes the Business Edition is needed. It is usually cheapest on swing design.com and they also typically have a Black Friday sale on it if you need to purchase the upgrade.

[@robotosmith]

This was a great video! What is the specific name/kind of whiteboard used?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

I wish I knew the *exact* name for it but unfortunately I do not and it is called different things between Lowes, HD etc. I did put a link to the one I believe it to be in the video description. I will update it when I go there again, unfortunately, that may not be too soon.

[@amortocreatecrafts]

Thanks for all the detailed tip information! Can you send me in the direction of the HD white board?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

tinyurl.com/HDwhiteboard I wasn't so sure at the time, but it appears to be this one. I have heard some stores use the same SKU for 2 different dry erase type boards, but my store only carries one type. Just make sure it is slick and not bumpy and that should be it. I added it to the video description now too :) You will love using it, sooo easy!

[@annikkraft4475]

That’s an awesome video! Just one question, I tried to save the file into svg but the only options I have are silhouette studio v3, v2 or GPS. Any idea how to solve that?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

You will need the business edition of Silhouette Studio to save as SVG. The upgrade is usually cheapest on swingdesign.com

[@annikkraft4475]

Lady Crockett Crafts thank you!!

[@moonman805]

Can I still use the Silhouette studio software even if I do not have a Silhouette machine? I have a glowforge and a Cricut machine. Thanks.

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes, you do not need the vinyl cutting machine to use the software. You can even download the free version of the software to try it first before doing the paid upgrade to Business Edition. Silhouetteamerica.com

[@DrewsTrains]

Is there a way to add the railroad tracks? GREAT video!! :-)

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Thank you! I see your user name so this question make sense ;) I would love to see what you create! Here's what I found out for you- I was able to get rails to show up if the Landmark slider was at least on the 3rd notch. When you click More Options, scroll down to the Transit header. Click on Line>Check the small color box and then select the color you'd like from the large colored box. I think those shown are Rail Lines, but you're the expert! I went to a rail I was familiar with and it did show hashed lines. Hope this helps :)

[@DrewsTrains]

Lady Crockett Crafts thank you!! I will try it out and let you know 👍😀

[@frankc3635]

Have you tried to invert it so that you cut out the spaces but leave the roads?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

No I haven't cut out any, bit I'd probably make the lines thicker before cutting if I ever do.

[@angelam8252]

Do you have any suggestion for maps that are too "long" for the area?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes, two ways: 1. If you have a larger computer monitor available to you, try taking your screenshot from there instead as it will allow more area to be shown at once. -OR- 2. Take two screenshots. Take the first area and save/paste it into SS then adjust the map to take the 2nd area but still capture a bit of the same area from the first screenshot. Load the 2nd screenshot into SS also. Find where the two screenshots line up and over lap them together. Now you can trace as usual. I have tried both methods so let me know if you need more help!

[@angelam8252]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts thank you! I was thinking I may have to do 2 shots and connect them. I'll let you know how it goes!

[@johngunter4239]

Is this the Silhouette Studio software that is used with Silhouette machine? If so, is this the free version?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes it's the same software, but the business edition is needed for maximum compatibility with the GF.

[@chrismarras4744]

Is there a way to select the water and make that a high fill black?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

I think I understand what you're asking but feel free to ask more questions if this isn't what you were looking for. Once you save the map with the lakes included and then import it into silhouette studio you can do Trace by color to select the blue lake area. This will likely give you a better tracing result than trying to trace the streets and the lake at the same time.

[@chrismarras4744]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts thank you!

[@zacharyanderson8201]

which model glowforge ? Can the basic do this?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

I have the Pro, but this can definitely be done on the Basic as well!

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

What kind of board is that i may have missed you saying what it is

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

This is white dry erase board from Home Depot. The white part is smooth and the back is brown in color.

