Glowforge Custom Wood Family Sign

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Flat Material or Plywood
• Sandpaper
• Paint
• Stain

DIRECTIONS:

1. Download the design from the Glowforge® Catalog here.
2. Click to open it in the Glowforge App or navigate to app.glowforge.com & open the design from the dashboard.
3. Notice this design is missing the family name & initial.
4. Click the text tool in the toolbar.
5. Type in family name & browse thousands of fonts until you find the one you like.
TIP: If you see a font you want to save for later, add to favorites by clicking the heart next to each font.

6. As well as the family name, this design needs a monogram.
7. To create one, select the text tool & type an initial.
8. Choose a font & increase the font size within the text tool until it fills the space appropriately.
9. For more customization, click the Plus sign in the toolbar to browse millions of shapes & icons, or use Magic Canvas to generate unique artwork using a handful of words.
10. Remember, you can resize, rotate, copy & paste, & group design elements as you build your print.
11. Use pre-finished Proofgrade Plywood for a perfect finish or vibrant acrylic for something more colorful.
12. For the farmhouse look in our example, we painted a piece of Basswood Plywood with white acrylic paint & used sandpaper to create the worn & weathered look on a piece of walnut plywood.
TIP: In our example, we painted the material before we printed on it. To do this, carefully peel back the protective masking - saving it if possible - & apply paint. Once the paint is dry, stick the protective layer back into place & add material to the Glowforge. By painting the entire surface beforehand, we're able to engrave the painted surface away, leaving a perfect result.

13. Load the chosen material into the bed of the Glowforge.
14. You'll see the image in the Glowforge App update to show material.
15. Proofgrade materials with a QR code will be automatically detected by the Glowforge.
16. If the QR code is missing or damaged, click the rectangle in the top left corner labeled "Unknown Material" to open the materials menu.
17. Start typing the name of your material until you see it appear in the menu below & click to select.
18. If using a scrap piece of material, drag & drop the design to avoid any holes left over from previous prints.
19. Try not to change the size of the parts while dragging & dropping - this design has been precisely drawn so the parts align accurately during assembly.
TIP: If a part accidentally gets resized don't worry. As with most software, the undo feature is just a click away. Ctrl + Z (or CMS + Z on a mac) will undo the previous changes.

20. In this design, the monogram initial is intended to be cut from a piece of material & stuck to the backing circle for a 3D effect.
21. If you'd like to do the same, drag the initial into a space on your material that's outside of the two circles.
22. If you're using thin material, consider copying & pasting the initial a couple of times so you can layer them for additional depth.
23. After printing, simply stack them together, applying glue between the layers.
24. The Cut, Score & Engrave settings are preconfigured for this design.
25. If you've added additional design elements, let's take a moment to make sure Glowforge knows what to do with them. Starting at the top, work through the print steps on the left-hand side & make sure each one is set to Cut, Score or Engrave.
TIP: As you define the Cut, Score & Engrave parts of your design, you'll see the various parts of your design turn from a dull blue or red to a vibrant version of the same color. This is a handy indicator that all parts of your design are accounted for.

26. If you haven't already, make sure to vent the Glowforge out a window or into a Glowforge Air Filter.
27. If using an Air Filter, turn it on now.
28. Click "Print" in the top right corner, & when the button starts to glow, press it to begin the print.
29. After the print is done, open the lid to remove the print & any scraps.
30. With all the parts printed, it's time to peel off the protective masking.
31. Use fingernails, a weeding tool, or a strong adhesive tape to remove the protective layer.
FINAL STEP:

32. Using your favorite glue or double-stick tape, adhere the layers together. (Feel free to get creative with paint, sandpaper & other mediums to customize parts)
33. Our example used sandpaper to abrade the surface of walnut plywood to create a rustic look.
34. Hang your new sign proudly on the wall.