Have you uploaded your design which you would like to cut, but Mr Beam software is only showing you options for engraving? In this article we will walk you through the possible reasons and ways how to solve this.
Tip: When you place your design on the working area, Mr Beam shows you immediately all the elements your file contains and which laser jobs are possible. This is a quick way to check whether you have set-up and exported your file correctly.
This icon shows you that a vector path has been recognizes within your file. This means you can choose a specific laser cutting job for this vector in the next step. If you have multiple vector paths in different colours in your file, you will see multiple vector icons, each one in the specific colour from your file.
This icon stands for pixel based elements, which have been recognized within the file, and which are suitable for engraving.
If you don't see an option for laser cutting, these could be the possible reasons:
1. You have set a fill somewhere in your SVG file.
Open your vector editing program and click on each vector element to check, if the stroke has a colour, but the fill should have none! Even if you think you don't have a fill, it might seem invisible to you if it's white on the white background! You will find more details about this topic in this article.
| This is how it looks in Adobe Illustrator: | And this is Inkscape: |
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2. You want to cut a lettering, but you have not set the colour of the stroke.
If your design file contains text elements which you would like to cut, you need to convert them to paths first. To do this, please click on your object, then click on the right mouse button and choose "Convert into paths" from the drop-down menu. Then you can choose whether you want to colour the stroke if you want to cut your lettering, or whether you want to set the filling in order to engrave it. You will find more information on how to work with text here.
3. You haven't aligned the stroke in the centre.
Please check if your stroke is aligned in the middle of the vector path.
In Illustrator click on the object, then click on the work Stroke > align stroke > middle
4. You have used the Brush tool in Illustrator
Illustrator offers the "Brush Tool" tool, which you can use to draw freely in the program. Although the drawn lines are converted into paths, these are unfortunately not recognized when exporting to SVG and get converted to filled areas. Areas can logically not be cut, but only engraved.
That's why you should always use the Pen tool, because it creates paths without compromise.