[@timhi2558]

Nice GF tutorial! Most are junk lol this one was good. I never heard of the silhouette software, seems a lot easier than doing everything in inkscape. You should link your Etsy store for promoting! Any reason you prefer this whiteboard over engraving on plywood?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Thanks for the compliment! Yes, I have to agree that it looks much easier than Inkscape to me, but I also had the advantage of already knowing Silhouette Studio from doing vinyl crafting. The whiteboard is no fuss throw it in, engrave, wipe clean. However, engraving plywood definitely has its place also. When using plywood, the easiest way is to paint it first (which you're not limited to the color using this method), let it dry, then do the laser engrave. I've also painted plywood, covered with masking and then did a score of the masking to create a stencil area. Lots of methods and possibilities to fit each project! ☺️

[@timhi2558]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts What paints you recommend that can be lasered? Dont want to burn toxic fumes or ruin a machine

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@timhi2558 I have used spray paints, acrylic paints, and stains before lasering and no issues yet!

[@revahoman1648]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts do you have a tutorial on masking plywood then scoring it? Do you paint it first? I'd love to learn that

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@revahoman1648 You're in luck! I did just demonstrate painting then masking to cut in my newest video about making a Layered Mandala. Sometimes I also paint, mask, score, weed out the scoring and this methods acts like a stencil to paint the 2nd color on.

[@michaelgranato8701]

Is that a safe material the etch?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

It is commonly used by Glowforgers 👍👍

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

Can i use this method with a C02 laser ? Great video we r from fort vally ga

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes this is made on a Glowforge which is a CO2 laser. Mmm Lane Packing all things peach in Ft Valley! 🍑

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts lol yes ma'am love their peach ice cream stuff is addictive

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts i didnt realize the glow forget was C02 i thought they were diode lasers very cool video

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@freddiedrawhorn1939 yes the ice cream alone is worth the drive for me! I usually swing by during the Ga National Fair but it's all cancelled this year :(

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts yeah kinda sad all this stuff happened my little girl got robbed of her prom really bummed her out

[@amandasullivan9140]

It looks like Google changed its interface, everything is different, can you update for the new version?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

In the meantime, you can click the blue link at the bottom that says "No thanks, take me to the old style wizard"

[@amandasullivan9140]

@@LadyCrockettCraftsthanks so much, it worked!

[@debbied5046]

Is there a way to do this with the cricket software?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

The Cricut DS cannot export as an SVG. You will need another program to convert it.

[@debbied5046]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts I have Illustrator but when I do a live. trace it misses so much - any tips

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@debbied5046 sorry, I only use Silhouette Studio. I recommend giving Silhouette a try as most people coming from Cricut find it much easier to learn than the other programs. The basic version is free to try out as well. Let me know if you need more details/help on trying it.

[@susanthomas165]

Followed all the steps, and then went to save as an SVG only to find out I have to have the Business Edition of SS to do that. 😑

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes that is true... Check out swingdesign.com to see if they have a cheaper price than Silhouette for the upgrade. However if you only want to engrave, and have another means for cutting the material, you can save it as a jpg or png and it should work. I think those formats are available in basic edition

[@timhi2558]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts It wont even let me save it as a jpg/png... only lets you save as studio3 file.... really lame

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@timhi2558 ah I see now, those are also only exportable formats in the Business Edition :/ The only work around I can think of is to try making a screenshot and saving that as a jpg. Orrr take the plunge into Business Edition 😉 it is still on sale through swingdesign.com

[@mjacruz0430]

How do you frame them?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

I explain my framing method towards the end around the 17 minute mark. I wish I could share a picture of the framed result now but lmk if you need more help!

[@mjacruz0430]

Lady Crockett Crafts one more question!! What kind of wood do you use? Is it 1/8in or another depth?

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@mjacruz0430 I'm sorry, I can't find a piece to measure it, I may not have any left and it was not available at the store last time I went. Now the boards at Home Depot were whiteboard on one side and chalk board on the back. I have not tried engraving those yet though. Sorry I couldn't answer exactly but I'd guess it was closer to 1/4"

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

Howdy neighbor havnt posted any videos in a while

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

Yes I know! I hate it but busy season for crafting and more house remodeling at the same time 😅 Good to know my absence is noticed I reckon and I hope to be making more again soon!! Helping out others is one of my favorite parts of having a Glowforge 😁

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

@@LadyCrockettCrafts the wife is doing pumpkins for everyone having fun with it

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@freddiedrawhorn1939 I wish I could see them, sounds like fun! I have skipped right on to Christmas 🎄

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

Sure I dont know how to post on here we need to learn to be honest if u have email will send u video

[@LadyCrockettCrafts]

@@freddiedrawhorn1939 [e-mail] awesome!