I started by downloading a triangular based pyrimid net off of a USB stick, this is what I will be learning these techniques on. I then decided to make some shapes on the different parts of the triangles on illistrator. 

As I was drawing these shapes, I had in mind what I wanted to do with them, and using the 3 different techniques when laser cutting onto card.

 

Once I was done on illistrator, I then saved it as an illistrator file and opened it up on the laser cutting software on another computer. This software alowed me to select lines and shapes and to change them into different colours, which would command the laser cutting machine to do a certain job (eg for cutting and engraving).

 

TIP: the laser cutter can't read JPEGs, therefore, to cut or engrave an image, you'd have to sketch around what you wanted for the image in illistrator, for the machine to then be able to work with the image.

 

Once I completed this, I then made sure that the co-ordinates were in the right place. I had to select two. One for the bottom left, and the other for the top right, this would mean that the laser cutter / computer, would know where to start and stop, linking in with the illistrator file. Then, before pressing go, I had to check that the job order was in the righ place, and that it would cut out around the shape at the end, opposed to the begining, so the laser pin head wouldn't drag around the card, moving it away from the set co-ordinates

 

Once the procedure was done, I could open up the lit, and take away my card.

I was really pleased at how this came out, and realy got me thinking at how I could co-oporate this with my final design.